This route is the B3139 which goes north west out of Wells - worth mentioning as the A39 Bristol Hill route might be the way many of us would choose to use to get from Wells to Bath...
Start: Near Wells Cathedral at GR553459 Finish: Whitnell Corner cross roads GR597487
Height Gain: 180m Horizontal Distance: 5.6km
Average gradient: 3.2% (but see comments below) Category: Low Cat 3
This suddenly became route 25. After discovering that Stancombe Lane was unsuitable for inclusion in the project, I needed a new target. A study of the map showed that, after the removal of the easting 57 limit, this is the one other climb which fulfils the new rules, everything else with a suitable road quality is still going up when it leaves the map.
Starting out from central Wells, the road rises gently through delightful old houses, colourful in the sunshine as I went past. The first km or so is pretty easy going, uphill, but only the prelude. The climb proper starts after a brief dip at the junction with Old Frome Road where our road swings up and left ignoring that way across to East Horrington. A 'countryfied' feel now surrounds the road as it steepens up towards the village of South Horrington. It's the next 2.5km that give some meat to this climb, averaging 5.6% as the B road steadily hauls it's way up Horrington Hill. As the cross section shows, there's a steady climb with little significant change of angle apart from a brief steepening after the cross roads with the lane joining East and West Horrington. The vistas are generally open, so you can get a feel for the challenge from relatively early. If you've been doing the others of this set then you know this won't stop you - it just helps you pace yourself.
Once you're past the cross roads there's a steady pull to the col between Horrington Hill and Windwhistle (well named today) where the road eases back, still climbing but easygoing through the high Mendip sheep fields, until the summit is reached about 400m before the Whitnell Corner cross roads. The last km hardly counts as climbing - only a 10m rise throughout.
Summary: Pleasant. Not hard.
Start: Near Wells Cathedral at GR553459 Finish: Whitnell Corner cross roads GR597487
Height Gain: 180m Horizontal Distance: 5.6km
Average gradient: 3.2% (but see comments below) Category: Low Cat 3
This suddenly became route 25. After discovering that Stancombe Lane was unsuitable for inclusion in the project, I needed a new target. A study of the map showed that, after the removal of the easting 57 limit, this is the one other climb which fulfils the new rules, everything else with a suitable road quality is still going up when it leaves the map.
Starting out from central Wells, the road rises gently through delightful old houses, colourful in the sunshine as I went past. The first km or so is pretty easy going, uphill, but only the prelude. The climb proper starts after a brief dip at the junction with Old Frome Road where our road swings up and left ignoring that way across to East Horrington. A 'countryfied' feel now surrounds the road as it steepens up towards the village of South Horrington. It's the next 2.5km that give some meat to this climb, averaging 5.6% as the B road steadily hauls it's way up Horrington Hill. As the cross section shows, there's a steady climb with little significant change of angle apart from a brief steepening after the cross roads with the lane joining East and West Horrington. The vistas are generally open, so you can get a feel for the challenge from relatively early. If you've been doing the others of this set then you know this won't stop you - it just helps you pace yourself.
Once you're past the cross roads there's a steady pull to the col between Horrington Hill and Windwhistle (well named today) where the road eases back, still climbing but easygoing through the high Mendip sheep fields, until the summit is reached about 400m before the Whitnell Corner cross roads. The last km hardly counts as climbing - only a 10m rise throughout.
Summary: Pleasant. Not hard.
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