Minehead - Exmoor 80 km

This trip for the racing bike takes you on a round-trip through Exmoor National Park, including 2 major climbs and several smaller ones. The route offers great views of moorland, woods, the Bristol Channel, rolling hills, and picturesque villages. The route includes a toll road, Worthy toll road, which is sometimes unmanned, so take some change.
The route starts just outside Minehead, where there is a small parking place, and then first follows the A39 towards Porlock. You deviate twice from the A39 on quieter, smaller roads, before you get to Porlock. The first deviation takes you to Selworthy, and the second towards Bossington. The road to Selworthy is very small, and not the best, so watch your speed. In Porlock you turn right to Porlock Weir (see waypoint) and continue all the way to the sea. Here, you turn left on the Worthy toll road, and within 1 km you come to the toll gate (see waypoint for more information). The toll road itself is a very steep (first kilometer on average 14%), small road in a wooded valley. Up to Yearnor Mill (1.3 km) the quality of the asphalt is bad, but then it improves and more gradually climbs to an altitude of about 415 meters before it joins the A39. On the last stretch of the toll road as well as on the A39 to Lynmouth you have great views of the moors, the hills, and the sea (see A39 waypoint). The A39 steeply descends to Lynmouth (see waypoint), a nice village on the sea. From here you take a more relaxed climb, first on the A39 through the East Lyn valley, and then on the B3223 towards Simonsbath. The road gets up to about almost 450 meters, and on this part of the route you have the best view of the moors, unimpeded by hedges and walls. Before Simonsbath you also cross the Ex valley where the Ex river is still young. From Simonsbath you ride to Exford where you cross the Ex valley again. From here you climb to Wheddon Cross with occasional good views of Dunkery Beacon, the highest hill in Exmoor at 519 meters. You climb a bit further on the B3224 and turn left for a long descend on mostly quiet roads to Dunster, which is famous for Dunster castle. Don’t forget to look over your shoulder in Dunster if you want to get a glimpse of the castle. From here you ride to the center of Minehead (see waypoint) where you can have a look at the beach and the West Somerset Railway station.
Most of this route I encountered quiet roads, apart from the roads near Minehead. After this trip, I discovered there is an alternative to the Worley toll road from Porlock: the Porlock toll road, with easier gradients and better paving, and you could consider this alternative for which you have to turn right from the A39 in Porlock one road later than in this track (see waypoint). You can find something to eat and drink in several places, most notably Minehead, Porlock, Lynmouth, Exford, and Dunster. Route Minehead- Porlock- Porlock Weir- Lynmouth- Simonsbath- Exford- Wheddon Cross- Timberscombe- Dunster- Minehead.