South West 500 tour – 29th September to 1st October 2021 – BMW Club Oxford

Introduction

A slice of late summer awaits as we gather at Burford. Departing westward to Land’s End and then turning east to Paignton with overnight stops at Minehead and Hayle, close to St. Ives. This is our first extended Oxford Meetup ride and compliments the BMW Club Oxford’s Autumn Weekend hotel break at The Palace Hotel, Paignton. This rideout is intended for Oxford BMW Club members. If you have not yet joined the club, please click here for details: http://www.thebmwclub.org.uk/membership.asp. Three days of joyful riding are in prospect. Average daily mileage will be 168 miles, overall 508 miles. Riding days will be punctuated with vista, comfort, coffee, lunch and afternoon tea breaks. Subject to numbers, there will be two riding groups with up to 6 riders/6 pillions in each.

Signing up

Full details (with MRA satnav routes) and sign up can be found on the BMW Club Oxford Motorcycle Riders Meetup page at: https://www.meetup.com/BMW-Club-Oxford-Motorcycle-Riders/

Accommodation

Twelve rooms have been booked at the Premier Inns in Minehead and Hayle, near St. Ives. The 3rd night will be The Palace Hotel if you have been able to secure a booking through Rosemary. Otherwise, you can individually book the Premier Inn in Paignton.

Full details of cost and how to book can be found here: https://bmwcluboxford.com/south-west-500-tour-accommodation-and-payment/

To access this webpage you must be registered to sign in to the Oxford site. Use this link: https://bmwcluboxford.com/oxford-section-website-registration/

Double/twin rooms at Minehead are £35 and Hayle £42. Total cost is £77 which covers the basic room rate only. Breakfast and parking is additional.

Day 1 Wednesday 29th Sept – Burford to Minehead

Today’s ride is 164 miles and just under 5 hours.

Departing Burford following the important caffeine fix, we glide gently through the pretty Cotswolds passing through Bibury, Cirencester and Tetbury. Petty France (no passports) and the well-named Old Sodbury follow. Lakeland views at Chew Valley and Blagden. With the Mendip Hills on our left, we navigate Cheddar soon arriving at our lunch spot, Wells. A surprising city, only the size of a small market town but its grand cathedral brings it city status. After lunch we head across the Somerset Levels towards Taunton, Tiverton turning right to follow the Exe Valley, through Exmoor National Park arriving at Minehead late afternoon. Brewers Fayre next to the hotel or plenty of dining in town.

Day 2 Thursday 30th Sept – Minehead to Hayle (St. Ives)

Mileage today is 179 miles and just under 6 hours . . . so a prompt departure.

Today we cruise the Atlantic Highway (A39) along the North Coast of Devon and Cornwall. Our first treat is the super-steep gradient of Porlock Hill with its two dramatic hairpins. Once out of the tunnel of trees, we emerge onto the roof of Exmoor, winding fantastically along the cliff edge through wild ponies and heather. Enjoy the brilliant view across the Bristol Channel into South Wales. The road drops steeply down into Lynmouth, a quaint village also known as ‘Little Switzerland’ – looks a bit Swiss apparently!

Leaving the A39 we tour past Woolacombe Bay arriving at Barnstaple. Returning to the Atlantic Highway we take a long, leisurely roll towards the south western tip of the country. Childhood holiday memories may be stirred as we pass signs for Westward Ho!, Clovelly with its donkeys, Bude and Tintagel Castle. Our lunch spot is just beyond Port Isaac at Chapple Amble.

Passing through Padstow we leave the A39 and hug the coast past Mawganporth, Newquay and Perranporth. A brief flirtation with the A30 towards Redruth but then back to the coast road by Porthreath. As we admire St Ives Bay we draw into Hayle, our stop for the night.

Day 3 Friday 1st Oct – Hayle to Paignton

Today, we make to journey’s end at Paignton. The distance is 165 miles and just over 6.5 hrs. so another prompt ‘chocks-away’. You will need 40p cash for the Tamar ferry!

We leave Hayle passing through St Ives and circumnavigate the Land’s End peninsular. Stopping for the obligatory snap under the direction board – £1 to park. Enjoy a preview of this part of the ride at Henry Cole’s Motorbike Shown on the ITV playback Hub – Series 8, episode 2. Onto Newlyn and Penzance where the pirates sing. Out on the A394 we pass St Michael’s Mount. Turning north-east at Helston we cruise through abandoned mines country. Joining the A39 after Falmouth we head to St Austell via Truro with The Lost Gardens of Heligan to our north.

Lunch break will be at Liskeard, a town rich in fine 19^th century architecture as a result of the copper, lead and silver mining boom. After lunch a brisk rattle down the A38 to Plymouth with a 40p voyage across the Tamar to Devonport.

Joining the A379 we ride through Brixton (no, not that one) with the South Devon sunshine blistering the tarmac! Kingsbridge harbour looms and then recedes as we head for ice cream cornets at Slapton Sands. Running parallel to the S.W. Coastal Path we pass through Blackpool (no, not that one either). At Dartmouth we are shorn of £4 for the river crossing. Now the last leg to Paignton arriving late afternoon to a rapturous welcome from fellow club members!

WE hope you can join us for some late summer fun!