MX5 OWNERS’ CLUB- SOUTH WEST MIDLANDS
THE BIG DRIVE: SUNDAY, 2ND JULY, 2017by Owen and Mo
Start: Metropole Hotel, Temple Street, Llandrindod Wells, Powys. LD1 5DY
Owen: 07880 730884 Mo: 07748 637301
Just so you know ….
- The first section of the routes ends at Oakchurch Farm Shop at Staunton-on-Wye. There is a restaurant at the Farm Shop as well as plenty of shopping including fruit and veg, fresh meats, cheeses, clothes, shoes, jewellery, accessories, garden centre, etc.
- The second section runs 22 miles from Staunton-on-Wye to LlangorseLake. There is a small café near the Lake and is an alternative for food and drinks to the much larger Oakchurch Farm Shop.
- From Llangorse onwards, the route follows the run we did last July and for those of you who haven’t done it before, there is an alternative slightly shorter route within the instructions. As July last year, our end point is the OldCourtHotel at Whitchurch which is only 9 miles away back to Ross-on-Wye to start your journey home. Food is also available at the OldCourtHotel.
From / To / Miles / Kilometres
Short Route
Instruction 1 / Instruction 32 / 81.2 / 130.6
Instruction 33 / Instruction 43 / 22.7 / 36.3
Instruction 44 / Instruction 50 / 10.7 / 17.2
Instruction 73 / Instruction 90 / 31.3 / 50.3
Totals / 145.9 / 136.7
Long Route
Instruction 1 / Instruction 32 / 81.2 / 130.6
Instruction 33 / Instruction 43 / 22.7 / 36.3
Instructions 44 – 48 / Instructions 51 – 72 / 34.8 / 56.0
Instruction 73 / Instruction 90 / 31.3 / 50.3
Totals / 170.0 / 273.2
Tulip / Interval / Total
Miles / Instructions / Total
KM
1 / / 0.0 / 0.0 / ZERO TRIP at car park exit and turn right / 0.0
2 / / 0.0 / 0.0 / Turn right / 0.0
3 / / 0.1 / 0.1 / At roundabout, take 2nd exit, signposted Town Centre / 0.1
4 / / 0.2 / 0.3 / At roundabout, take 2nd exit, signposted Rhyader, A4081 / 0.4
5 / / 4.3 / 4.6 / Turn right, signposted Rhyader A470 / 7.4
6 / / 5.9 / 10.5 / Enter Rhyader (40 mph sign) / 16.9
7 / / 0.4 / 10.9 / At Stop Sign, turn left, signposted Elan Valley Reservoirs, B4518 Elan Valley / 17.5
8 / / At 14.6 there is a car park (on right-hand side)should you wish to stop to take a closer look at the first dam. / 23.5
9 / / 12.5 / 23.4 / Turn right, signposted Rhyader / 37.6
10 / / 4.9 / 28.3 / Turn left, signposted Rhyader / 45.5
11 / / 0.4 / 28.7 / At Stop Sign, crossroads, go straight on at clock tower. / 46.1
12 / Big Dipper!
13 / / 8.1 / 36.8 / At roundabout, take 2nd exit. signposted A44 Leominster and Hereford. / 59.2
14 / Garage just after roundabout with café, toilets and shop.
