Jude was a little late at the start but eventually we set off at 10:45 to ride through Coxhill Cross and up the hill past Nurston Farm. We were in fine form today and quickly arrived at Shipley Bridge, where we were surprised to see that the car park seemed to have been dug up and left much rougher than it used to be. At least the rhododendrons that had been brutally hacked to the ground on the other side of the river a couple of years ago were now growing back to heal the scars.

Continuing on up the path towards the Dam we noticed that huge piles of stones had been dumped into the river Avon at regular intervals: they really didn’t add to the general attractiveness of the area and we wondered what possible reason South West Water could have had for despoiling the area in this way, since the river bed does not appear to have suffered any significant erosion in the thirty or more years we have been visiting it.

Jude asked a very sensible question about the origins of the old ruins on the left of the path. They mark the location of Brent Moor House, a mansion that was later a youth hostel until 1955. When the dam was built higher up the valley the Water Authority decided that the hostel would have to close, and a few years later they allowed the army to blow it up as part of their training exercises.

The reservoir was nearly full today after a very dry summer, but we didn’t stay long to admire the views, pressing on along the rough path that led us to the Abbot’s Way bridleway across the moor. From here we rode up to Gripper’s Hill where views opened out across the whole of South Devon, from Kingsbridge to Widecombe. We then enjoyed the great downhill ride across the moor, through Water Oak Corner and onwards to Cross Furzes, concluding an excellent moorland morning ride. Both Dillan and Jude rode easily through the ford today, although Jude did get a pair of wet feet in the process.

Tao rode out from Paignton this morning to join the ride – he said he spends all week driving and didn’t want to have to drive again on his day off! We rode briskly through Harbourneford to South Brent where we stopped to buy some Danish Pastries for the ride, then took the Cutwell shortcut to Wrangaton and the main road through California Cross.

Tao wanted somewhere away from the road to make a “Thing” of the Danish Pastry stop, so we pulled off the road at the footpath near Reveton which we have used many times in the past to access the Avon Railway. The path is sandwiched narrowly between a pair of hedges that cross the fields down to the river, and on previous occasions it has been somewhat overgrown. Today however it looked very passable and made a pleasant location for our refreshments, including Tao’s flask coffee.

We were already close to Loddiswell so it wasn’t long before we had found our way through the village to the Avon Mill garden centre. By now the sun was out, taking some of the chill off the autumnal air, so we were able to sit outside on the balcony to enjoy soups and chocolate layer cake – a very pleasant stop indeed.

Just around the corner from the Mill is the old Loddiswell Station, situated on what used to be the branch line from South Brent to Kingsbridge. It’s now a footpath that runs along the river Avon as far as Topsham Bridge, and today it provided us with a fabulous autumn colours as it wound its way through Woodleigh Wood. We stopped near a high rope swing so that Jude and Dillan could attempt to have some fun, but it proved to be just a little too high to be useful.

From Topsham Bridge we took the lane route past Hendham House to Moreleigh. From here we decided to accompany Tao back to Totnes and were pleasantly surprised at just how easy the road was to Harbertonford: we used to ride this road the other way in the early days of South Dartmoor, after picking up members at Totnes, but taking it in this direction was pretty much all downhill. As we rarely visit Harbertonford we stopped by the ford for some refreshments before continuing on up the hill to Luscombe Cross and Totnes.

The cycle path took us along the Dart to Dartington, where we were disappointed to see that the Venus Café has closed down. A message on the door informed us that the Shops at Dartington will be opening a new café there later this month, so we will have to return soon to see whether it is as good as Venus.

Tao left us at Huxham’s Cross for the final part of his journey home to Paignton via Red Post and Marldon, making a total ride of 46 miles for him. The rest of us took the main road back to Buckfastleigh, providing us with a speedy finish to what had been a perfect day of cycling.

On a fine sunny morning we took the lanes through Broadhempston to Denbury and then by way of a change, followed on through Abbotskerswell and under the new bypass near Langford Bridge. The road undoubtedly offers a huge improvement in travelling times to Torquay, but it has left an ugly scar on this previously unspoiled area of countryside.

After taking a few photos of the thatched cottages in the picturesque village of Coffinswell we decided to explore the lanes through Daccombe – another attractive village in a secluded valley that felt a hundred miles away from the metropolis of Torquay. One of the steepest climbs we have seen on our travels brought us eventually to what looked like the edge of another country village. When we had rested on the conveniently-provided bench set on its grassy island we realised this was actually the edge of Barton.

Google took us down an interesting narrow footpath complete with brambles and steps, through a rough park area and thence down to the Willows. Here we parked our bikes and made our first ever club visit to the M&S café where we enjoyed hot drinks and great conversation.

We bought some sandwiches in the food hall for lunch, ate them outside in the sunshine and then headed home through Edginswell and along another Google-inspired shortcut from the North Whilborough road to Bickley Road. Having skirted past Ipplepen we stopped briefly at the nature reserve to eat our M&S cookies and then raced homewards through Broadhempston, interrupted only by Dillan’s chain getting seriously jammed for the first time as we rolled in to Buckfastleigh.

This new idea for a day ride proved very successful and enjoyable, made all the more pleasant by good weather.