Wrington to Bristol Airport GR497638

Start: Wrington centre (Branches Cross)        Finish: Winters Lane above Bristol Airport
Distance: 4.6km      Height Gain: 160m

A short sharp climb out of Wrington leads to a sharp right bend where the road heads east across the side of the hill. Although this road steadily climbs, in a sense the first climb is over and the second is yet to start. The eastward treck along Long Lane picks its way through a gorgeous selection of houses, farms and farmland - this is north Somerset countryside at its prettiest. Enjoy - the left turn at Redhill changes the picture to wilder, more upland, scene - but you'll be needing to keep a keen eye on the road as the surface leaves a great deal to be desired.
Immediately you make the left turn onto this section the road steepens, there's a straight stretch of steady climb and more follows with a delightful series of bends. A brief dip leads to a tricky right angle bend and then there's the final climb up to the airport. All that remains is to wonder why there are so many people watching the aeroplanes take off - while they wonder why we want to cycle up hills on bikes!

Rating: Enjoyable. An interesting route from Wrington to Brockley Combe where it would be possible to continue on along a range of interesting routes if you chose to make this part of a longer route.
DP

Blagdon Hill via Two Trees

Start: GR498594         Finish: GR503573
Distance: 2.7km          Height Gain: 195m

It seems to me that when the average gradient climb exceeds 1 in 15 then there is a substantially greater feel of hard work about it. This route definitely falls into that category. Starting on the A368 at the drive entrance of Combe Lodge, an arbitrary point as you've already climbed up to this from Rickford, one enters Blagdon village and completes the first 20m or so of the ascent by the point of taking the right turn onto the minor road by the pub. In truth, for safety on the bend, it is better to go round the bend on the A368, make a U turn using the pub car park, and then turn left. You'll probably already be in a low gear by the point you make this turn and the road rising in front offers no respite. 300m of 1 in 10 away from the junction are followed by news on a road sign that it's about to get steeper - I think it said 1 in 7 - but I found this section tough going. Up round a left bend, still no real respite, the road swings left again and now their is a brief lull as the gradient drops back. Then it starts again! The respite was no more than 150m; the right bend at its end brings the next haul.
Take the leftward option at the Y-junction (the Ellick Road route takes the one on the right) and continue the steady haul up the bank, steep at first, then dropping back to about 1 in 15. This section is comfortable, but you can see the break of slope ahead on the straight and from Blagdon farm there's a hard pull onto the top at a slight right bend with a big tree to use as an aim point - except it didn't seem to want to come any nearer. This top section only measures at 1 in 9 on the map, but the exertions involved in getting to it made it seem a lot steeper than that to me.
And then you're up. The sweeping roads on the top of the Mendips are there to welcome you, allow you to increase speed and give your legs and lungs a rest. For me a 'relax' down to Paywell Farm and then home over Charterhouse.

Rating: A stiff climb that never really lets go from the point you start in Blagdon Combe. Well worth doing, with a great feeling of success when you (I) got to the top - most of the lower angle road is at the bottom.

Footnote (19/9/12): First time I did this I was on the Barracuda. I had to stop for a rest! Given that, I didn't really feel I'd done the hill properly. Last weekend I went back. Ah, the difference that 8 months makes. Firstly, I now have the Scott which is just better. Second - I've done a few more miles since then; about 1200 as an estimate. Combine these two differences and the effect is enormous. From needing a rest first time up, on Sunday I managed it in reasonable comfort. The bend near the conference centre is still tough - I surprised a driver by cycling up the edge of the wrong side of the road round that, but the top is perfectly OK and I always knew I would get up - so much so that I completed the afternoon with an ascent of Shipham Road and then the A38 from Churchill and off up the B road to Shipham. There's no way I could have done that back in January. If it wasn't Tejvan Pottinger who came past me at the top of the A38 bank then, who ever you are, go compete with him in the Burrington hill climb!

Bristol Hill, Wells

Start: 550464       Finish: 570489
Length: 4.3km  Height Gain: 212m

There's an immediacy to this hill as it climbs out of Wells, 55m of ascent in the first 700m of road. So, settle in for the pull early - if your experience is anything like mine you're in a fairly low gear from the off. A patch of trees on your right, revealed by one of the many slight bends that characterise this hill, signs a brief respite and time to gain a gear or two back. The respite doesn't last, so you'll need that variation in gears available as you snake your way through the sequence of straights leading to bends. There's something about the landscape which keeps suggesting that the road will level out after the next bend, which it steadfastly refuses to do, there are at least seven of these straight sections, each time you see a few hundred metres more of the hill. The angle never rears up at you but the length and continuity of the climb take their toll (well, not on JT-L, but they did on me!).
There's a pleasant variety of countryside on this pull, starting from the town, through sections of woodland, through sections of open Mendip farmland - all very pleasant. A pity then that there are so many fossil fuel devourers sharing the tarmac. In due course that tarmac leads out of the top of Biddle Combe woods at a track leading up to the WT station on Pen Hill and you're just about up - unless you decide to take on the dead end track itself.

Rating: Well worth making a specific trip to do, the route was on last year's Tour of Britain after all! The length of the hill provides a significant challenge, unless you happen to be Jonathan Tiernan-Locke. There is too much traffic - look out for comments on Old Bristol Hill which effectively takes on the same challenge - still on my to do list.

Bleadon Hill from Bleadon (Bridge)

Start: 341570         Finish: 358578
Length: 3.0km      Height Gain: 127m

When I first looked at this one on the map, I thought the climb started from Bleadon Bridge, but in truth there is so little rise from their to the post office in Bleadon that it is reasonable to start from the junction with the road coming in from Loxton - which fitted our route better, so that's what we did...
Starting with a fight to get feet clipped into the pedals before the steep section starts, I missed the pretty houses that sit at the beginning of this climb. The bottom section gives a stern pull for about 300m before a sharp left bend leads to a brief respite. Then comes the sharp right hander to a view of what this hill is really about, a stiff climb (about 1 in 6) as the road climbs into the hamlet of Bleadon Hill. Another sharp left takes you into a narrower, possibly slightly steeper, section - but it's only about 200m before the road flattens enough to make the right turn onto the minor road that continues to the top of Bleadon Hill a comfortable task.
The top road still leaves you with a 40m climb and there are some short sharp pulls on it, notably the rise to Bleadon Hill Golf Club which gives the appearance of a small wall as you approach it! From here it's easier, a steady climb up the last kilometre to with excellent views of the sea on both sides.

Rating: Well worth the outing. You'll need a specific effort to include it - but I'd make the effort again.
DP

Winscombe Hill

Start: GR 413568     Finish: GR 415563
Length: 900m     Height Gain: 50m

Whilst definitely not big enough to count in the West Mendip top 25, this is a worthwhile little hill. The approach along the lane from the Winscombe Triangle (GR 415576) is pleasant - a widish lane through housing with an affluent, oldy-worldy feel. Once you pass the lane back towards the playing fields the hill kicks in. There a gentle concavity to the slope, it gets steeper as you go higher! The stretch up to the church provides the feel of a hill that you're easily conquering, steep but not critically so, but the left bend in front of the church grounds brings a steeper rise into view for a pull of 100m or so at around 1 in 6. The narrow lane under the trees, past the odd remaining cottage just requires to be pedalled up, but it gives out all too quickly and you find yourself on the level ground and then shooting down to the car park for the walkers going over Winscombe Hill to Crook Peak.

Rating: Really nice - but too short. Well worth including in a run that involves going from Banwell towards Cross and Cheddar -  a much better route than the A38 over Shute Shelve.