On Friday May 3rd, I left the George Hotel in Hatherleigh and set off for Exmoor. First I stopped at the post office to post some unnecessary items to Ann in Nottingham. I was feeling the weight on those hills! 🚵‍♀️

The weather was good. It was cool but no rain 😁

The ride was hilly through beautiful countryside on small roads with some steep climbs. I stopped in the little village of Winkleigh for a coffee and passed through tiny villages of Monkokehampton and Berner’s Cross, George Nympton, and a number of other villages all named ‘Cross’, as well as the larger town of Chulmleigh.

Around 3pm I arrived in South Molton and realized that getting to Exton where I planned to camp was a bit more than I wanted to tackle given the amount of climbing I would have to do. I spent some time sitting on a bench and coming up with an alternative plan, which was to head to the Blackcock Inn that was just a few miles away and had a campground.

The inn seemed deserted when I arrived but another couple of campers in a van arrived and told me they had spoken to Gloria, the proprietor, and she had told them she would sort out the site when they arrived. I had also called Gloria and left a message. The three of us proceeded to the campsite and met Lou who obviously lived on the site and told us where to camp. Since the tent area was basically under water because of all the rain, I asked if I could camp on one of the van sites that we were higher and drier. I got a great spot.

While I was pitching my tent, a resident cat and dog decided my tent looked like a cozy spot

Eventually, my new friends allowed me to pitch the tent and waited patiently.

I ate dinner in the inn which eventually opened and the food was basic but surprisingly good. I used the electricity to charge my many devices and planned my diverted route for the next day.