excursions: Wales|Nov, 2001.

crew:   Dick Turpin, Carl Tuffin.

vehicle(s):  1982 V8 Range Rover - 'the Beast'.

When I first decided to organise a green lane trip to Wales I had no idea where to start. I had arranged with a friend to go away for a break and it was only after agreeing the date that we decided to try our hand at some green laning. First we had to find somewhere to stay, I tried contacting the place I had been to the year before when Foot & Mouth was in full spate, but they were booked months in advance. So using the AA hotel site I found a B&B in mid Wales and after brief phone call, a booking was made for 23 rd and 24th November. As I was the more experienced I opted to navigate and Carl to drive. The idea was to spend the weekend unwinding and just generally taking some time out. We planned to leave from work early on the Friday and travel up before the week end traffic built up and at 3:30 in the afternoon I started to pack my brief case and prepared to leave. After parking Carl�s Supra in the T-Mobile car park and a trip to Halfords to pick up some map rea ding lights etc. it was time to go. Only trouble was that with all the fiddling about it was now 5 o'clock and the weekend traffic was in full spate. We had been told the best way was to go up the A41 to just outside Aylesbury then cut across country to the M40. We decided to go through Elstree and join the A41 just south of Watford, to avoid the M25 traffic. Bad move, the traffic through Watford was awful it took us over an hour to get north of the A41/M25 intersection but at last we were on the move. Just south of Aylesbury at the top of the hill we turned off on the B4009 turning off after a few miles onto the B4129 to Thame. Progress was not fast but steady with few hold ups. At last we join the M40 at junction 8 and looked forward to making up some lost time. Alas after a few miles we hit a major traffic jam due to road works and now it was stop/start with a line of tail lights as far as the eye could see. We decided to pull off at the motorway services and get a sandwich in the hope the traffic would begin to clear. No such luck, it was just as bad when we pulled back on and it stayed bad until we were north of Banbury. The traffic didn't start to thin out until we were on the M42 and going up towards Solihull. As soon as we hit the M6 we ground to a halt yet again. Progress along the M6 was extremely slow and the traffic didn't clear until we were north of Wolverhampton and we had turned off onto the M54 to Telford and Shrewsbury. We eventually arrived in Welshpool town centre, at about 10:45 p.m. having phoned ahead twice to revise our arrival time.

From here we made our way up the hill out of Welshpool on the A490 eventually arriving at the farm some time around 11 o'clock. We were only too glad to park the car, unload our luggage and get to bed.

Next morning it would have been nice to have a lay in after the fiasco yesterday but we were up and down for breakfast by 8:45. Breakfast was a typical farmhouse affair with a choice of serials and fruit juices, followed by the obligatory bacon, sausage and egg with plenty of toast and as much tea and coffee as you could drink. After a good breakfast we set about changing the wheels on the Range Rover for the off-road set. It didn�'t take long as Graham (the farmer) let us use the barn and his facilities (it's so much easier when you've got a good trolley jack and an air gun). In no time at all we were ready to roll.

At about 10 o'clock, after Sue filled our thermos with hot coffee, we set off up the A490 in the direction of Llanfyllin We turned off the A490 onto the B4393 to Llanfechain then on to Bwlchyddar up a small single-track road. From Bwlchyddar we drove up a steep single-track road to Llangedwyn. We continued through Llangedwyn up a tiny tarmac road until we reached the next crossroads. Here we turned right to find the first lane of the day.

We drove up a small single-track tarmac road, before entering some woods. The road rose steeply into the woods, it was a warm pleasant morning and the track was grassed over. The map only shows 1 road through the wood but the reality is that there are several forks off the track.

Eventually we became unsure of the way forward and the Range Rover over heated, so we decided to check it out on foot. The path ahead was very overgrown and did not appear to have been driven for some time. Just behind the Range Rover was a steep incline, which took you up a short track to a gate that exited onto a lane. On the other side of the gate was a notice that saying "Private Property No Entry" but the lane was exactly where it was shown on the map, so we opted for this way out. Before we set off we checked out the reason for the over heating and found the main fuse for the electric fans had blown. I pinched a fuse out of one of the other circuits so at least the fan worked and off we went. As we exited onto the tarmac we expected to turn right and immediately left down the side of a house but the lane was blocked by a Land Rover 109 and a Citroen BX. After studying the map we decide to make a detour and come up a different lane which met the intended lane about a quarter of a mile from where we were. Things now went hopelessly wrong and we hadn�t a clue where we were. We had completely missed the entrance to the intended lane and ended up going through a farmyard and across a field ending up back on tarmac with no landmarks or signs to help us. Even trying to trace our route on the map didn�t help so we tossed a mental coin, left or right? We opted for left and started to drive, eventually driving through Golfa, at last we knew where we were. We continued on this road until we came to the intersection with the B4580, where we turned left. After a short while we came to the opposite end of the lane we were trying to come down in the first place. We decided to go down it in the opposite direction to try and find the place where we should have come in

