Bridge over troubled water

So I did it!  Earlier in the year I had almost made it so the challenge just had to be repeated. Willand to Bickleigh and back, 16.8 miles, total elevation gain 842m, average speed moving 5.8 mph, barefoot of course. Here are some of my pictures to prove it.

Looking north towards Turley Down

Butterleigh village

Butterleigh Meadow

Looking back towards Butterleigh Meadow

Descending to Exe Valley

Bickleigh Mill

Devon Railway Centre

River Exe looking north from the bridge

Bridge over troubled water?

Locals maintained that the historic Bickleigh bridge was inspiration for Bridge Over Troubled Water, but sadly this claim has been refuted. The singers did, however, hang out around here for a while.

St. Mary's church, Bickleigh

Fowl activity on the way back

Almost back - crossing the M5 early morning

My track

Utterly running late

Willand to almost Bickleigh and back

Bickleigh on Google Maps

My goal was to reach the river Exe at Bickleigh Mill and explore the famous bridge, mill with its weir, and railway centre. I am an advocate of the Oxford comma without which that list would have meant something different. I got within a quarter mile (see aerial photo above) but then, sadly, had to turn back, like...

This time, we were just about to land, maybe three feet... when, what do you think, we run out of gasoline again. Back we go and get more gas.

...because I had an appointment to keep. Even so it felt (on the way back) as if this was going to be at least an 18 mile round trip and I was a bit miffed to find my GPS trip statistics claimed a mere:

- total distance 15.83 miles

- average speed moving 5.53 mph (11:37 min per mile)

- elevation gain 832m

- maximum elevation 213m

- minimum elevation 44m

Butterleigh Meadow

My route took me through the beautiful Devon village of Butterleigh, which boasts a nice meadow for running barefoot in, and then past James' farm, the significance of which will be apparent to only a Few who will also know the significance of the eggs for sale there. 

James' farm

Eggs for sale

And back via Brithem Bottom, which is to this area as Crewe is to British Rail, where I was obliged to phone Ali to warn her that I was running late...