Cycling Lon Cambria

Introduction

This year our cycle tour took us back to Wales, to complete Lon Cambria. The route is 113 miles between Shrewsbury and Aberystwyth, one of the National Cycle Network (NCN) routes. We like to cycle between 200 & 300 miles on our tours, so extended the trip by cycling from our home in Buxton, to pick up the route in Shrewsbury, cycling a total of 228 miles.

The route was largely off-road, traffic-free, following canal towpaths, disused railways and quiet lanes.

The full route

Elevation profile

Day 1, Buxton to Stoke-on-Trent, 47 miles

We had a late start, which had always been a worry when starting from home. It was raining, so we had full waterproofs on. The wind was strong but only blew in our faces for a short time before we turned and had the wind assisting us from behind.

Leaving Buxton behind, heading into the wind & rain

The rolling hills of Derbyshire

We followed NCN Route 68 for a short while and then headed to Hartington where we picked up home-made supplies for lunch from the lovely Village Store. Just beyond Hartington, at Hulme End we were back on an NCN route, this time Route 549, following the Manifold Way south. This is mostly traffic-free, along a disused railway line. We were familiar with the trail as far as Wetton but were in new terrain from there. We had been following the River Manifold downstream but from Wetton we were climbing gently alongside the River Hamps. We reached the end of the Manifold Way at Waterhouses (toilets and cafe shed) and now joined NCN Route 550, for a short section on quiet lanes to join NCN Route 559 at Cheddleton. Before reaching Cheddleton, we had a short, steep climb after Cauldon; thankfully, this was the only real climb today.

Joining the Caldon Canal at Cheddleton

Cultural heritage in Stoke

From Cheddleton we joined the Caldon Canal, still on Route 559 and followed this through lush greenery into Stoke-on-Trent. I had expected to notice once we were in the city but due to the wonderful green corridor along the canal, it wasn't until we were in the centre of Hanley that we encountered any signs of being in a city. There was a short section along roads between Hanley Park and the station, before we joined the Trent and Mersey Canal (NCN Route 5) to head south to our accommodation for the night. The Premier Inn at Trentham Gardens was only a couple of kilometres off our route and with its bike-friendly policy, was a good choice for our first night. The room was comfortable and the food pretty good, especially the breakfast. (Trentham Gardens was a busy place with private gardens that could be explored for a fee. There were also a lot of shops / cafes etc.).

Stoke-on-Trent played a key role in the potteries industry for 300 years, contributing to industrial development in Britain. The potteries supported the development of the canal network that we are now enjoying as cyclists. 

We were disappointed by the lack of cafes on this stretch. There were pubs and wine bars beside the canals but cafes were few and far between.

Day 2, Stoke-on-Trent to Newport, 30 miles

It didn't take long to get back on the canal which we followed as far as Stone. Another green oasis not far from the M6 and other main roads. From Stone we had a short section on quiet lanes to Stafford where we picked up a disused railway, again the greenery shielding us form the buildings nearby. In Stafford there was a Sainsbury's superstore not far from the route where we picked up lunch. We returned to the disused railway (The Way for the Millenium) following it through pasture land to Newport. There were plenty of benches to choose from along the old railway, to stop for lunch and we chose to stop just in time for a gentle rain shower! 

With shortish distances to cycle each day, we hoped to stop at cafes and explore the areas we were travelling through. Unfortunately, there aren't many cafes on route and the towns and cities didn't look that inviting to us. However, a  bit of Googling found Greene's Coffee House in Gnosall, just off our route. The village was quiet and the drinks and cakes perfect. We also picked up a couple of ready meals and alcoholic beverages for dinner at the Morrisons Daily.

We left the railway at Newport, found our way through the residential streets into the countryside on the west side of town. (We didn't explore Newtown but it looked interesting). With little choice of accommodation on our route, we were lucky to find space at Red Gables, a spacious B&B with self-catering facilities. It also had a roof terrace and lounge for us to enjoy the evening sun before turning in for the night. Overall, an enjoyable day with an early finish. 

