.....from one of the Severn crossings. I will be heading up the M5 from Devon, taking one of the crossings (advice welcomed) and be heading up to Chirk. Five and a bit hours says AA Route finder from my home. I tapped in Pontypool as a via point otherwise it wanted to send me right up the 5 and then across NW. I ain't doing that.
So, which crossing? The new seems to be the obvious choice and which via point would the Welsh lads here take. Pontypool was just done to avoid the AA's choice.
Thanks in advance.
|
Save your toll money. M5 to Gloucester, head for Newent, across the M50 picking up the A49 top side of Hereford; don't go through the latter it's a royal PITA. Stay on A49 to Craven Arms, then A489 through Churchstoke, head off through Montgomery (castle worth a visit specially if it's a clear day) then pick up A490 to Welshpool, on to A483 then A5 to Chirk.
Reasonably good roads, nice scenery and plenty of eating/drinking establishments on the way. Harry Tuffins supermarket at Churchstoke is wonderfully quirky if you need provisions for your stay and has a decent cheap cafe too. Don't stroke the macaw, he bites!
Last edited by: Harleyman on Mon 19 Sep 16 at 20:32
|
Thank you HM. I've been struggling to get the 'best' route sorted. I'll use your recommendation thank you.
The following day Chirk to Freckleton in Lancs.. Any thoughts (routes that is)!!
On our return through Wales we would like somewhere scenic/interesting further south and not too far west to stay overnight. Any recomended locations would be much appreciated.
As an aside I went to towyn as a lad some 50 years ago and loved it. I intend to see more of the Country.. Thanks again..
|
|
What HM says ! A49 is a good road ! Hereford is awful to drive through. I'd go for Montgomery in the way back or Hay on Wye/
|
Hay or Bishops Castle for me. Both are delightfully quirky. Mongomery is a pleasant little place but really not much more than a village. BTW MD if you're staying over a night on the way back then it'd be Bishops Castle purely because there are two breweries and a plethora of pubs in the town. Tip; start at the top of the hill and work your way down.
Further west, I wouldn't bother with either Newtown or Llandrindod Wells; neither offers much. if you do happen to be twmpted by the coast road to take in Towyn, be warned that it's a fair old hike.
Last edited by: Harleyman on Tue 20 Sep 16 at 18:41
|
You're a good man HM. We are 'on' your original route for tomorrow and I can't wait for the scenery. It's pretty impressive here in north Devon but, ........
We are going to stay in Llangollen now as our original option at Chirk was booked as are most places. Would it be fair to say that the economy of the area was doing ok?
Will try and update prior to Bishop's Castle!!!!!!
|
|
Nice little quirky motor museum in Llangollen (by the canal) Some reasonable eateries and damned good book-shop. Chack out the Horseshoe pass (especially the Ponderosa cafe on the summit on a Sunday 1000 plus bikers congregate there even in winter) Castell Dinas Bran and World's End are special peaceful places.
|
Good morning Squire,
We are now going to stay in Llangollen as the accommodation at Chirk was full. We should arrive mid afternoon, but only staying the one night unfortunately.
Strangely enough I know I'll be returning as there's so much I want to see around there and of course other parts of Wales too. Thanks for the further info.
Regards.
|
|
Harleyman. Well we're here. Only one minor faux pas from my sat Nav, but what a route and what quick uncluttered roads. Thank you very much indeed.
|
Many a time from South Wales to Manchester I've gone on the A roads as far as Wrexham. A pleasant drive for sure but it takes so much longer. I now try to avoid traffic on the M5/M6 with timing travel.
When you're stuck behind something a little slower, at times who cares when it means you can look at more of the scenery. Something you shouldn't do whilst driving at the limits, which you can do a lot of the way.
Enjoy Llangollen and the area.
Last edited by: rtj70 on Wed 21 Sep 16 at 20:25
|
We've just had a munch at the Corn Mill in the Village. It's a masterpiece of a business. Rammed packed on a Wednesday! Succulent shoulder of Lamb and vegetables. Plenty of food and of the very highest quality. Described as good pub grub, but it was far in excess of that. Lamb x 2. 3 pints @ £3.60 each. 2 gin & tonics. £53.50 total. Lift to and back from the proprietor of the very excellent accommodation.
