Fishguard to Fishmore (Rd, Ludlow)

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godivatrailrider
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Fishguard to Fishmore (Rd, Ludlow)

Post by godivatrailrider »

The plan, catch a train from Ludlow to Fishguard then ride home. It’s about 115 miles as the crow flies. On the way, I routed in 6 BCQ ( British Cycle Quest, a bit like WRT points but national) points so it’s a bit meandering and took me places I wouldn’t have gone to, which, I guess, is the point of BCQ!
The train was half an hour late into Fishguard, but I was in no rush. I set off about 13:30
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I’d been recommended to stop at the Dyffryn Arms or Bessie’s as it’s known locally, if I went near it. My route actually passed the pub 👍 so I stopped for a pint of Bass… it’s the only beer they sell 😆😆.
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Onwards and upwards, literally. Having plotted an obvious cheeky shortcut I had to earn it by lifting the FULLY loaded Rooster over 4 stiles :shock: but found some really scenic little trails as payback.
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After collecting the BCQ at the superb Pentre Ifan burial chamber, I headed on up the B4329 road for what I hoped to be a great off-road section along the Preseli Mountains. Sadly, it was crap, a hike a bike DOWNHILL across tussocky bog. I'd only just recovered from the WRT nightmares of Afon Hengwm. :sad: Heart breaking.
However this led me to the second BCQ. By now I was 22 miles in but it had taken 4 hours and I was about 35 miles from where I wanted to camp. I best get a move on!

More road and another BCQ an Cenarth, before Newcastle Emlyn. One of the tiny country lanes I’d routed was closed. Hmmm how closed. ? Closed completely, 10’ trench dug across it or closed due to hedge cutting? Who knows. 🤷🏼‍♂️ I took the risk and after several miles found a detour through a field, so it was actually open ! I kept plugging on but realised I was unlikely to make it to my planned camp spot😒 so I started keeping an eye out for a wildcamp spot. Whilst I’d actually avoided all the rain, it patently had been raining heavily as the lanes were flooded in places and so I wanted somewhere slightly elevated. An open gate led to a field of long grass and I decide to pitch . 51 miles done.

Day 2 and I woke early and made tracks by 07:30. I knew I had a 60+ miler ahead and I was a few miles short from day 1. A gentle start as I made my way to Lampeter and breakfast and a BCQ.

Just before Lampeter I was overtaken by a sleek hand cranked recumbent… 😳 I did catch up on a short stiff climb, and we got talking. Turns out it was Luke Jones, a world class para Olympian ( Google him ). We chatted for a couple of miles. He was in a training ride for the World Championships in Canada at the end of July. Anyway after a while he needed to go and simply left me for dust. Incredible!

After Lampeter and up to Llanddewi Brefi ( the location of Little Britain's Only Gay in the Village sketch ).
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From here it was up. For ages. Brutal. I was chased by a playful but potentially painful Vizsla who fortunately just liked barking.

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Over the hills (Cefn Cnwcheithinog ?)

The drop down into Doethi Valley was steep, loose & entertaining😆😎
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but it was immediately back up the track to Llyn Brianne. I’ve come to the conclusion I don’t much like anything about Llyn Brianne. Not nice to get to, not particularly nice to ride round, certainly not when you’re trying to make progress. Anyway I collected the BCQ on the dam and made my way around the very undulating perimeter road.
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After a while I headed off and up on a fire road to drop down into Abergwesyn. I found a lovely spot near the river to brew a cup of tea and rest.
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I had planned to take in the Ifron Forest MTB trails or a section or two thereof, but a local looked at me aghast and said it's all been destroyed by forestry work. So a quick reroute round Allt-y-gest road and a pleasant though now drizzly ride into Beulah and then onwards down into Builth Wells.
A (poor) Chinese and two cans of warm Guinness 😏 later and I headed off to find a pitch. I'd scoped out a possible spot a mile or so passed Builth and this proved to be near perfect. 64 miles done.

Day 3… tbh I was now in some significant discomfort due to bad saddle sores and took the executive decision to just head for home. Leaving Builth I headed for Hundred House and on to New, then Old, Radnor and my last BCQ , and a couple of pints in the lovely The Harp Inn. I continued onwards to Kington and therefore back into England, and on via Shobden and Richards Castle . Most of this ride was VERY uncomfortable. A 45 mile day and it was good to be home.

160 miles and 12,700' climbing. And a very sore arse.

Update…
2 days on the butt is healing. Sudocrem and now Germoline have improved the situation. I’m supposed to Bikepacking North Shropshire on Thursday and Friday but am currently considering my options.

And I found a tiny tick on my little toe !
Last edited by godivatrailrider on Tue Jul 05, 2022 2:14 pm, edited 4 times in total.
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RIP
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Re: Fishguard to Fishmore (Rd, Ludlow)

Post by RIP »

Enjoyed that thanks GTR. Some nice quiet little roads and corners along the way there. Bessie's... ah yes. Still operating to the "wrong" calendar are they? I'm sure it's possible to leave there before you've arrived, or something. :smile:
"My God, Ponsonby, I'm two-thirds of the way to the grave and what have I done?" - RIP

The sign outside the asylum is the wrong way round.....

