As I mentioned at elevenses yesterday, I was on my way to Bath to take advantage of the good weather. I went down by train, GWR, and it worked well. GWR require a bike reservation for all of their long-haul trains, but it can all be done on line and worked without a hitch. The bike gets a ticket, just like Switzerland. On my train there was a purpose-built bike compartment which took six bikes, and it seemed quite well used along the route.
Up early this morning, a good breakfast then over Poultney Bridge and down Great Poultney Street, which is a pretty good start to a day's cycling. I rode along the Kennet and Avon to Devizes, part tarmac and part gravel, all scenic. Then I took some very pretty country lanes before climbing up to the highlands above Salisbury Plain. Great riding up here - very dusty.
A slight perturbation in my route when this young man told me that I couldn't go the way I had meant to, as there was live firing today. One of the tanks that were quite nearby let off a flash and a bang, to underline the point, so I changed my route a bit.
Back to the tarmac after a while, quiet lanes again until I picked up the cycleway into Salisbury. Just missed a train, so there was time for a pint before the next one. Hydration is very important when it's dusty.
The trains are every half hour at this time of day. SW Trains, this time. They insist on reservations at the London end but you can't have one at the other end; it's pot luck. No problem for me, and helpful station staff showed me where to load the bike.
An hour and twenty minutes later I was back at Clapham Junction. A very good little tour.
Mark
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