Off tomorrow to Lancs via the Horseshoe falls two minutes down the road then to the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct for a mooch. It can't get much better than that.
A bit knackered now so an early night.
Thanks to the Welsh boys for their words of wisdom.
|
|
Glad it's been a good trip MD. Mind you don't you go drifting too far East from Freckleton....
|
Glad you enjoyed it. Many wax lyrical about Snowdonia etc but the Welsh Marches is a charming and relatively undiscovered area. I run a vintage harley weekend every year just outside Bishops Castle, it's very popular, attracting riders from Ireland and all over the UK.
Oh and BTW.... I'm a Sais. ;)
Last edited by: Harleyman on Wed 21 Sep 16 at 23:58
|
>> Oh and BTW.... I'm a Sais. ;)
What is a Sais?
As you will no doubt know the Welsh for English is Saesneg. So what is a Sais?
|
A mis-spelt Englishman?
I guess east of Freck gets me into previous Bob Marley convertible territory?:-0)
All good so far. Overcast and dull now, but who cares....we're HERE. FULL Welsh brekkie beckons.
|
I am off to Welsh Wales on Monday (Tenby) for a week.
Pray for me.
|
|
Tenby isn't Welsh Wales. Pembroke was heavily settled by the English and known as little England beyond Wales. Tenby to my mind is the prettiest seaside town in the UK.
|
>> Tenby isn't Welsh Wales. Pembroke was heavily settled by the English and known as little
>> England beyond Wales. Tenby to my mind is the prettiest seaside town in the UK.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_England_beyond_Wales
My chums who claim Welch* Ancestry say that what we now call England was originally occupied by what we call The Welsh.
They say the 'English' drove the 'Welsh' out of 'England' and they finished up in what we now call 'Wales'.
*My MIL used to say 'Welch'. I never got round to asking her why. Too late now.
Last edited by: Duncan on Thu 22 Sep 16 at 09:10
|
True to a degree. The Welsh are predominantly descendants of the original British population that the Romans found populating these islands. How much the British were driven out of what is now or simply intermarried and merged with the incoming Germanic tribes who arrived after the Romans left is the subject of debate.
Welch and Welsh are basically the same word and reflect the English view of the reliability of commercial deals with the Welsh!
|
|
Burp. Breakfast consumed including Laver bread. Excellent. Sausages and bacon from their own pigs. Eggs from their own hens. Mushrooms and tomatos from the mushroom and tomato shop! Off to the Horseshoe fall now. Lovely day oop here thus far.
|
>> Tenby isn't Welsh Wales. Pembroke was heavily settled by the English and known as little
>> England beyond Wales. Tenby to my mind is the prettiest seaside town in the UK.
.......and they tend to deface the Welsh bits of dual language signs in South Pembrokeshire!
|
Having lived here now continuously for over thirteen years, I'm sometimes asked why I've never learned Welsh.
Three reasons really;
1) Life's too short.
2) Regular evening classes when you work as a lorry driver aren't practicable.
2) I'd hate to embarrass half of the native population.
It goes without saying though that if, like me, you live and work in a predominantly Welsh-speaking environment you do pick up a fair bit by osmosis, and I always tell the farmers, should they ask, that even though I only speak a few words I understand enough of the language to know when they're talking about me.
Incidentally, the old canard about conversation immediately switching to Welsh should a stranger enter a bar doesn't really hold water in the south. Spoken Welsh down here is a patois which often contains not only English words but often whole phrases if they don't translate easily. Up in the north amongst the "Gogs" it's a different matter, and the two halves frequently cannot understand each other any more than a Cornish country lad could understand broad Geordie. Plus they hate each other, tis only the shared dislike of th English which unites them in the slightest.
|
>> A mis-spelt Englishman?
>>
Give the man a coconut. Never been sure of the correct spelling. It's used as a mildly perjorative term down here, in the same way the English might use "Taff".
