02 Builth Wells to the Horseshoe Pass Snowdon and Bangor
This route was brought to you by:
RouteXpert Nick Carthew - (MRA Master)
Last edit: 17-04-2021
Route Summary
This route is day 2 of a 6 day tour through the spectacular landscapes and coast of beautiful Wales. A route through the beautiful countryside of mid Wales, including steam trains, mountain passes and Snowdonia National Park.
We rode this route in September 2018 and I have awarded 4**** stars for the very good roads and scenery and good attractions.
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Verdict
Duration
7h 20m
Mode of travel
Car or motorcycle
Distance
257.35 km
Countries
RP 19 Blaenau Ffestiniog
RouteXpert Review
This route starts from The Cedars Guesthouse in the small market town of Builth Wells situated on the banks of the River Wye and uses the much underrated A483 to travel northward. This is a very nice road with lots of twists and turns and the urge to twist the throttle is great but beware of traffic cops. A convenient stop for coffee is at Oswestry RP 9 there are several places all visible just off of the roundabout. Don't be greedy though as the well known Horseshoe Pass and Ponderosa cafe (bikers meeting place) are just 30 minutes away and a lunch stop is highly recommended. The Horseshoe Pass starts from the town of Llangollen where the steam trains can be viewed from the bridge crossing the River Dee. The Pass is well known for the Ponderosa Cafe at its highest point 417 m and the scenic views along the road. Both the cafe and the pass itself are extremely popular with cyclists & motorcyclists. From here, you can see where the route will take you next, the mountains of Snowdonia National Park.After lunch the route enters The Snowdonia National Park and pass two reservoirs where you can stop for a picture. You will then start to climb through forested roads towards the slate mining town of Blaenau Ffestiniog. There is a great viewpoint from route point (RP) 19 where you can see all the way to Cardigan Bay on a clear day. After passing through the very busy tourist town of Betws-y-Coed the route then arrives at Mount Snowdon (1,085 metres), the mountain that the park gets it's name from. The Pen-Y-Pass to Llanberis is spectacular with steep mountain sides towering above you in this rock and boulder strewn river valley. The town of Llanberis is where you can take a steam train to the top of Snowdon.
The accommodation at Bangor is just a short ride away from here and will act as a good base for exploring North Wales and the Isle of Anglesey.
Links for the guesthouse, accommodation at Bangor, Ponderosa Cafe, Snowdon Mountain Railway and an MRA route of a Round trip from Bangor to Conway Castle and Caernarfon Castle starting from the end of this route can be seen below this review.
Ponderosa Cafe. RP 13
View from RP 23 and the start of the Pen Y Pass. (Llanberis Pass)
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Disclaimer
Use of this GPS route is at your own expense and risk. The route has been carefully composed and checked by a MyRoute-app accredited RouteXpert for use on TomTom, Garmin and MyRoute-app Navigation.
Changes may nevertheless have occurred due to changed circumstances, road diversions or seasonal closures. We therefore recommend checking each route before use.
Preferably use the route track in your navigation system. More information about the use of MyRoute-app can be found on the website under 'Community' or 'Academy'.
Changes may nevertheless have occurred due to changed circumstances, road diversions or seasonal closures. We therefore recommend checking each route before use.
Preferably use the route track in your navigation system. More information about the use of MyRoute-app can be found on the website under 'Community' or 'Academy'.
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Wales
About this region
Wales (Welsh: Cymru [ˈkəm.rɨ] (listen)) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in 2011 of 3,063,456 and has a total area of 20,779 km2 (8,023 sq mi). Wales has over 1,680 miles (2,700 km) of coastline and is largely mountainous with its higher peaks in the north and central areas, including Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa), its highest summit. The country lies within the north temperate zone and has a changeable, maritime climate.
Welsh national identity emerged among the Britons after the Roman withdrawal from Britain in the 5th century, and Wales is regarded as one of the modern Celtic nations. Llywelyn ap Gruffudd's death in 1282 marked the completion of Edward I of England's conquest of Wales, though Owain Glyndŵr briefly restored independence to Wales in the early 15th century. The whole of Wales was annexed by England and incorporated within the English legal system under the Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542. Distinctive Welsh politics developed in the 19th century. Welsh Liberalism, exemplified in the early 20th century by David Lloyd George, was displaced by the growth of socialism and the Labour Party. Welsh national feeling grew over the century; a nationalist party, Plaid Cymru was formed in 1925 and the Welsh Language Society in 1962. Established under the Government of Wales Act 1998, the Senedd (the Welsh Parliament, formerly known as the National Assembly for Wales) is responsible for a range of devolved policy matters.
