Bristol to the beach - and we don't mean Severn Beach. This route is working up to be a 100-mile meander across Somerset and Dorset to the coast at Seaton, near Lyme Regis.

For now you're best starting at Weston-super-Mare, as although the route begins in Bristol, it disappears again after Clevedon and there's no easy detour. Happily, the missing bridge is currently under construction.

From here, occasional railway paths punctuate miles on quiet lanes, all fairly flat until you reach Ilminster and Chard. Note that there are two routes through Burnham-on-Sea, and we strongly recommend you don't ride the one that takes you along the actual beach... assuming you value your chain.

Between Bridgwater and Taunton, the route follows the eponymous canal, with (by and large) a firm gravel towpath. The Somerset Levels have a blissful otherworldly quality to them, and the final miles from Axminster along the river valley to Seaton are a delight.

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