Steve Kidd Cycling Trips and GuidesExeter to Portland ('National Cycle Route' (NCR) 2)
Steve Kidd Cycling Trips and Guides
Although the countryside is very pretty, and there are some, albeit relatively short, sections of excellent cycleway, for the largest part of this route it is not significantly different from any route you would have planned out yourself with an OS Map. There is little coastal cycling, rendering it a picturesque ride on muddy roads evading the traffic which crops up and braking down hills and sharp or blind bends. Look, it's not to say it's horrible - far from it; it is to say that it is no more or no less special than any other back road route.
It is only in retrospect, whilst writing up this journey, that I realise how good Google maps has been, and how my worst time was when I didn't do what it told me too. I must have wasted at least an hour in Sidmouth on my first day, an hour in which the dark descended and left me trudging up the biggest hill out of the place in a miserable mood!) Whatever, the map at the bottom of this page is just one which I replicated using their app, and it is as accurate as I could have made it by hand, it is just missing a couple of diversions I took, but you would not really want to take them.
On a summer day, with a morning start, I guess this would have been more relaxing, but I left it late, tarried for an ice cream in Sidmouth, got some Jaffa Cakes and lost a glove and my route, and spent the last two hours or so in complete darkness.
The Youth Hostel at Beer is typical in that it is well appointed, a nice place to meet people (Stuart from South London was awesome), albeit they were not extravagant with the heating. I stole a copy of Atonement, a truly wonderful book. Can't go wrong for £13.
Very Famous Fivey, and right at the end of Devon, at Raymond's Hill at the top of Cooks Lane there is the Fairview Farm cafe, which happens to be just in the right place, with a great view. You can't miss it if you are actually on the NCR, but here is a picture anyhoo.
I left the NCR 7 miles from Weymouth and spent half an hour on possibly the most horrible cycling road in England, with very fast traffic and not much room. What makes Sustrans think I want to travel via Dorchester at the end of a wet day I don't know. 
The last five miles, from Weymouth to Portland was most excellent, along what is called the Rodwell Line. An hour after dark and there were loads of people using it. They even had a junction where the cycle route had priority!! Now that's a first.
Portland YHA is more of the same, excellent accommodation, not much evidence of yoof, but Angie, the warden is a right laugh. The drying room was welcome and thanks to whoever left the potatoes and butter behind, they were most awesome.
