Help please. Devon to Chester via decent roads through Wales

[VTECMatt]

I have a meeting in Chester next Thursday at 11am, in typical pistonhead fashion i want to make use of the opportunity, I am going to wheel out my Elise for the trip, leave at 3am from just outside of Newton Abbot Devon. I don't know Wales at all so any advice would be greatly appreciated on decent roads, I am thinking a 2 hour detour is all I can manage.

TIA

Matt

[chriscoates]

Not sure if this is too much of a detour, but this would be my route: https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?saddr=Newton+Abbot&...

Cut across country to avoid Birmingham and then once into Wales, make a beeline for the B4391/A4212/B4391 again - IMO these roads are even better than the triangle. Then around the best two sides of the triangle before heading up to Ruthin on the B5105, another brilliant road. That route is what I would do if I was taking a whistle-stop tour of the best roads.

A good tip when heading back is to take the A41/M54 route as opposed to the M6 which is full of roadworks and just generally awful anyway.

ETA - having re-read the OP apologies if you were thinking more of a route right through Wales from the Severn estuary, I only know the best northern routes.

Edited by chriscoates on Saturday 27th September 19:47

[VTECMatt]

Thanks Chris

[Red Devil]

Southern/Central Wales
From M5:

M49/M4/A449 to Raglan
A40 to Abergavenny and Brecon
B4519/B4520 to Builth Wells
A483 to LLandrindod Wells and Newtown
A483/A458 to Welshpool
A490 to the B4391

From Newton Abbott to the start of the B4391
Google Maps says 5hrs 15 minutes.

Alternative route from Newtown:
B4568/B4389 to Llanfair Caereinion
A458/B4389/A495/A490 to the B4391

If time becomes an issue,
From Welshpool go via A483/A5/A483 to Chester.

If you are returning to Devon after the meeting:
Do Ruthin/Blaenau Ffestiniog/Bala/Llynclys on the way back.
Or vice-versa.

[VTECMatt]

Thank you chaps really helpful.

[Morgan2080]

Red Devil said:

Southern/Central Wales
From M5:

M49/M4/A449 to Raglan
A40 to Abergavenny and Brecon
B4519/B4520 to Builth Wells
A483 to LLandrindod Wells and Newtown
A483/A458 to Welshpool
A490 to the B4391

From Newton Abbott to the start of the B4391
Google Maps says 5hrs 15 minutes.

Alternative route from Newtown:
B4568/B4389 to Llanfair Caereinion
A458/B4389/A495/A490 to the B4391

If time becomes an issue,
From Welshpool go via A483/A5/A483 to Chester.

If you are returning to Devon after the meeting:
Do Ruthin/Blaenau Ffestiniog/Bala/Llynclys on the way back.
Or vice-versa.

Of course Google maps doesn't allow for tractors, horse trucks, and genearally drivers not having much fun! I did the route from South Devon to Llanfair using this route and it took nearly 7 hours. Great road (and it really is stunning in places), shame you can't have it to yourself

[Red Devil]

Morgan2080 said:

Of course Google maps doesn't allow for tractors, horse trucks, and genearally drivers not having much fun!

Fair point. But:

Morgan2080 said:

I did the route from South Devon to Llanfair using this route and it took nearly 7 hours. Great road (and it really is stunning in places), shame you can't have it to yourself

You have to compare like with like.

South Devon covers a fair amount of ground. If your starting point was in the South Hams (say Kingsbridge or Salcombe for example) that could easily add between 45 minutes and an hour to the total.

Also, at what time did you start? The OP is departing at 3 o'clock in the morning. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, he could be in Raglan by 5am. Another 3hrs from there to LLanfair Caereinion shouldn't be unattainable.

[VTECMatt]

Had great fun only just made it to the meeting on time! Will update when I get time.