... To Wales, North of, Place called Afonwen, twixt Criccieth & Pwllheli
I shall be departing leafy Surrey up the M25/A40/M6/M54 to get the boring bit out of the way at a trot. But from Shrewsbury which way?
TomTom Tim is boldy saying the way to go is A458/A470 to Dolgellau, then A470/A487 to Porthmadog. Seems a long way south to me.
What about Oswestry A5 to Pentrefoelas, then left down the B4407 to Llan Festiniog, or breaking left earlier off the A5 down the A494 to Bala and then A4212/B4391 to Llan Festiniog
Or for a back road feel, whats the B3496/B4391 Llanyblodwel/Bala road like?
Looking for a nice tour on the way there, but nothing that adds too much time to the journey.
Also looking for a good pub (nice food/character/garden/dogs welcome) on the western side of Shrewsbury.
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'If ever you go to Dolgellau,
Don't stay at the Lion Hotel;
You'll get nothing to put in your bellau
And nobody answers the bell.'
(Don't know who it's by, but I like it)
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sorry - gave you a thumbs up by mistake
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Never mind, someone will give me a red medal to even it up.
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>> someone will give me a red medal to even it up.
Yes, there has been a lot of champagne-spraying recently. The mild red face looking as if it's straining for a crap isn't much of a compliment though. The true accolade is the double-negative gong, the one that looks as if an anvil has just been dropped on its toe.
I really feel vindicated when I get one of those.
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I haven't driven all the roads you mention so as to be able to compare, but Llanyblodwel/Bala is a good enough route. You won't find any other cars around anyway, so it doesn't really matter.
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"What about Oswestry A5 to Pentrefoelas, then left down the B4407 to Llan Festiniog."
I used to use this going from Liverpool to Harlech, lovely road, good scenery, not much traffic but lots of sheep! I think Top Gear have used it for some of their more "Arty" segments, try it if it isn't too far out of your way, you may well like it. This link may help with pubs tinyurl.com/6gg2uqq
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Zero,
Shrewsbury then the A5 all the way to just before Betws y Coed, turn left onto the A470 then travel down the stunningly beautiful valley through Dolwyddelan towards Blaenau Ffestiniog, - this road has just been re-built to a very high standard, not too encumbered with silly limits and your reward is the stunning scenery with a road to die for. The B4407 is narrow and twisty and the last thing you want after a long journey. Once you're beyond Corwen on the A5 it is a superb road, long straights and a couple of twisty bits (again recently re-built thanks to southern taxpayers). Port is around a 15 minute drive from Blaenau but is blighted at the moment by the by-pass construction (sponsored by Hampshire taxpayers this time) - Criccieth is around 10 minutes from Blaenau. Going via Bala is a nice run, you turn right just before entering the town and along past Llyn Treweryn (lake) and then take the Mignant valley to Port via Llan Ffesiniog, then via Blaenau to Port. I prefer the Betws route, further but better roads.
Edit Tryweryn was sponsored by Liverpool taxpayers - no consultation on the flooding of course.
Last edited by: Pugugly on Mon 9 May 11 at 17:16
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I defer to the superior and more up to date local knowledge of PU.
Last edited by: Perky Penguin on Mon 9 May 11 at 17:22
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Yeah, its a three hour drag to Shrewsbury for me, so the dog and missus may well be getting a bit tetchy by then, so smooth "progress" may be the order of the day for the post lunch part of the journey. The twistier scenery may well be reserved for the first part of the return journey.
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I would still approve of Perky's route if not for the incredible scenery on that drive as well, the road, was, well surfaced (haven't been for a few years) with proper "yumps" on it - I could get the 1200GS airborne in a couple of places...!
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If you haven't been before, Shrewsbury town centre's well worth a visit.
I had a morning to kill there last summer, as my lorry had broken down. I was pleasantly surprised by the variety of "proper" shops (as opposed to chains) and the relatively unspoilt nature of the place.
Lovely railway station too, still with the old semaphore signals, though a shadow of its former self operationally.
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Stayed near Abersoch last year, if I were you I would make a day of it and do M4 to Newport and do Abergevenny, Bluith Wells, Rhyader, through the Elan valley to Aberystwyth then Machlynleth, Dolgellau, Portmadoc etc.
Great scenery from Newport onwards.
Then PU's route on the way home.
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That is a route, but going to Aberystwyth us going well out of your way, you can skirt past Machynlleth and not touch it at all - go to Builth and up the A470 to Dolgellau - good fast road with good overtaking opportunities, light touch Policing, the 470 from Dolgellau is a superb road, again recently re-built and a cracker - beware of the Police between Garn Llwyd and Porthmadog - this is a safe 100mph road but Policed accordingly. That would get you to Port a lot quicker than my earlier suggestion and the way I come home from down sarf.
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>> That is a route, but going to Aberystwyth us going well out of your way,
>>
Ah but it is all about the scenery and if you do that you miss the Elan Valley, the back roads from Rhyader to Devils Bridge, starting on the B4518.
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>> >> That is a route, but going to Aberystwyth us going well out of your
>> way,
>> >>
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>> Ah but it is all about the scenery and if you do that you miss
>> the Elan Valley, the back roads from Rhyader to Devils Bridge, starting on the B4518.
Done it. In an Escort Rs2000.
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Nicole is a Hereford / south wales girl, so we have done all Bluith Wells and Rhyder, plus it adds on a lot of miles and hours.
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>> Nicole is a Hereford / south wales girl, so we have done all Bluith Wells
>> and Rhyder, plus it adds on a lot of miles and hours.
>>
Not miles though perhaps a hour or two.
And there was me thinking that Nicole must be fille francaise!
;-)
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If you do go via the A458/470, there's a nice little cake shop/cafe just up Bridge Street in Llanfair Caereinion (not at all pretentious and Mrs Bucket would turn her nose up). Over the bridge, park on the left and walk up a few yards. Home made healthy food and a cup of tea for £5 each I should think.
I prefer that route to the A5, probably because I've been unlucky with traffic on that route a few times. I feel as if I've spent hours queueing through Llangollen.
I've just remembered passing through Criccieth and looking in the Good Beer Guide which took me to the Castle Inn, by the station. Don't make a special trip - it wasn't very good.
Bring me back some Bara Brith please.
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Expensive static caravans in Abersoch apparently. Not sure why. Bit welsh round that way for me...Pointy hats and eat seaweed you know. How can you trust anyone who eats seaweed?
:-)
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No seaweed up north Humph - a peculiarity of the Swansea Jacks. What about Haggis (sheep's brains) ? now that is strange.
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Still got the pointy hats, not right that and what's with the posh caravans? What's going on there eh? Strange goings on if you ask me.
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Shrewsbury - Welshpool - Dolgellau - Barmouth and then up the coast through Harlech. Not necessarily fastest but fantastic scenery.
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You should go to Porth Oer (Whistling Sands), some of the pictures online make it look crowded or even commercialised with umbrellas up at the cafe though it is an unspoilt beach in a lovely bay with sand, rock pools and a very pleasant cafe/shop, accessed from a National Trust car park. And the sand does whistle.
www.ukattraction.com/north-wales/whistling-sands.htm
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Welshpool a nice little town. English Wales; not many welsh around there.
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The Annual Zero Road trip - but which way... - Armel Coussine
