06 Narberth to Gloucester via the Brecon Beacons National Park
This route was brought to you by:
RouteXpert Nick Carthew - (MRA Master)
Last edit: 02-03-2021
Route Summary
This is the last route of a 6 day tour through the spectacular landscapes and coast of beautiful Wales.A route through the beautiful and sometimes rugged Brecon Beacons National Park. This route uses some small roads to access the best landscapes. Vast open moorland views but beware of free roaming livestock.
We rode this route in September 2018. The roads, scenery and attractions are all very good which is why I have awarded 4**** stars.
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Verdict
Duration
6h 13m
Mode of travel
Car or motorcycle
Distance
268.43 km
Countries
The Brecon Beacons National Park.
RouteXpert Review
The last day of this this tour travels through one of the 3 national parks of Wales'. With mountains and moorland, standing stones and castles, lively waterfalls and vibrant communities, the Brecon Beacons National Park has masses to offer and after heading east for 1 hour you will have reached it's north western edge. In 2013 the Brecon Beacons became the world’s 5th International Dark Sky Reserve, this means that it was recognised as possessing an exceptional or distinguished quality of starry nights. The park is both beautiful and diverse, with rolling countryside and valleys, vast open hillsides and wildly beautiful forests, lakes, waterfalls and caves.This route will zigzag through the national park insuring that you see some of the great landscapes on offer. The first part travels south on the Mountain Road through tree covered river valleys then up high onto the moorland. Be aware that livestock including cattle, sheep and ponies roam free on the moorland areas. The views are huge and on a clear day you can see for miles. Look out for Red Kites, they are often spotted as there is a feeding station for them nearby. They are doing very well and numbers are steadily climbing. Descending from the moorland offers equally dramatic views with plenty of places to stop for photos.
The route leaves the park briefly and passes through countryside and several small villages before turning back into the Brecon Beacons. The road becomes narrow as you reach RP 12. This is at the Henrhyd Waterfall car park, it's a short walk down from the car park but it is worth it as you can even walk behind this magnificent waterfall. The route remains on a smaller road for a short distance before joining a rural 'A road. Just after Craig-y-Nôs Castle are the National Showcaves of Wales. I have not visited these caves (yet) but after having read some reviews, I will the next time.
The 3 different caves Dan-yr-Ogof, Cathedral Cave and Bone Cave each offer a unique underground experience. In Dan-yr-Ogof, you walk through the beautifully decorated passageways for just under 1 km. In Cathedral Cave you walk through it's enormous caverns, carved out millions of years ago, and at the end of this cave experience the excitement of walking behind the 40 feet high waterfalls that cascade around you in the Dome of St Paul’s, an atmospheric end to a truly wonderful cave. And in Bone Cave, learn why 42 human skeletons were buried here, and how our ancestors used caves all those years ago.
Leaving the caves behind the route rejoins high moorland and then takes you deep into hill farming country sometimes using a very narrow single track road but offering views across the beautiful countryside and onto Brecon for lunch. Head into town from RP 21 and rejoin the route after lunch. Brecon is a nice old town and has a very good variety of shops and restaurants.
After lunch and after passing a view of the highest peak in South Wales Pen Y Fan at RP 22, the route joins my favourite road in the Brecon Beacons, the A4059 the vast open views are simply stunning. Passing the Penderyn Distillery indicates you have left the park and will be heading east through South Wales Mining country. The route mainly avoids the larger roads by using nicer rural roads as it makes it's way to Gloucester Quay at the end of this route.
I have included a link to the 2 hotels in this route and also the caves website and further info for the Brecon Beacons below this review.
RP 12. Henrhyd Waterfall.
RP 24. Beautiful even without the sun.
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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 downloads (Wales)
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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
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