15 / / 17.5 / 54.3 / At roundabout, take 2nd exit, signpostedLeominster and Hereford A44. (Ignore no through road junction) / 87.3
16 / / 0.3 / 54.6 / At roundabout, take 1st exit signposted Leominster A44 / 87.8
17 / / 1.4 / 56.0 / Enter Lyonshall / 90.1
18 / / 4.3 / 60.3 / Enter Pembridge 30 mph sign. / 97.0
19 / At 60.6 there are public toilets in car park on left-hand side, shortly after New Inn on right hand side. / 97.5
20 / / 1.8 / 62.1 / Turn left, signposted Eardisland / 99.9
21 / 62.9 / Look out for old AA box outside The Cross Inn, just after the White Swan / 101.2
22 / / 4.8 / 66.9 / Turn right, signposted A44 Rhyader and Brecon / 107.6
23 / / 4.7 / 71.6 / Bear left for Dilwyn / 115.2
24 / / 0.7 / 72.3 / Turn left for A438 Brecon, Sarnesfield and Weobley / 116.3
25 / / 1.8 / 74.1 / Turn left for Weobley B4230 / 119.2
26 / / 0.7 / 74.8 / At finger post, turn left, signposted Village Centre and Car Park / 120.3
27 / / 0.2 / 75.0 / Turn right / 120.7
28 / / 0.1 / 75.1 / At finger post, turn left, signposted Hereford / 120.8
29 / / 2.6 / 77.7 / Turn left, signposted Hereford A480 / 125.0
30 / / 0.4 / 78.1 / Turn right, signposted Mansell Gamage B4230 / 125.6
31 / / 2.4 / 80.5 / Turn right, signposted Brecon A438, Kington, Eardisley A44 / 129.5
32 / / 0.7 / 81.2 / Turn right into Oakchurch Farm Shop, Staunton-on-Wye. HR4 7NH
(Please park in the staff parking area which is through the gateway on the right-hand side of the main car park.) / 130.6
33 / ZERO TRIP AT CAR PARK EXIT
34 / / 0.0 / 0.0 / Turn right onto A438 / 0.0
35 / / 1.4 / 1.4 / Turn left, signposted Bredwardine and Brobury / 2.2
36 / / 1.6 / 3.0 / At crossroads, turn right opposite Red Lion Hotel (Signposted to Hay-on-Wye on finger post but it can only be read from the other side of the road!) / 4.8
37 / / 7.7 / 10.7 / In Hay-on-Wye, turn left at ‘T’ junction onto B4350, signposted Brecon / 17.2
38 / / 3.6 / 14.3 / At Glasbury, the B4350 becomes A438 / 23.0
39 / / 1.6 / 16.0 / Turn left, signposted Talgarth, A4078 / 25.7
40 / / 2.1 / 18.1 / Turn left, signposted A479 Abergavenny and Llangorse / 29.1
41 / / 0.2 / 18.4 / 3rd exit roundabout, signposted B4560 Llangorse / 29.6
42 / / 4.1 / 22.5 / In Llangorse, turn right at bus shelter (on right hand side of road – concealed) to Lake, Llanfihangel and Brecon / 36.2
43 / / 0.1 / 22.6 / Turn left at brown sign for Lake. Proceed over cattle grid and arrive at LlangorseLake café. LD37TR
Public toilets are available towards the lake from the cafe / 36.3
44 / / 0.0 / 0.0 / Depart LlangorseLake and ZERO TRIP at cattle grid / 0.0
45 / / 0.1 / 0.1 / Turn right, signposted Llangors/Abergavenny / 0.1
46 / / 0.1 / 0.2 / Turn right, signposted Bwlch B4560 (sign on right-hand side of road) / 0.3
47 / / 3.8 / 4.0 / At War Memorial turn right onto A40, signposted Brecon / 6.4
48 / / 1.9 / 5.9 / Turn left, signposted Talybont-on-Usk
FOR SHORT ROUTE GO TO INSTRUCTION 49
FOR LONG ROUTE GO TO INSTRUCTION 51 / 9.5
49 / / 0.8 / 6.7 / Short Route ONLY
In Talybont, turn left, signposted Llangenidyr and Crickhowell / 10.7
50 / / 4.0 / 10.7 / Short Route ONLY
At right-hand turn signposted Beaufort, ZERO trip and continue straight ahead and from Instruction 73 / 17.2
51 / / 0.8 / 6.7 / In Talybont, turn right, signposted Pencelli and Llanfrynach / 10.7
52 / / 0.2 / 6.9 / Just past Post Office (on right-hand side) turn left over Canal signposted Torpantau, Pontsticill, Cefn Coed, Talybont Reservoir / 11.1
53 / / 5.5 / 12.4 / After bridge, caution going up hill – obscured gulley to left-hand side of road.Also cattle grids, sheep, walkers and cyclists. / 19.9
54 / / 2.0 / 14.4 / Turn left at brown Mountain Railway sign / 23.3
55 / / 1.0 / 15.4 / Turn right to Pontsticill / 23.1
56 / / 1.9 / 17.3 / Turn left signposted Dowlais, Merthyr Tydfil. Mountain Railway sign / 27.8
57 / / 0.8 / 18.1 / Turn left. No signpost. Mountain Railway sign on right hand side of road / 29.1
58 / / 1.4 / 19.5 / Turn right, signposted Cardiff A465 and Merthyr Tydfil A470 / 31.3
59 / / 0.7 / 20.2 / Turn left immediately after zebra crossing, signposted Abergavenny A465.
