The moment you arrive at the base of Ankerdine Hill you’re met with the dramatic warning that tells HGV drivers to engage their crawler gear. This is a sure sign you are in for a treat, so long as you’re not trapped behind a truck that is. From the abrupt corner outside The Talbot Hotel it’s not long before you’re rampaging through the gears to help you cope with the solid 17% gradient. Thankfully there’s a brief lull after 100 metres, a minute break in hostilities before it ramps up once more. This time the strength-sapping gradient lasts much longer, and by now it won’t be just the HGVs that will be using their crawler gear – most likely you will be too. The second light easing comes as you pass a junction down to the left and from here you can see the top. Focus ahead on the buildings, in particular the cottage with its medieval tower, as once you’ve rounded the corner in front of it, it’s all over.