The Wales 450 - A short blog *Pics Added*
Discussion
This past weekend my girlfriend & I decided to take a road trip around Wales, starting in the north then making our way down the coast before heading back to Bristol. All in all we covered some 450 miles, & I thought it might be interesting to do a bit of a write up of the journey. The general plan was to head towards Wrexham from Bristol as I wanted to visit the Demon-tweeks showroom, before moving on to the Evo triangle, then up to Llandudno.
From here we'd head west-ish then down through the Snowdonia National park, towards Aberystwyth then on to Llanelli, before heading back along the M4 to home. Easy. We were away for 3 nights in total & it was a really fun trip. It also goes to show you don't need 300+bhp, AWD or active differentials to enjoy some of the best roads the U.K. has to offer!
Day One - Bristol to Telford
Not much to report here. We set off on Thursday evening in my trusty Ford Focus, heading up the M5 then M6 to Telford for our first overnight stop. Pure mile-munching on motorways with a lovely 30 mph (!) stretch of roadworks to break up the journey.
Day Two - Telford to Llandudno via Wrexham
Fueled by a Premier Inn breakfast, we set off mid morning with our first stop being the Demon-tweeks motorsport showroom near Wrexham. I had a mooch about for half an hour while my girlfriend tried out the bucket seats, before we set off again in the direction of the Evo triangle.
We arrived at the famed ribbon of tarmac just as the weather started to take a turn for the worse. None the less, I was desperate to enjoy my first experience of the triangle, and it was... ok. The sideways rain & low visibility probably didn't help matters, & subsequently speeds were low, but I wasn't blown away in all honesty. I certainly wouldn't say the roads were any better than those found in the Brecons, or north Devon for that matter. The benefit of the weather being a bit crap meant at least the triangle was quiet, & we did stop off at one of the reservoirs on route which was pretty cool. In the end I decided one lap was enough & we set off on our way again towards Llandudno.
Visibility was still pretty poor for most the journey, but the roads eventually dried out & we pressed on, arriving in Llandudno around mid afternoon. We had a quick drive through the seaside town before checking into our hotel. As the evening approached we set off to complete a lap of Great Orme (along Marine Drive) which had been on my to-drive list since the road was used as a stage of Rally GB a few years ago. The views back towards the town and out across the Irish Sea were spectacular, & I have to admit I probably enjoyed the 20mph drive around the headland more than I did the Evo triangle earlier in the day! After a quick pit stop for dinner we headed back to the hotel for an early night as we had a big day with a lot of miles ahead of us.
Day Three - Llandudno to Llanelli via Snowdonia
Opting to skip the breakfast buffet, my partner & I set off early in order make the best of the dry weather that greeted us that morning. From our hotel, we headed west along the coastal highway towards Bangor- a cool bit of road with frequent tunnels cutting through the hillside & the Irish Sea looming to our right. From here we took the A4086 & before long found ourselves entering the Snowdonia National Park-having never been here before, all I can say is wow!!
As we climbed & dropped though the valley, stopping frequently to take photos, we just couldn't believe how spectacular the scenery was. At some points the visibility was pretty terrible with the mist & rain, but every time it cleared there were just further breathtaking views. For mile after mile we cut through the valley, passing lakes, streams & tiny Welsh villages, before I had 'the moment'..
The 'moment' I'm referring to is that part of a road trip where you find yourself driving along the piece of tarmac you had imagined travelling when planning such a trip. In this case, it was stretch of tree-lined road, with a forest rising on one side & a river running besides the other. I'd found driving heaven in Snowdonia, & after the disappointment of the Evo triangle the day before this more than made up for it. Well-sighted, positively cambered 4th gear corners with no traffic- perfection! The road curved through the valley, crossing the river on a couple of occasions before eventually joining a busier road which headed south towards Aberystwyth. We stopped at the mountain bike centre in Coed y Brenin forest to grab a coffee before heading on to the seaside town. Here we made our way to the promenade, had a quick poke around the shops followed by a spot of lunch, then set off again in the direction of Lampeter.
Along this route were more fantastic B-roads, with rollercoaster-esque dips & climbs through the lush green hillside. I even had some fun chasing a point & squirt driver in an Audi TT for a few miles before we got stuck behind someone towing a horse box. We arrived at our final overnight stop in East Llanelli shortly after 5pm, & settled into our hotel room to reflect on what had been a fantastic day driving down the length of this majestic country.
Day Four- Llanelli to Bristol
This day consisted of nothing but a lazy morning & cruise back along the M4 to home (although we did pop into Margam Country Park too, well worth the £5.40 parking charge as the rest is free) bringing an end to what had been a pretty cool road trip. It's so hard these days just to get away from the hustle & bustle of life in a city & just drive for the sake of driving, & this brings me back to my earlier point of being able to enjoy fantastic roads in a car one might only consider 'warm' at best ('Blue', my Ford Focus Zetec S, performed admirably & never missed a beat the whole trip) Who needs an ST right? We arrived home & I immediately starting thinking about our next trip!
