Thanks for this, what a nice sedate way to view such a route! I recall descending this on my touring bike loaded with gear, what an awesome view and very scary, I recall i dismounted towards the lower third and walked down, after all we cyclists only have a thin cable between us and injury! thanks again.
A really enjoyable ride Mike, done it myself a couple of times in the past, great experience, mind you I wouldn't want to be a paper boy around there, thanks for sharing, cheers...Bill
@siobhan104 Another Brave man letting yourself onto the older videos in my collection! I cringe at some of my really early ones! We did the same journey yesterday on the top deck in the open section of the double decker when a friend visited and its still spectacular!
@dtremzo It seems even scarier from the upstairs of a double decker bus! How the sheep which are seen wandering around the roadside dont fall over I cant imagine!
@TheMG63 We did the same trip yesterday but in a single decker bus which was full. The driver was careful! If you stand near the bottom of the hill for a while you can smell hot brake linings !
I had to turn the sound off, I thought the Bus was falling apart. My first visit to Lynmouth, 1958, in a 1935 clapped out Morris 8. Got the shock of my life, when confronted by Porlock Hill for the first time, I thought it was a cliffe face. As the car gound to a near halt, my brother said, change into 1st gear, we WERE in first. A huge Humber Snipe pulled up, ( going down hill) Driver said, ''You won't get up in that thing son, reverse down, and take the Toll road, Which we did, but found it ALMOST as difficult. The long drop down Countisbury put a real strain on the brakes. We went home, the LONG way, and scrapped the car.
It just goes to show how modern cars have improved power wise! That said my wife drove up there some years back in a fairly modern car and she thought there must be something wrong with it, as it slowed down so much!
Having done the `over hyped` Porlock Hill descent and `the lesser talked about-this one Countisbury Hill descent` on a bike,this one is much faster and far more dangerous due to the steady descent early on,a reasonably straight road(no hairpin bends)and a crazy steep descent right at the end into Lynmouth,my breaks were near enough smoking on this omg.
Yes and the driver must be under more stress than the average bus driver too! Sadly due to economic cut backs that bus service no longer runs. It was really unique.
In the days of Southern National ECW bodied Bristol buses in the 1960s/ 1970s there were a few services that went from Minehead to Ilfracombe and Barnstaple, more frequent in summer. As a matter of safety there should be a crash barrier on the Countisbury Hill, with spectacular views across to Wales, as vehicles could go over the edge and people killed.
I did the deccent on a motor scooter way back in the 1960s and more or less fell into Lynmouth at the bottom!
Thanks for this, what a nice sedate way to view such a route! I recall descending this on my touring bike loaded with gear, what an awesome view and very scary, I recall i dismounted towards the lower third and walked down, after all we cyclists only have a thin cable between us and injury! thanks again.
Bravo to the driver!! Another enjoyable trip Mike. Even this old "taffy" has been on that road. Scary. I like finding all your oldies.......Tim.
I have driven this route many times. I love it.
Stunning scenery. I would love to live there some day
There is an ancient advert on Minehead station advertising you can get there via a regular stage coach journey. It must have been hard on the horses!
I love the way Lynton is perched on the cliff top
You can climb up between the two villages on a path and that way you realise how steep the climb is!
Is that road coming from the direction of minehead or from the otherway.
A really enjoyable ride Mike, done it myself a couple of times in the past, great experience, mind you I wouldn't want to be a paper boy around there, thanks for sharing, cheers...Bill
Man, I remember going up here in 2004, and it rained so hard we were soaked through :D
It was worth it for the views though ;)
@distinctivebooks UA-cam is great in taking us around the World to see the places we remember!
Been up and down this hill in a Reliant 3-wheeler. Also porlock hill and the hill out of the other side of Lynton First gear going up very scary....
@timetochill666 That must be something special to do on a fine Summers day, especially on a powerful motor cycle like you own!
@siobhan104 Another Brave man letting yourself onto the older videos in my collection! I cringe at some of my really early ones! We did the same journey yesterday on the top deck in the open section of the double decker when a friend visited and its still spectacular!
@dtremzo It seems even scarier from the upstairs of a double decker bus! How the sheep which are seen wandering around the roadside dont fall over I cant imagine!
Yes thats right. its a ride well worth taking and the upstairs view lets you see more than from a normal car.
@TheMG63 We did the same trip yesterday but in a single decker bus which was full. The driver was careful! If you stand near the bottom of the hill for a while you can smell hot brake linings !
I had to turn the sound off, I thought the Bus was falling apart. My first visit to Lynmouth, 1958, in a 1935 clapped out Morris 8. Got the shock of my life, when confronted by Porlock Hill for the first time, I thought it was a cliffe face. As the car gound to a near halt, my brother said, change into 1st gear, we WERE in first. A huge Humber Snipe pulled up, ( going down hill) Driver said, ''You won't get up in that thing son, reverse down, and take the Toll road, Which we did, but found it ALMOST as difficult. The long drop down Countisbury put a real strain on the brakes. We went home, the LONG way, and scrapped the car.
It just goes to show how modern cars have improved power wise! That said my wife drove up there some years back in a fairly modern car and she thought there must be something wrong with it, as it slowed down so much!
Not a pleasant thought at all! I wonder what it was like in the recent snow and ice!
Iknow what you mean! I wonder that the sheep just wondering around the edge dont fall! There are also keen walkers who willingly walk there too.
@marcandsebe I bet it was a real challenge years ago before cars fully developed with good brakes!
Having done the `over hyped` Porlock Hill descent and `the lesser talked about-this one Countisbury Hill descent` on a bike,this one is much faster and far more dangerous due to the steady descent early on,a reasonably straight road(no hairpin bends)and a crazy steep descent right at the end into Lynmouth,my breaks were near enough smoking on this omg.
@lms5xp You are right! I hope they werent trying to repond to an emergency at the time!
@dtremzo The video shows the view you get when approaching Lynmouth from Minehead.
Yes the scenery there is something special. Sadly if you are driving you darent look at it too long!
A guy in a porsche called mr. fiddler drove of the side of countisbury cliff.
The bus needs good brakes when descending Countisbury Hill, and the engine must be under tremendous strain ascending out of Lynmouth.
Yes and the driver must be under more stress than the average bus driver too! Sadly due to economic cut backs that bus service no longer runs. It was really unique.
In the days of Southern National ECW bodied Bristol buses in the 1960s/ 1970s there were a few services that went from Minehead to Ilfracombe and Barnstaple, more frequent in summer. As a matter of safety there should be a crash barrier on the Countisbury Hill, with spectacular views across to Wales, as vehicles could go over the edge and people killed.
Good job you kept the brakes on your Reliant in good condition!
I cudnt believe there is s drop like that.
They do look attractive!
Sometimes my ears pop coming down that hill.
It is quite a drop!
I think he's on alexander Dennis caravan bus
@nancysloper yes it must be scary! Yet many cyclists do make the decent! Not so sure about the assent however!
I Live There And There Gorse Bushes