Cycling North Wales September 2010
Route difficulty calculated using cycalc
We started our holiday at Julie’s parents house. Julie’s dad,
Graham, joined us for the first 8-miles.
Day-1 was from Wolverhampton to The
Premier Inn at Harmers Hill, Shrewsbury: 38-miles with 1730ft ascent, grade
hard-B, a gentle start to the holiday. As with all of our cycling holidays, we
seek out the small quiet roads. Our route took us through: Bishops Wood,
Wheaton Aston, Newport, Crudgington, High Ercall, Hadnall and ending at Harmer
Hill.
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Sandy, Julie’s mum, enthusiastically
waved us off!
The first day was the only time
(honestly) that we were able to stop mid-route for refreshments
Couldn’t stop for long though, back on
the trail we passed some unusual houses
A house growing out of a sandstone crag
After our night at the Premier Inn, we
set off for Wales. Day-2 was 44-miles with 3300ft ascent, grade Ex-2(61W).
Today’s route took us through: Loppington, Lyneal, Spunhill, Tetchill, Dudleston, into Wales
at Halton, Blaenau Uchaf, Rhos-Pengwern, Berwyn, Rhewl, Carrog and finally Cowen.
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This was a hard day after the previous
easy day: there were numerous hills at 25%, as here at Fron
Uchaf!
With so much climbing we were awarded
with some great views! Here looking north towards Llangollen
We were lucky to have great weather,
considering how the rest of the country was in rain
It was a very tiring day, and we were
glad to get to our hotel in Corwen
Day-3 was another hard day, slightly
less distance, slightly more climbing: 39-miles with 3460ft ascent, grade
Ex-1(66W), from Corwen to Portmeirion.
Our route took us through: Cynwyd, Llandderfel, Bala, Rhyd-uchaf, past Rhaeadr y Cwm
gorge, Llan Ffestiniog,
past Llyn Mair, Penrhyndeudraeth and finally Portmeirion.
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These were hard cycling days
On route for Snowdonia
The Ffestiniog
narrow-gauge railway
Until, finally, Portmeirion
and our accommodation (we stayed in Trinity, one of the buildings of the
Village) for the next two nights
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The apartment, Trinity, at Portmeirion was very nice
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Portmeirion
(famous for being the location where The Prisoner was
filmed) is essentially one big Folly. Started in the 1920’s, construction took
decades to complete. It is now a very comfortable hotel and other apartments in
the Village. Ever since enjoying The Prisoner in 1967 I have wanted to visit
this place.
The site is, in fact, very small, but
the architecture, layout and the use of forced perspective creates an
impression of a much larger village
Although the Village is open to day visitors
from 0930 to 1530, outside these times the Village was left to the residents
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A couple of backdrops often used in
filming The Prisoner. The right-hand image shows No.6’s accommodation in The
Prisoner
It was an excellent way to spend our
rest-day. The restaurants (both the main hotel and The Castle) served excellent
cuisine. The staff were all very nice and helpful – we cannot recommend Portmeirion more, it is an excellent place to spend a
couple of days!
Reluctantly we had to leave Portmeirion and continue our cycling holiday: 33-mile with
3640ft ascent, grade average-D(75W), to Bala; and
more steep hills! Our route took us through: by train to Tan-y-bwlch, Gellilydan, Trawsfynydd, into the hills following Afon
Gain and Afon Lliw, Llanuwchllyn and finally to Bala.
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We began our day by using the Ffestiniog railway. We weren’t sure if they took bicycles,
but we need not have worried, the people running the railway are all volunteers
and very enthusiastic – they got our bikes on!
We couldn’t help but smile at the
reference to ‘engine driver’
Another ambition satisfied
We arrive at Tanybwlch
and head-off on the second half of our cycling holiday
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More lovely weather as we head back
into the Snowdonia National Park, here cycling towards Affon
Gain
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This day had some great, if hard,
cycling. Stunning scenery on quiet roads: the bridge over Affon
Gain
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3-miles at 10%+, over the ridge to Afon Lliw: and Julie was worried
about her fitness!
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After 10% up, what better than 10%
down, following Afon Lliw
Lake Bala,
Wales’s largest natural lake
And finally our accommodation in Bala: The White Lion
The following day: 35-miles with 3670ft
ascent, grade hard-D(73W), from Bala to Berriew. Our route took us through: Cwm Hirnant,
past Llyn Efyrnwy (north
shore), Llanwddyn, Pontrobert,
Rhosfawr, Castle Caereinion and finally to Berriew.
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Continuing the previous day’s theme:
more steep hills in spectacular scenery, as we ascend Cwm Hirnant
We were so lucky with the weather!
With the weather so good we had time to
loll
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The reservoir Llyn
Efyrnwy, constructed in the 19th century,
was built with more than just utility in mind. Only the Victorians would build
a valve tower to look like a gothic castle!
The quiet roads continued, as did the
great scenery
Well away from Snowdonia now, the
landscape becomes one of Big Sky
And finally, our hotel for the night in
the very cute village of Berriew
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And what better way to finish a great
cycling day!
Our penultimate day started with rain:
had our luck finally broken. The sixth cycling day was 37-miles with 3800ft
ascent, grade Ex-2(72W), from Berriew to Wenlock
Edge. Our route took us through: over the border at Stockton, Rorrington, Shelve, a tea-break at The Bog, past Stitt Hill
on the north road, Picklescott, Leebotwood,
Cardington and up onto Wenlock Edge.
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The heavy rain lasted only
half-an-hour, most of the day was intermittent drizzle
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Friendly lamas
And back into England
On route to Wenlock Edge…
We spent the night at the Wenlock Edge
Inn, and Julie’s parents joined us for a meal
The last day: a very easy 23-miles with
1450ft ascent, grade hard-A, from Wenlock Edge back to Wolverhaption,
via Much Wenlock and Iron Bridge.
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Much Wenlock (what a name) has numerous
Elizabethan buildings, this one a little worse for wear
And down to Iron Bridge
And finally, full circle, 263-miles and
22800ft later: overall holiday grade average-D(65W).
Far and away this is the hardest
cycling holiday we have ever done, and will ever likely do!