Turning is before the roundabout / 32.5
60 / / 0.1 / 20.3 / Turn right (opposite Just Carpets) and join A465, signposted Abergavenny / 32.6
61 / / 1.3 / 21.6 / At roundabout, take 2nd exit signposted Abergavenny A465
(Immediately after roundabout, fuel opportunity, Texaco garage on right-hand side) / 34.7
62 / / 4.3 / 25.9 / Turn left, signposted A4046 Ebbw Vale / 41.6
63 / / 0.3 / 26.2 / Roundabout. Take 1st exit signposted Ebbw Vale A4046 / 42.1
64 / / 0.2 / 26.4 / Roundabout. Take 3rd exit signposted Ebbw Vale A4046 / 42.4
65 / / 0.6 / 27.0 / Roundabout. Straight over. No signpost / 43.4
66 / / 0.3 / 27.3 / Roundabout. Take 1st exit signposted Brynmaur/Beaufort A4047. Fuel is available if required at Morrisons on left if required. / 43.9
67 / / 0.3 / 27.6 / Roundabout .Take 1st exit signposted Abergavenny and Beaufort A4281 / 44.4
68 / / 0.1 / 27.7 / Turn right signposted Beaufort A4047 / 44.5
69 / / 0.1 / 27.8 / Mini roundabout; 2nd exit/straight on / 44.7
70 / / 0.5 / 28.3 / In Beaufort, turn left opposite Theatre Beaufort, signposted Llangenidyr B4560, Brecon. Abergavenny and Merthyr Tydfil / 45.5
71 / 3.9 / 32.2 / Parking area on left-hand side. Worth a quick stop for the view. / 51.8
72 / / 2.6
0.0 / 34.8
0.0 / After view point, continue straight ahead to ‘T’ junction, then
ZERO TRIP AT JUNCTION, and
turn right onto B4558, signposted Crickhowell and Gilwern / 56.0
0.0
73 / 1.5 / 1.5 / SHORT AND LONG ROUTES
CAUTIONSharp left-hand bend over bridge / 2.4
74 / / 2.0 / 3.5 / At traffic lights, continue straight ahead, signposted Gilwern and Abergavenny / 5.6
75 / / 3.1 / 6.7 / Turn left, signposted Through Traffic A4077 / 10.7
76 / / 0.7 / 7.5 / At roundabout, take 2nd exit, signposted Abergavenny A465 / 12.0
77 / / 3.0 / 10.5 / At roundabout, take 2nd exit, signposted Hereford A465 and Monmouth A40. Take right-hand lane marked B4598 and A40 signposted The Midlands and Monmouth / 16.9
78 / / 0.2 / 10.7 / Bear left for B4598 Usk / 17.2
79 / / 8.0 / 18.7 / At roundabout, take 1st exit, signposted Monmouth A40 / 30.0
80 / / 0.6 / 19.3 / Bear left, signposted Raglan and Mitcheltroy / 31.0
81 / / 0.1 / 19.4 / At give way, turn left for Mitcheltroy / 31.2
82 / / 4.2 / 23.6 / Turn right, signposted Mitcheltroy and Monmouth / 37.9
83 / / 2.5 / 26.1 / At mini roundabout, take second exit, signposted Forest of Dean and Rosson-Wye and join A40, signposted Ross-on-Wye / 42.0
84 / / 0.5 / 26.6 / At traffic lights, straight ahead / 42.8
85 / / 0.6 / 27.2 / At roundabout, take 2nd exit, signposted Midlands M50, Ross-on-Wye A40 / 43.7
86 / / 2.2 / 29.4 / Turn left, signposted Ganarew, Crockers Ash, Doward and Lewstone / 47.3
87 / / 0.4 / 29.8 / Turn left, signposted Crockers Ash, Whitchurch, Symonds Yat / 47.9
88 / / 1.3 / 31.1 / Turn right / 50.0
89 / / 0.1 / 31.2 / At roundabout, take 2nd exit, signposted Symonds Yat West / 50.2
90 / / 0.1 / 31.3 / Turn right into OldCourtHotel, Whitchurch HR9 6DA
CAUTION– speed bumps at entrance
Whilst there is plenty of parking at the OldCourtHotel, should there be any difficulty, there is a pay and display car park at SterretsCaravanPark a little further along the road. £1.00 for 90 minutes or £2.00 for up to 3 hours.(Charges as at July, 2016 so they may have increased!) / 50.3