Our first dry day and sunny too hurrah. Also I think the one with the most to see.
We started the day travelling through Glastonbury and Wells (where we stopped to look at the cathedral). Then past Chew Lake and over the magnificent Clifton Suspension Bridge.
The route to this point was mainly flat/undulating punctuated by quite a long climb out of Wells, on the Old Bristol Road, and a very steep hill in Long Ashton, just before Bristol.
Then it was a fairly easy ride to our next bridge over the Severn. It was quite a strange experience riding for what seemed like a good mile over the bridge adjacent to a motorway.
Then we were into Wales - Monmouthshire. Lost track of counties visited now as not sure which one Bristol is in, but we're now in Herefordshire and we may possibly have briefly entered Gloucestershire too.
The A466 to Monmouth didn't look overly appealing at it passed Chepstow racecourse, however it soon turned into a lovely wooded road sweeping down through the Wye Valley.
Suddenly out of the trees appeared the ruins of Tintern Abbey, and a cafe which was a welcome sight as I was feeling pretty hungry. So we stopped, filled up and admired the view and hoped that the road didn't climb back up.
Luckily the road continued along the river (reminding Damian of the Loire Valley). Switching between Wales & England just as we reached Monmouth we turned onto a cycle trail which continued along the river for c.5 miles to Symonds Yat -where the aforementioned punctures occurred.
We knew the hostel wasn't much further but up a hill - what it didn't say was up a hill and then down very steep rough track so that's something to look forward to first thing after breakfast.
Had to beg the staff to let us have dinner as we had arrived late - followed by a couple of beers in front of the tv.
4 days in and my legs are a bit tired now - feeling glad I got that new block put on, although hopefully the big hills are behind us now.
Ian was disappointed to have missed the Rapha bus in Lancaster - what timing - but all in all it's going well.
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