Sport pages.qxp_Layout 1 19/05/2022 14:18 Page 86
MENDIP TIMES
The old road is best
THERE are various roads rising out of the city of Wells onto the Mendip Hills – each with its own unique character. My CYCLING favourite is the Old with EDMUND Bristol Road which LODITE has featured in the Tour of Britain and many other cycling events across Mendip. The Old Bristol Road heads north out of Wells onto the Mendip Hills starting from a junction with its modern equivalent, the A39. Each road takes a different direction to overcome Pen Hill, the second highest point on the Mendip Hills. The Old Bristol Road takes a steeper and more intense westerly approach while the A39 uses a longer but shallower gradient on the eastern side. The top of Pen Hill is home to the Mendip TV Mast and the word “Pen” is believed to Celtic for hill or tor. At the start of the Old Bristol Road there are no obvious signs of what you are about to undertake. There is no peak visible in the distance, or the sight of a road zigzagging back and forth against the gradients. Instead, the road rises gently causing an increase to the heart rate and rate of breathing but nothing like what will lie ahead. The road, walled on one side, is narrow in places but well surfaced. A steady tempo over the first kilometre helps calm the body down just in time to face two sharp and steep bends as you pass Milton Lodge House and Gardens. The sloping ground at Milton Lodge
was transformed during the first ten years of the 20th century into the existing series of terraces offering panoramic views over Wells. Now the Grade II listed gardens mix traditional English plants with unusual Mediterranean varieties which take advantage of the garden’s microclimate. That protection from the harsher elements of the Mendip weather is one of the reasons why this is my favourite hill climb out of Wells. The section past the house and gardens is the first big test of the day but the discomfort doesn’t last long. Before you know it, the gradient flattens out as you reach an open area and then you’re on a short but welcome descent through the hamlet of Upper Milton. As you leave the hamlet, you get glimpses to your right of the transmitter and that becomes your target. This is also where the real work begins. Now, if you have thrown caution to the wind and tried to take too much advantage of the moderate incline in the last kilometre, by hammering the pace, then you may find what follows a challenge! For the next 800 metres or so the gradient becomes consistent, averaging under 10%, so it is a bit more demanding but still manageable. There are fine views in this section to the left across Somerset, but it is still the sight of the transmitter on your right that remains the focus of your efforts. Where white lines start to appear on each side of the road, just before it enters woods, marks the start of the final kilometre and the hardest section of the hill. The gradient starts to creep up closer to 10% – and the heart
rate shoots up even more! For a moment or two the abundance of bluebells is a welcome distraction. There are a few small left and right bends in the road that will keep you guessing as to how far you have left to go. It is only when you see a straight section rising imposingly ahead with a glimpse of daylight that you know you are almost there. The only issue is that this looks to be the steepest and hardest bit of the hill. Keep pushing, keep going and then as the woodland clears on your right you see the transmitter again. Like an old friend to guide you home it gives you the impetus to grind out those final metres. Then as the road bends to the left you finish the climb triumphantly by a farm track on your right. This is another one of Mendip’s wonderful hill climbs. It builds up gradually, teasing you deceptively upwards and even has a short downhill section thrown in before giving you a proper test to reach the summit. It is challenging but immensely pleasant as a ride. Climb statistics: Distance 2.9km; elevation gain 188m; average gradient 6.3%; maximum gradient 13%.
JUNE CROSSWORD SOLUTION
ACROSS: 1. Walter 5. Fortuity 9. Umbrella 10. Uphill 11. Aspidistra 13. Aria 14. Colophon 17. Bad egg 18. Ibidem 20. Flip-flop 23. Lira 24. Side effect 27. Paella 28. Rational 29. Ponytail 30. Amends. DOWN: 2. Acmes. 3. Tarsi 4. Raleigh 5. Flatten 6. Rhubarb 7. Unheard-of 8. Talking to 12. Pal 15. Obbligato 16. Old Bailey 19. Mascara 20. Federal 21. Inertia 22. Lie 25. Frome 26. Chard PAGE 86 • MENDIP TIMES • JUNE 2022