After about half a mile we crossed a stream, so we stopped and filled the radiator up with water. From here we continued on but missed the fork, for the lane we wanted, as it was cunningly disguised by a fence. We ended up coming up a narrow lane back onto the B4580 about half a mile further on than we started. It was about 12:30 so we decided to stop for a cuppa before continuing. While we were drinking our coffee a Discovery came up the lane we were intending to go down. As there was a notice proclaiming "Foot & Mouth No entry" I sauntered over to ask if there was any reason why the restriction was still in force. The chap in the Discovery explained he was the farmer who lived down the lane and he tried to discourage people from driving it as a number of 4x4 users kept damaging one of the culverts, causing flooding in his yard. I showed him our intended route on the map and he offered an alternative that avoided the problem. I thanked him for his help and 10 minutes later we set off on yet another detour.

After about 15 minutes we found the next lane. The lane was entered via a gate, it was firm and well maintained with neat hedgerows either side. We drove down the lane crossing a small stream. About a quarter of a mile further on we came round a corner and I could see a short distance ahead the lane was badly churned up on one side. I made the prophetic remark "don�t go anywhere near that or we will be here a long time". What appeared to be a depression on one side of the lane turned out to be a very deep hole filled with soft slimy silt. As we were trying to slowly crawl round the side the Range Rover slid unceremoniously into the mire. Attempts to back up only resulted in it digging in even deeper. We were now well and truly stuck, the time was 1:30 in the afternoon. We were on our own and don�t have a winch, all we had were ropes, tree strops, a chain, spades and the Hi-lift jack. We tried to Hi-lift the back of Range Rover up and push it over but we couldn�t get it high enough as the jack kept sinking in, even with a 2�x2� spreader. When I stepped behind the car to open the tailgate I sank into the mud until it was above my crutch.

After a good deal of deliberation and several abortive attempts at extraction we decided our only option was to use the Hi-lift as a winch. It took about 4 and a half hours before we were free and by now it was dark, cold and raining. We decided to press on to the last lane of the day "Wayfarers Way". We made our way to Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog without incident, but as we proceeded up the Afon Ceiriog valley disaster struck, a puncture. Now in normal circumstances this would not present a problem, but right now was not a good time. The rain had now turned to sleet, it was cold and windy, I was soaked through and I had to crawl under the car with a bottle jack in pitch black with the mud slowly dripping down my neck etc. At this point our spirits were at a very low ebb. After changing the wheel we decided to call it a day and returned to farm completely exhausted. We arrived back at the farm cold, wet and thoroughly dejected. As we got out of the Rangie we bumped into Nick who said "don�t let mum see you like that or she won�t let you back in the house".

The problem now was how to get from the front door to my room without being seen and covering the carpet in mud. I wiped my feet until the soles of my trainers are as clean as I could get them, then I tip toed up to my room hoping I didn�t get caught. Once in my room I found a plastic bag to stand on while I undressed. I was so muddy I still managed to leave marks on the carpet by the bath. I sank into a nice hot bath and let it warm me through. 20 minutes later I was washed and dressed now I had to deal with the thorny problem of my clothes. Using the bath water I rinsed out the dirty clothes but horror of horrors, when I drained the water I was left with at least an inch of sludge covering the bottom of the bath. It took me another 30 minutes to clean the carpet with my flannel and rinse the bath out with the jug for rinsing your hair. I had still got a carrier bag with about 5 lbs. of gravel in it so I hid it in the dirty linen bag ready to be smuggled out next morning.

After a quick cup of coffee I met Carl downstairs in the lounge. We rang the bell and asked Sue if she knew of anywhere, we could get a decent meal. Our luck was in Sue�s had a friend who had got a restaurant in town and after a quick �phone call we were fixed up. We took a cab into Welshpool so that we didn�t have to worry about drinking and driving. 2 hours later after a superb meal we returned to the farmhouse and the lounge to rabbit and make use of the bar. Back in the lounge, in front of a warm fire, drink in hand, we sat talking until the early hours. By the time we turned into our beds we were completely exhausted.

Next morning we were up at about 7:30 and down for breakfast by 8:00. After breakfast we packed our bags and emptied our rooms, so that Sue could get on with preparing for the next guests. We settled the bill and asked if we could deposit our bags etc. in the lounge to be collected later. After yesterdays experience we decided that maybe we would spend the day driving round admiring the scenery. We set off up the A490 again but this time we continued on right up to New Mills. From there we continued on the B4391 up to Penybontfawr in the Tanat Valley. From here e took the road to Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant. The weather was overcast with a light drizzle so we decided to err on the side of caution and stay on tarmac as we made our way between Moel Hen-fache and Mynydd Mawr mountains. We turned right and made our way up a steep narrow road to Llidiart-cae-hir.

