Tiverton lies on the eastern shore of Narragansett Bay, in the part of Rhode Island that feels more like a long, quiet farm than a state, with stone walls, salt marshes and views of the Sakonnet River glinting between the trees. About seven and a half thousand people live here, and the nearest larger town, Portsmouth, with seventeen thousand, lies across the water on Aquidneck Island, linked by a bridge. The ride finishes here, in a place that suits an unhurried end to a day.
The riding is gentle and scenic. Roads run past fields of corn and hay, farm stands, old barns and tidy white churches, with low stone walls lining the way and glimpses of water at every rise. At the centre of town, Tiverton Four Corners is a small cluster of antique shops, galleries, a farm store and cafes in old shingled buildings, which makes a good place to rest and have a coffee. Route 77 runs south toward Little Compton and the coast, through farmland and woodland, with a good surface and relaxed bends. Traffic is light, except on summer weekends when visitors come for the beaches, and the best times are early morning and the golden hour before sunset. In autumn, the maples glow and the corn is high.
The area has a long history. It was settled in the seventeenth century on land that belonged to the Wampanoag and Sakonnet people, and the town was part of Massachusetts until the boundary was fixed in 1747. During the Revolution, the Battle of Rhode Island in 1778 was fought across the river on Aquidneck Island, and Fort Barton, on a hill in Tiverton, was used as a lookout by the American troops. Farming and fishing were the mainstays for centuries, and the region is still known for its farms, vineyards and oysters. Little Compton, just to the south, is known for its stone-walled pastures.
The nature here is subtle. Salt marshes and tidal creeks line the shore, home to herons, egrets, ospreys and migrating shorebirds, and the river water is clear and blue. The air smells of salt marsh and cut hay, and the light in the evening is soft. In winter, the shore can be bleak and windy, but there is a certain beauty in it.
Fuel is available in town and across the bridge in Portsmouth. Bring a light jacket for the sea breeze, and finish the day with seafood or ice cream from one of the roadside stands.