Day 3 Newport to Bicton (Shrewsbury), 29 miles

Today was largely a day of quiet lanes, once we had passed through the towns on the outskirts of Telford. We left the B&B and very quickly picked up NCN 55 which we followed to the Humbers (great name). From here we picked up NCN 81 (Aberystywth / Wolverhampton), passing Hadley and Wellington on main roads before heading once more into the countryside. Leaving Telford behind we were soon in rural England, cycling between traditional hamlets. We stopped at Upton Magna (pub & cafe) for some lunch before continuing to Uffington on the outskirts of Shrewsbury. The route leaves the roads behind and follows the river Severn on a multi-user trail.

Our next accommodation wasn't far out of Shrewsbury so we had time for a cafe stop. We chose the River View Cafe which was a short, steep climb away from the river. With a large outdoor terrace it was perfect. Our bikes were in sight as we wook in the views across the river towards Shrewsbury Abbey.

Shrewsbury looks interesting to explore but we continued on, passing close to the castle and the cathederal. Just before the route crosses the river, over a footbridge, we came to The Quarry. This is a large outoor park where we were treated to some great tunes from the brassband. (It was Sunday). Once over the river the route goes through suburbia to Copthorne where it joins a main road. Although the road was quiet, it wasn't particularly pleasant riding. When we spotted a bridleway (part of The Severn Way) heading in the direction of our B&B, we took it. It was good going for a while but soon became quite overgrown but manageable. This popped us out on the long driveway to our B&B, The Isle Estate. This family owned country-house dates back to 1450 and is certainly an interesting place to stay. We thought about exploring the grounds, captured in a large bow of the River Severn but a short rainshower persuaded us to stay indoors and rest our legs.

Once the rain had passed, we cycled back down the long drive and onwards to Bicton Heath where we had a pleasant evening meal, sitting outside at Ego at the Grapes.

Day 4 Bicton to Newtown, 41 miles

Despite having a longer day today we didn't get off to an early start. Andy was far too interested in hearing about the regenerative farming practices at The Isle Estate. Once we had dragged ourselves away, we rejoined the Severn Way for a short section to Montford Bridge. Again, some parts were overgrown and one section particularly muddy. However, we made it onto the road and continued our journey towards the Welsh boarder. We never strayed far from the River Severn; cycling through boarder lands with historic ramparts hinting at less peaceful times. We finally crossed the boarder as we  bridged the river at Crewgreen. 

As we entered Wales the landscape changed from the flat floodplains to hills and woodland. We climbed out of Crewgreen on steep switchbacks and stopped to enjoy the views under the shade of the trees at the summit. We enjoyed the sweeping descent to the main road, before our next climb began. After days of gentle descents and flat riding these hills were welcomed, giving us further reaching views and the chance to freewheel on the downhills. We got caught in a short, sharp shower, just getting the waterproofs on in time. It was over almost as soon as it had begun, however, the clouds remained threatening. I kept my waterproofs on and sweated my way up the hill. There was no more rain. 

There was roughly 3km along the top of the ridge before the steep descent into Welshpool began. It was lovely to see so far in all directions. The descent was over 3km long, steep and winding. We crossed over Offa's Dyke and continued to Welshpool. We stopped at The Old Station for lunch, tempted by the delicious looking cakes but decided we'd have a cafe stop later, if the opportunity presented itself. We went to the nearby superstore, picking up dinner and breakfast for our Airbnb tonight.

Although we still had a fair distance to go, to Newtown, we thought it would be quite a speedy ride as it was mostly on canal towpaths. Unfortunately, large sections of the canal are no longer used. This made for beautiful landscapes, filled with wildflowers and birds but the towpath was quite overgrown and very narrow. It was not easy to ride and we were thankful we managed to stay out of the water! The route passes through the outskirts of Newtown and our accomodation for the night was just off the route at Mochdre. Unfortunately it was towards the top of a hill. We finally arrived in another rural idyll, so close to Newtown. The accommodation was comfortable and had everything we needed. We were disappointed that we didn't have more time to enjoy it, after the slow cycling along the canals in the latter part of today's route.