Anyway, that's it from me- I hope you've enjoyed my little write up. Now get out there & get driving!!
From here we'd head west-ish then down through the Snowdonia National park, towards Aberystwyth then on to Llanelli, before heading back along the M4 to home. Easy. We were away for 3 nights in total & it was a really fun trip. It also goes to show you don't need 300+bhp, AWD or active differentials to enjoy some of the best roads the U.K. has to offer!
Day One - Bristol to Telford
Not much to report here. We set off on Thursday evening in my trusty Ford Focus, heading up the M5 then M6 to Telford for our first overnight stop. Pure mile-munching on motorways with a lovely 30 mph (!) stretch of roadworks to break up the journey.
Day Two - Telford to Llandudno via Wrexham
Fueled by a Premier Inn breakfast, we set off mid morning with our first stop being the Demon-tweeks motorsport showroom near Wrexham. I had a mooch about for half an hour while my girlfriend tried out the bucket seats, before we set off again in the direction of the Evo triangle.
We arrived at the famed ribbon of tarmac just as the weather started to take a turn for the worse. None the less, I was desperate to enjoy my first experience of the triangle, and it was... ok. The sideways rain & low visibility probably didn't help matters, & subsequently speeds were low, but I wasn't blown away in all honesty. I certainly wouldn't say the roads were any better than those found in the Brecons, or north Devon for that matter. The benefit of the weather being a bit crap meant at least the triangle was quiet, & we did stop off at one of the reservoirs on route which was pretty cool. In the end I decided one lap was enough & we set off on our way again towards Llandudno.
Visibility was still pretty poor for most the journey, but the roads eventually dried out & we pressed on, arriving in Llandudno around mid afternoon. We had a quick drive through the seaside town before checking into our hotel. As the evening approached we set off to complete a lap of Great Orme (along Marine Drive) which had been on my to-drive list since the road was used as a stage of Rally GB a few years ago. The views back towards the town and out across the Irish Sea were spectacular, & I have to admit I probably enjoyed the 20mph drive around the headland more than I did the Evo triangle earlier in the day! After a quick pit stop for dinner we headed back to the hotel for an early night as we had a big day with a lot of miles ahead of us.
Day Three - Llandudno to Llanelli via Snowdonia
Opting to skip the breakfast buffet, my partner & I set off early in order make the best of the dry weather that greeted us that morning. From our hotel, we headed west along the coastal highway towards Bangor- a cool bit of road with frequent tunnels cutting through the hillside & the Irish Sea looming to our right. From here we took the A4086 & before long found ourselves entering the Snowdonia National Park-having never been here before, all I can say is wow!!
As we climbed & dropped though the valley, stopping frequently to take photos, we just couldn't believe how spectacular the scenery was. At some points the visibility was pretty terrible with the mist & rain, but every time it cleared there were just further breathtaking views. For mile after mile we cut through the valley, passing lakes, streams & tiny Welsh villages, before I had 'the moment'..
The 'moment' I'm referring to is that part of a road trip where you find yourself driving along the piece of tarmac you had imagined travelling when planning such a trip. In this case, it was stretch of tree-lined road, with a forest rising on one side & a river running besides the other. I'd found driving heaven in Snowdonia, & after the disappointment of the Evo triangle the day before this more than made up for it. Well-sighted, positively cambered 4th gear corners with no traffic- perfection! The road curved through the valley, crossing the river on a couple of occasions before eventually joining a busier road which headed south towards Aberystwyth. We stopped at the mountain bike centre in Coed y Brenin forest to grab a coffee before heading on to the seaside town. Here we made our way to the promenade, had a quick poke around the shops followed by a spot of lunch, then set off again in the direction of Lampeter.
Along this route were more fantastic B-roads, with rollercoaster-esque dips & climbs through the lush green hillside. I even had some fun chasing a point & squirt driver in an Audi TT for a few miles before we got stuck behind someone towing a horse box. We arrived at our final overnight stop in East Llanelli shortly after 5pm, & settled into our hotel room to reflect on what had been a fantastic day driving down the length of this majestic country.
Day Four- Llanelli to Bristol
This day consisted of nothing but a lazy morning & cruise back along the M4 to home (although we did pop into Margam Country Park too, well worth the £5.40 parking charge as the rest is free) bringing an end to what had been a pretty cool road trip. It's so hard these days just to get away from the hustle & bustle of life in a city & just drive for the sake of driving, & this brings me back to my earlier point of being able to enjoy fantastic roads in a car one might only consider 'warm' at best ('Blue', my Ford Focus Zetec S, performed admirably & never missed a beat the whole trip) Who needs an ST right? We arrived home & I immediately starting thinking about our next trip!
Anyway, that's it from me- I hope you've enjoyed my little write up. Now get out there & get driving!!
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