We stopped at the start of Cefn Hir Fynydd which is a lane that runs up over the crest of a mountain for 3 � 4 miles giving stupendous views over the surrounding countryside. We could see a group of motorcyclists running up and down the start of the lane, which looked in good repair. After a brief chat we decided "what the heck", threw caution to the wind and tackled the lane, resolving to not take any risks, we didn�t want a repeat of yesterday. The lane was in good repair and although it was very open there was low cloud which obscured the view. About halfway along we stopped and got out of the Range Rover for a walk about, it was bitterly cold and the wind was quite strong. It was easy to see how you would quickly succumb to exposure if you were out here without the correct clothing.  After a photo shoot and a cup of coffee from the flask we pressed on towards Tregeiriog the going was good all the way. After about 45 minutes we turned off the main track down a fairly steep lane that took us directly into the village. From here we turned down the B4500 to Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog. At llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog we crossed over the river and turned right down valley to "Wayfarers Way" along the road where we got the puncture the previous evening. "Wayfarers Way" is a rocky mountain track that runs for about 4.5 � 5 miles ending up just outside Llandrillo. We stopped at the start of the lane to take a few photographs and admire the view. Although it was still gently raining and there was a cold wind we were in much better spirits than the night before. We proceeded down the lane crossing a stream then climbing up the other side. I noticed that the "fuel" light keeps flashing on and wondered if we had enough petrol to get us to a petrol station. The track was a bit bumpy but fairly good until we came to a section where the lane had subsided. This section was made of railway sleepers wired together and I got out to guide Carl through, as we didn�t want to slip off the track and find ourselves in the same predicament as the day before. Up ahead we could see another Range Rover accompanied by a couple of SWB Series motors. By now the "fuel" light was becoming quite insistent and I was beginning to doubt whether or not we would make it to a garage. Halfway down the lane was a monument to a local explorer and it was here that we caught up with the group in front. We stopped to sign the visitors� book and have a chat with them. They were from the North Wales 4x4 whom I had contacted when planning the trip and they knew Steve Charles who had been so helpful when we were planning the route. We asked about the prospect of a petrol station and they said there might be one in Bala, but they couldn�t guarantee it would be open as it was Sunday and in Wales. They offered to let us go in front and said they would follow us in case we broke down. We set off again but now in a convoy of 4. I was concerned that even though we might make it to Bala we might find the petrol station shut. So we pressed on a bit faster than the others in the certain knowledge that, should we run out of petrol, they were there behind us. In the event we arrived in Llandrillo at about 4 o�clock and from there we drove down the B4401 to lake Bala. We arrived in Bala around 4:30 P.M. to find what appeared to be the only petrol station just closing, we thankfully filled up with petrol. After a break in the municipal car park to plan our route home, have a quick snack and another cup of coffee, we set of for Lake Vyrnwy. It was a lovely ride down a pleasant wooded valley, through Penllyn forest, eventually climbing out up a 1 in 7 gradient to the head of lake Vyrnwy. We drove down the western side of the lake turning off west at Pont Eunant, climbing steeply again on Waun-y-Gadfa and entering the southern edge of the Snowdonia National Park. From here we proceeded down the mountain side on a very steep road with plenty of hairpins and no fewer than two 1 in 5 gradients and 5 of 1 in 7.

We arrived back at the farm at about 6:45 p.m. and once we had changed the wheels and packed the car it was time to leave. We changed into some smarter clothes for the journey home and were ready to leave by about 7:15 p.m. We intended to wash the car at a car wash in Welshpool but by the time we arrived, it was closed, so we pressed on towards Shrewsbury. By now it was very dark and we were both getting hungry, so we stopped at Pizza hut on the Shrewsbury bypass for something to eat. The pizza was going to take about 15 minutes so we nipped round to Sainsburys petrol station to clean the car. Of course it was all shut up but the free water nozzle was working so we gave the car the once over with a brush and rinsed it off. By the time we returned to Pizza hut the pizza�s were ready, so we stuffed our face and were back on the road by around 8 o�clock. The return journey was relatively uneventful apart from heavy traffic as we joined the M6. I arrived home about 11 o�clock. After unloading the car I dropped into bed around midnight completely exhausted but satisfied. Hopefully it won�t be too long before we can plan another trip.

For those people wishing to plan a trip of their own I would suggest you research your intended routes before you depart. I can recommend the farmhouse where we stayed it was a great place to stay and is ideally situated to explore mid Wales. The atmosphere is informal and friendly, if you ask nicely Graham will allow you to use his facilities (jack, airline etc.) to prepare your cars before you set out. When you return at the end of the day you can relax in the lounge until the early hours making good use of the bar.

The contact details are as follows:

Lower Trelydan, Guilsfield, WELSHPOOL, SY21 9PH

Tel: 01938 553105 Fax: 01938 553105

Email: stay@lowertrelydan.com

http://www.theaa.com/hotels/45431.html

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