OUR ROUTE

In our eagerness to get away from Peterborough, we trolled glumly along the A605 and A14 to the M6, past Birmingham and onto the M54 past Telford and A5 towards Shrewsbury. We stopped for fuel at Bayston services on the A5/A49 junction before starting the route proper. From Church Stretton we picked our way up over the tiny lanes on Long Mynd, then joined the A489 to Newtown, south down the A483 to Crossgates before heading west again on the A44 to Rhayader, then another few miles to our overnight stop at the Elan Valley Hotel. Next day was exploring the Elan Valley itself, and then a quick, twisty circuit taking in Devil’s Bridge and various unpronounceable villages before looping back to Rhayader, through Crossgates again and then the A44 to Worcester. The A422 and A46 from there meant the only bit of motorway on the return leg was a short section of the M6. Home again, home again, jiggetty jig...