#Devon sent: a short, epic #train ride into the wintry wonders of the #ExeEstuary | #Exeter holidays | The Guardian
A little local promotion.
#exmouth
Beware, this is going to be a long post...
My standard longer #bike ride is a 30 km round trip to #Starcross, which is #village on the west coast of the #ExeEstuary on the way to #Dawlish. The ride is motor-traffic-free for a goo 80% of the distance. It's also through a lot of #countryside and it's my intention to photograph some of the #trees through all the seasons. However, this set contains a little more for your edification.
Not all trees are alive. For example, this one is a hulk of what was once probably a magnificent specimen.
Most #FarmFields have been replanted after harvesting and even now, shoots are appearing. Meanwhile most #Trees still have their #Foliage.
The #plants and #insects that feed off them are also a food source for these male and female #pheasants.
The village of #Starcross is small but it happens to have a #RailwayStation on the line from #LondonPaddington and #Penzance, though the #IntercityTrains don't usually stop there. This is the last part of the journey for me before I turn and head back homewards at the station itself.
Here is an #IntercityTrain passing. It is run by #GWR or #GreatWesternRailways, which was a company in existence before nationalization and which came back after privatization.
Starting to head back, you can get a good view of the other side of the #Estuary, where the #town of #Exmouth can be seen. There happens to be a nice ferry trip on which you can take your #bike between #Starcross and #Exmouth
The #ExeEstuary has a few #wrecks in it. I presume they are #NavigationHazards but I guess it would prove too expensive to clear the #waterway. Perhaps they provide a #habitat for #MarineLife. Here you can see #Birds (I can't tell whether they are #Cormorants of #Shags).
Next, we come to #PowderhamCastle, which is now a #NationalTrust property. It has a herd of #deer numbering in the hundreds.
The mild #autumn #Sun is seen shining through this #tree's #branches.
More #trees in the grounds of #PowderhamCastle.
At first glance, this may look like a dead #tree but you can see that parts of it still has #foliage.
This #tree, on the other hand, looks completely dead.
This #Pheasant is eyeing the #photographer warily.
This #cycle #bridge was installed not much longer than a decade ago. It makes traversing the #RailwayLine easy. I think there was a #footbridge before this but I'm not sure. A nice addition to #cycling #infrastructure.
From the top of the #bridge, you can see the #barracks of the #RoyalMarines in #Lympstone. Technically, this #photograph is a #Selfie too.
Getting closer to home now, here is the #M5 #Motorway which links #London to #Exeter. This #concrete #viaduct goes over the #Estuary, thankfully leaving much it intact.
Some parts around the #Cyclepath form natural ponds.
Any #journey of moderate length or longer often leaves one #reflecting. Here, you can let the scenery do it.
This #swan was preening on the #ExeterCanal (and so was its #reflection).
Lastly, this is the #bridge over the #RiverExe, which is a sign that my home is a mere 5 km away. A sight that is always welcome. The bridge is old but it a #cyclepath was constructed as an extension to it on the far side, which blends in very nicely with the existing #masonry.
A metallic #UFO was photographed in broad daylight above Murat Road, #Exmouth, in Northwest #Australia. The object appeared on Google Maps in March 2008. Is it a UFO or a bird? You be the judge... #ovni https://activite-paranormale.net/cartography/show/183/a-gray-ufo-in-exmouth-australia
Last week, we had a day trip to #Torquay but rather than drive or take the train, we decided on a different route. The first leg was a #cycle trip to #Exmouth, about 17 km, followed by a boat trip around the #Devon #coast. The weather was a bit changeable but there were only prospects of short showers.
Well the first shower- didn't take long to arrive and here you can see the drops falling into the #EnglishChannel in the #wake of the #boat. An interesting combination of periodicity and irregularity on the water's surface.
But soon the rain cleared up and the Sun poked through the broken clouds.
The first part of the #coast travelling #west is primarily #sandstone with its distinctive orange colour. You can see the layers tilted through geological action. #Erosion is always evident at the surface but on the action is the sea. The rocks are dated at about 250 million years.
On to a bit of #EngineeringGeology and #GeotechnicalEngineering, the erosion is a serious problem for any structures built on or near the coast and there is a mainline railway track on the route to London which runs along it on this stretch. #NetworkRail is busy trying to stabilize and strengthen the cliffs using #RockAnchor, #RockBolts and #meshing to retard the process. Here you can see workers #abseiling as part of their work.
The erosion causes all manner of interesting irregular shapes in the rocks which make ideal place for #Seabirds to live. These include #Cormorants, #Shags and #Gulls.
As you travel further west, the stratum abruptly changes to #limestone which is over 300 million years old. The form of erosion is also different as limestone is also chemically eroded by slightly acidic water. You can also see that the colour of the sea here is a very deep green.
The #limestone also forms small #islets just off the #coast, again on which birds alight.
A close approach to an islet reveals the beautiful detailed patterns of #rock and #vegetation.
Approaching our destination, some brave souls were clambering over this islet and perhaps were preparing to dive into the water.
We had a #cycletrip to #BudleighSalterton today, which is a nice round trip of 48 km. It was a very pleasant day, not too hot and with a refreshing breeze to keep you cool. Those of you in the know will be glad that I wore short trousers and so my pump could not get stuck in my trouser leg.
The #beach is made up of pebbles of various sizes ranging from the size of your hand (15-20 cm) down to less than a centimetre. The colours vary from #purple and #pink to #grey and #blue. Here's a typical assortment.
Looking out to #sea (the #EnglishChannel), you can see that the water is various colours too ranging from marine #blue and #green to #brown near the #shore where #sediment gets churned up. (Note, it is nothing to do with the current notorious practices of private water companies.)
Looking #west and #east respectively, you can see the #sandstone and #mudstone #geology of the #cliffs
Right up by the #sea, you can sea the small #waves lapping the #shore. I suppose this #photograph is technically a #selfie.
Finally, on the way home, I took a picture of the #cyclepath between BudleighSalterton and #Exmouth which stretches about 6 km and avoids motor traffic altogether. I can't think of many more pleasant routes to #cycle on.
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Today's #cycle trip was to #Exmouth which is about 18 km away by #bike and either on #cyclepaths or very low density residential #MotorTraffic. It has been a bright sunny day but still a bit cool. This is a #photograph of the #ExeEstuary which opens out into the #EnglishChannel or #LaManche. It was #LowTide and so you can clearly see #SandBanks in the middle of the #estuary which form a #habitat for #birds but also a #NavigationalHazard for boats. You can see the opposite #bank too which is in #Starcross.
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