Last edited by: Harleyman on Fri 23 Sep 16 at 13:48
|
|
Harleyman my dear! Domestic staff want to try and punt home from Freckleton in one go avoiding M-ways (within reason) so a run back through Wales/Borders would I presume, be the way to go? Any advice would be warmly welcomed. Thank you. Oh! Monday morning btw.
|
|
Well I was looking for a slight alternative, but just retraced the same route in the end. Excellent fuss free roads. New sat nav worked a treat.
|
|
Paid for by Surrey tax-payers. I used to say that to annoy Zero...
|
>> Paid for by Surrey tax-payers. I used to say that to annoy Zero...
>>Who? O:-)
|
|
Sorry Martin, been on unexpected long-distance so missed this. Glad you had a good trip.
|
>> Sorry Martin, been on unexpected long-distance so missed this. Glad you had a good trip.
>>
Yes thank you very much for your help. Those mainly deserted roads were an eye opener.
The Horseshoe fall on the Dee at Llangollen is a sight to behold (if one is interested in that stuff). Still very much unspoilt and not a sign of a concrete/tourist/artificial path anywhere. Also the fact that Telford landscaped tens and tens of acres around the site is truly stunning. Men like him and Henry Robertson are to admired.
|
Good morning Mr. Harleyman.
Your superb directions last year to Chirk/Llangollen were excellent thank you and they provided a welcome relief from the monotony of the motorway.
Very shortly we will be heading that way again,but this time to Ruthin or to be exact Llanbedr-Dyffryn-Clwyd. Would you kindly offer your suggestion for the best route from Llangollen to our destination? The A452 and 525 look interesting?
Thank you in advance. MD.
|
Ruthin's worth a visit in its own right, nice little town with an interesting former jail.
542/525 is a good enough road, only word of caution is that it's often used by HGV's and quarry tippers don't take prisoners!
If you're up there for a few days, Bala is well worth a visit both for its lake and the charming little steam railway. For a good drive back, go up to Denbigh via Llyn Brenig, you'll come in over the moors and it's quite spectacular.
|
|
You'll be in my very post-code - we live across the valley in Llanrhaeadr - The only route to Ruthin would be across the Horeshoe pass - there are other roads but they are boring. Stop in the Ponderosa for a proper, biker's breakfast ! Superb views.
|
|
tinyurl.com/lwd2wrw
Last edited by: R.P. on Mon 22 May 17 at 23:14
|
|
I'm very much looking forward to it Rob. Thank you. Is that the route that Harleyman said was a major tipper lorry route? Not that it bothers me much, there's tens of them rushing by my rural abode some days.
|
Wasn't Ponderosa the name of the ranch in Bonanza... ? I was a nipper at the time it aired.
Incidentally, Bonanza was filmed close to the eastern shores of Lake Tahoe in northern CA. My bestest part of the world bar none. If I could croak backpacking the Tahoe Rim Trail ( again) or break my neck skiing one of the many resorts around Tahoe I'd be chuffed to bits.
|
|
Most things can be arranged, for the right money.... :-)
|
Don't know about the tipper thing. Major motorcycling route though ! Never seen a tipper on it ! :-)
|
|
Am I the only one who interpreted the thread title as a verb? Ok, I did not know what it meant, similar to 'twerk' ?
Last edited by: sherlock47 on Thu 22 Sep 16 at 18:12
|
Lots of lazy people there. All chirkers apparently...a bit like the residents of Heidelberg, they're all heidelbergers.
Yeah, I know...I'll fetch it...
😉
|
>> Am I the only one who interpreted the thread title as a verb? Ok, I
>> did not know what it meant, similar to 'twerk' ?
Different meaning entirely. Chirking is what they do in Hull when they get something stuck in their throats.
|
>> Different meaning entirely. Chirking is what they do in Hull when they get something stuck
>> in their throats.
GAve me a laugh; can just imagine my former colleague Stuart who came from Hull Chirking.....
|
>>
>> >> Different meaning entirely. Chirking is what they do in Hull when they get something
>> stuck
>> >> in their throats.
Conversation at work yesterday about Trump smirking
Which is of course what my colleague above does with ciggies.....
|
|
When a smoker I came across a term "smirting" which was flirting with someone in the smoking shed esp at a pub or similar.
|
>> When a smoker I came across a term "smirting" which was flirting with someone in
>> the smoking shed esp at a pub or similar.
Describes exactly how my friend and former colleague Jax met her husband. Second wedding anniversary this week.
|
To Chirk..... - Harleyman