"At least you got some stories" - James Acaster
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Re: Fishguard to Fishmore (Rd, Ludlow)

Post by RIP »

Enjoyed that thanks GTR. Some nice quiet little roads and corners along the way there. Bessie's... ah yes. Still operating to the "wrong" calendar are they? I'm sure it's possible to leave there before you've arrived, or something. :smile: . Tafarn Sinc at Rosebush always worth a pop-in as well, although it was featured in this weekend's newspaper so I'll leave it now it's gone mainstream...
"My God, Ponsonby, I'm two-thirds of the way to the grave and what have I done?" - RIP

The sign outside the asylum is the wrong way round.....

"At least you got some stories" - James Acaster
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godivatrailrider
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Re: Fishguard to Fishmore (Rd, Ludlow)

Post by godivatrailrider »

RIP wrote: Mon Jul 04, 2022 10:18 am Enjoyed that thanks GTR. Some nice quiet little roads and corners along the way there. Bessie's... ah yes. Still operating to the "wrong" calendar are they? I'm sure it's possible to leave there before you've arrived, or something. :smile:
Cheers Reg. Yeah Bessie's ... it's an experience. It was a great pint though. He looked at me agog when I asked for water for the bottle then directed me to a tap in the toilets..... it's about 9" to the left and below the urinal :shock: :shock: :shock:
I've not died yet.
I've loads of photo's but frankly can't be arsed with the faff
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godivatrailrider
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Re: Fishguard to Fishmore (Rd, Ludlow)

Post by godivatrailrider »

Now with added photo's ...
Johnallan
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Re: Fishguard to Fishmore (Rd, Ludlow)

Post by Johnallan »

Lovely! Enjoyed that :grin:
slarge
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Re: Fishguard to Fishmore (Rd, Ludlow)

Post by slarge »

I'm surprised you found the Preseli's hike a bike - the Gold Road across the tops is a cracking track (in the dry). One of my favourite rides when I'm in Pembrokeshire.
It would have been a detour, but Llys y Fran is a nice reservoir with cafe and a bike trail all the way round - there are some good links in there to other trails also. And the Dyffryn Arms - classic place.... "still on the original barrel" was the old fella's reply when I asked how long they'd been there...Not many places decant the barrel into a jug, and then into a glass. Good pint though. :grin:

Cracking ride - and I did a similar (reversed) road version when riding to St Davids last May
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godivatrailrider
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Re: Fishguard to Fishmore (Rd, Ludlow)

Post by godivatrailrider »

slarge wrote: Tue Jul 05, 2022 7:40 pm I'm surprised you found the Preseli's hike a bike - the Gold Road across the tops is a cracking track (in the dry). One of my favourite rides when I'm in Pembrokeshire.
It would have been a detour, but Llys y Fran is a nice reservoir with cafe and a bike trail all the way round - there are some good links in there to other trails also. And the Dyffryn Arms - classic place.... "still on the original barrel" was the old fella's reply when I asked how long they'd been there...Not many places decant the barrel into a jug, and then into a glass. Good pint though. :grin:

Cracking ride - and I did a similar (reversed) road version when riding to St Davids last May
It must have been my exceptional no-trail finding skills :grin:
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Upper O/S is where I wanted to go.
Lower is where I went.... the black circled bit was very boggy, Blue circle no discernible track at all, bit's of crap sheep track but a nightmare. yellow improved and by the "22" was fast and enjoyable.
What's the betting there was a blinding bit of singletrack 15' to the left of my track :oops:
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Re: Fishguard to Fishmore (Rd, Ludlow)

Post by slarge »

There was nice single-track between Foel Feddau and 22..... its through a peaty bit but its good. Should have been all rideable.....
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Re: Fishguard to Fishmore (Rd, Ludlow)

Post by godivatrailrider »

slarge wrote: Wed Jul 06, 2022 1:23 pm There was nice single-track between Foel Feddau and 22..... its through a peaty bit but its good. Should have been all rideable.....
Probably should have gone over the summit, but the RoW bridleway runs to the right of it and I was trying to locate that. It's not there.
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Re: Fishguard to Fishmore (Rd, Ludlow)

Post by Blackhound »

I am just back from that area. We had a few days near and on Skomer but I did not get on the bike. We then moved to a site near Cwm Rhaeadr for a few days. I am also doing the BCQ (see Further East thread) and from the site did Llyn Brianne and Llandovery clues plus a lap of the mtb course. A grand day out. ,
Might look into your route a bit more for my next ride in the area. Also 3 clues in Ludlow vicinity to get. I had booked a few days down there in March 2020 to get them but Covid lockdown caused me to abandon plan.
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