Day 5 Newtown to Elan Village, 35 miles

Today's route started with some hills, through lovely countryside, before dropping down to the hamlet of Caersws. There was a small shop here but we decided that there would probably be more choice at Llanidloes. The route undulated its way towards Llanidloes, fianlly dropping into the town itself. We bought supplies for lunch at the bakery and Co-op, finding a quiet spot with a bench in the shade of the trees, beside the road, to eat it. A bin truck went past us and we kept passing each other all the way to Llangurig. Route 81 now follows NCN 8, a route we cycled previously. We took the route in a south-westerly direction. We climbed gently away from Llanidloes before dropping into Llangurig. Today we didn't miss out on our cake and stopped at The Village Tea Room. 

From Llangurig the route follows quiet lanes above the River Wye south to Rhayader. There are lovely views and at times the road passes close to the river. It is a lovely stretch of the route. Our accommodation tonight was the Elan Valley Hotel, about 4km from the outskirts of Rhayader and right on the route. A cycle path runs beside the quiet road. We arrived in plenty of time to enjoy the renovated hotel, sipping drinks in the garden outside our room. 

Day 6 Elan Village to Borth, 46 miles

This was probably my favourite day. Although I enjoyed exploring the countryside and suburbias of the rural midlands in both England and Wales, I prefer wilder landscapes. We left NCN 8 behind just before reaching the hotel and were now back on route 81. We climbed up to the dams and reservoirs of the Elan Valley. The route climbs up steadily on the east side of 3 reservoirs before crossing the final dam, to pass above the 4th reservoir on the west. The landscape is wild and open with the occasional farm. The route climbs to over 400 metres, crossing the watershed, before it starts the long descent to the coast. 

After Cymystwyth, the route goes off-road into the forest. Although there are a few place names on the map, some with pubs, we didn't find anywhere for lunch until quite close to the coast at Llanilar. On exiting the forest we followed quiet lanes and disused railways, one of which was closed. Thankfully, there was another bridleway parrallel to it. Finally at Crosswood we left the tarmac and followed a disused railway. We had descended nearly 400 metres and were now just 40 metres or so above sea level. A quick Google had found the village store at Llanilar, selling 'everything we need'. We hoped so! It didn't disappoint. We headed back to the disused railway and ate our lunch in a lovely park beside a stream. 

The disused railway went all the way to Aberwystwyth but we left early, to take a more direct route to Borth and to pick up some supplies at the superstore. Not far now! There was a short but very steep climb out of Aberystywyth. (I've not seen such steep main roads in a town centre before). It is onnly 8km or so to Borth but what a sting in the tail! The lane was narrow and cars drove much faster than we felt comfortable with. The first time we had felt uncomfortable due to cars all trip. Most of the cars were taxis but even the locals couldn't explian this. However, the sting in the tail was the hills. Although we only climbed to 130 metres, this last stretch was draining. The final descent into Borth had to be taken carefully. Very steep, narrow and winding. Finally we arrived. Our accommodation tonight was the YHA. We arrived in good time to relax and enjoy our time here. When cycling to the coast we always think it would be nice to have a quick swim in the sea. Unfortunately, there was quite an onshore breeze and the sea was rough; therefore we didn't fancy it.

Day 7, going home

Before catching the train home we had a little time to explore. We cycled to the end of the road at Twyni Bach and explored the sand dunes before having a hot drink at the caravan park cafe. We then cycled to the station at Borth and returned back to England via Caersws and Shrewsbury in a matter of hours.

This route was a little different to previous tours, being less wild and closer to towns and cities. I was pleasantly surprised with the cycling infrastructure, that we couldn't tell we were in built up areas but instead following wonderful green corridors. 

Where will we go next year? Watch this space but it is looking likely that we will return to Scotland.

Cycling in the Peak District

I live in Buxton in the Peak District. The cycling there is wonderful, albeit a bit hilly. There are routes on-road, off-road and loops that have a bit of everything. If you'd like some inspiration about cycling in the Peak District, you might like my book - Scenic Cycling in the Peak District.