At the dawn of the Industrial Revolution, development of the mining and metallurgical industries transformed the country from an agricultural society into an industrial nation; the South Wales Coalfield's exploitation caused a rapid expansion of Wales' population. Two-thirds of the population live in South Wales, including Cardiff, Swansea, Newport and the nearby valleys. Now that the country's traditional extractive and heavy industries have gone or are in decline, the economy is based on the public sector, light and service industries, and tourism. In livestock farming, including dairy farming, Wales is a net exporter, contributing towards national agricultural self-sufficiency.
Wales closely shares its political and social history with the rest of Great Britain, and a majority of the population in most areas speaks English as a first language, but the country has retained a distinct cultural identity. Both Welsh and English are official languages; over 560,000 Welsh-speakers live in Wales, and the language is spoken by a majority of the population in parts of the north and west. From the late 19th century onwards, Wales acquired its popular image as the "land of song", in part due to the eisteddfod tradition. At many international sporting events, such as the FIFA World Cup, Rugby World Cup and the Commonwealth Games, Wales has its own national team. At the Olympic Games, Welsh athletes compete for the UK as part of a Great Britain team. Rugby union is seen as a symbol of Welsh identity and an expression of national consciousness.
Read more on Wikipedia
Welsh national identity emerged among the Britons after the Roman withdrawal from Britain in the 5th century, and Wales is regarded as one of the modern Celtic nations. Llywelyn ap Gruffudd's death in 1282 marked the completion of Edward I of England's conquest of Wales, though Owain Glyndŵr briefly restored independence to Wales in the early 15th century. The whole of Wales was annexed by England and incorporated within the English legal system under the Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542. Distinctive Welsh politics developed in the 19th century. Welsh Liberalism, exemplified in the early 20th century by David Lloyd George, was displaced by the growth of socialism and the Labour Party. Welsh national feeling grew over the century; a nationalist party, Plaid Cymru was formed in 1925 and the Welsh Language Society in 1962. Established under the Government of Wales Act 1998, the Senedd (the Welsh Parliament, formerly known as the National Assembly for Wales) is responsible for a range of devolved policy matters.
At the dawn of the Industrial Revolution, development of the mining and metallurgical industries transformed the country from an agricultural society into an industrial nation; the South Wales Coalfield's exploitation caused a rapid expansion of Wales' population. Two-thirds of the population live in South Wales, including Cardiff, Swansea, Newport and the nearby valleys. Now that the country's traditional extractive and heavy industries have gone or are in decline, the economy is based on the public sector, light and service industries, and tourism. In livestock farming, including dairy farming, Wales is a net exporter, contributing towards national agricultural self-sufficiency.
Wales closely shares its political and social history with the rest of Great Britain, and a majority of the population in most areas speaks English as a first language, but the country has retained a distinct cultural identity. Both Welsh and English are official languages; over 560,000 Welsh-speakers live in Wales, and the language is spoken by a majority of the population in parts of the north and west. From the late 19th century onwards, Wales acquired its popular image as the "land of song", in part due to the eisteddfod tradition. At many international sporting events, such as the FIFA World Cup, Rugby World Cup and the Commonwealth Games, Wales has its own national team. At the Olympic Games, Welsh athletes compete for the UK as part of a Great Britain team. Rugby union is seen as a symbol of Welsh identity and an expression of national consciousness.
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Amount of RX reviews (Wales)
17245
Amount of visitors (Wales)
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Amount of downloads (Wales)
Route Collections in this region
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As the title suggests, this is a 5 day tour through Wales on 'roads less travelled'. Each daily route has spectacular scenery through sometimes, dramatic landscapes. The tour visits some of Wales' well known sights and some not so well known. It travels across open moorland, deep valleys, the mountains of Snowdonia National Park and the beautiful countryside and coast. You will travel over historic bridges and see historic buildings and sights. This truly is an adventurous tour that I am certain you will enjoy.
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Top 10 Downloaded UK routes by RouteXpert Nick Carthew
Hello and welcome to this collection of the Top 10 MyRoute app downloaded routes in the UK.
There will be a great new event to be announced soon, where all these routes can be ridden.
Download them all now and place them in a new "Top 10" folder, so that you always have them at hand.
If you are going to drive one of these routes in the meantime, track them with the MRA Mobile App or with MRA Navigation. Take some photos (moments) along the way as these will come in handy.
Create a travelstory of your Top 10 driven routes and add the recorded track to it.
There will also be some great prizes on offer, so keep an eye on the MRA-RouteXperts page and your email.
There will be a great new event to be announced soon, where all these routes can be ridden.
Download them all now and place them in a new "Top 10" folder, so that you always have them at hand.
If you are going to drive one of these routes in the meantime, track them with the MRA Mobile App or with MRA Navigation. Take some photos (moments) along the way as these will come in handy.
Create a travelstory of your Top 10 driven routes and add the recorded track to it.
There will also be some great prizes on offer, so keep an eye on the MRA-RouteXperts page and your email.
View Route Collection
10 Routes
2910.58 km
83h 52m