Old Favourites of Mid Wales

 

Moving on from Blaenavon I dropped in to Brecon for the regular badminton session and then moved on to the Mynydd Illtud Common near Forest Lodge where Wild Camping Brecon Beacons provides only the most basic facilities, ie a tap and a few portaloos, but is cheap enough and in a good location. On the Friday I set off along the Sarn Helen Roman road that heads south west to Neath and was a regular favourite when I lived towards the southern end twenty and more years ago. The curious weather system known as an anticyclonic gloom kept the cloud low and sun hidden but the temperature on the mild side for my thrash along the deserted track with only the steep rough climb below Cerrig y Gleisiad requiring a push. At the Ystradfellte road I followed this for a couple of miles and then took a side track passing the limestone quarries before emerging by the sadly closed New Inn.

Heading down towards Pontneddfechan I turned off on the Pont Melin Fach road passing a 'ROAD CLOSED' sign and in due course came across a long section that has collapsed in to the river. Walkers and cyclists could pass but it will be a major task to re open the route fully. Emerging from the forest back on to the Sarn Helen I took a nose at what was once a fairly close neighbour and gardening customer but Eddie had long since passed and his family have been renovating the various sheds and barns to a high standard.

The route crossed the upper reaches of the Nedd but as I slogged up the track selecting the easier surface two ignorant walkers heading downhill stood firmly in my way, neither uttered a word or seemed inclined to move so I dismounted, gave them a cheery thank you and left wondering why people in such glorious surroundings can be so uptight.

Back at the site I had a good chat with the farmer with whom I shared many acquaintances before settling down to a good night's sleep. 

I moved up to Lower Chapel a day early as I wanted to clean the bike thoroughly and had decided to spray the white fridge, gas heater vents and EHU inlets black to match the new roof colour. Sunday on another grey day saw Jan and I knock out another 20 odd miles across towards the Wye Valley and back over Llandefalle Common. We also nipped down to give friends a hand fetching in some young Exmoor ponies before Jan as always fed me very well. They were away on the Monday to a gig in Shrewsbury and I finished off the spray job before looking at the possibility of rerouting my Eberspacher exhaust over the short length of exposed water pipe. Whilst this may be possible with access from a pit or ramp I decided to leave things as they are other than add a replacement terminal section that a careless trolley jack back in Ireland had damaged.

Pete arrived for a couple of days but the ongoing gloom dimmed our enthusiasm for a ride (plus my bike was too clean to get it mucky again!) so we took the dogs up the Crug and felt for a photographic group up from London on such a washed out day.

Jan and Ian returned safely on the Tuesday and we enjoyed an excellent Thai meal in Brecon after I'd loaded all my clobber back on the van ready for moving on.

Wednesday saw the three of us heading back up to Llangattock Escarpment for another day of hauling spoil from the ongoing Hereford dig. We raised some hefty boulders and steady progress was made with the rift now requiring additional ladders for safer progress.

After another energetic badminton session I moved on up to Llangurrig where I was to leave the van safely during my planned multi day ride. I left mid morning on the Saturday under more grey skies and followed the lane up and then down to the bridge and ford over the Afon Diliw before striking right on an improved footpath and rebuilt bridge towards Nant Rhys bothy. All was well there with the new stove looking good and the relocated long drop loo clean and tidy. Down at the locked gate three trials bike riders were squeezing their machines under the barrier but predictably had no readable plates and as I headed by the stationary turbines I met a large group of quad bikers travelling at speed.

Nant Syddion bothy was again in good order with 3 lads staying the night to explore nearby mines so I left them to it, locked the gate at The Arch as I passed through and began the steady climb through Cwmystwyth passing the ever thought provoking mines. Tillyd farm and small riverside camping seems to be currently unoccupied and apart from the Highland cattle at the top of the road it was a deserted scene.

Dropping down to Pont ar Elan I cut across the Bog of Doom which like the reservoir was as dry as I have known it and arrived at Lluest Cwm Bach just as the afternoon gloom became dusk. Four lads in the bothy weren't particularly engaging, nor seemed inclined to shift any gear to accommodate me so I took an old inflatable mattress in to the tool store and had a night interrupted by various rodents scurrying around beneath the bags of sand and a pile of scaffolding. The boys in the hut were up until late and I was away early so probably best I'd stayed outside and after cycling the shore line I was soon at the Craig Goch dam and then whizzed down to Rhayader as the rockfall in the Devil's Gulch has been cleared. I stocked up at the Co Op as Remembrance Day arrangements were being set up and stopped at the Elan Visitor Centre for coffee and a bacon roll. Despite the continuing grey skies the autumn colours as I headed up to the Claerwen dam were superb. Up at the dam 3 lads were filming a YouTube clip in homage to the Top Gear episode where they had recreated an old Land Rover advert.

I rode along the track keeping an eye out for any traces relevant to the wetsuit clad body of an unidentified male found at the dam a few weeks ago but nothing jumped out on this high and lonely route. Two lasses on bikes were heading the other way but otherwise it was deserted and I reached Claerddu bothy just as rain began to fall around mid afternoon. The picturesque cottage needed a bit of a clean out which kept me busy and the accumulated rubbish soon disappeared in the stove whilst keeping me warm as I sat on the very comfy sofa. More sandwiches as I'd not bothered with a cooker were supplemented by a donated Tesco's Finest tinned lamb curry heated up on the top in one of the cleaner pans. The vast majority from the kitchen needed ditching so I bagged them and other rubbish in the hope that the Elan Valley rangers will be able to dispose of them. I had a quiet night's sleep with stars emerging as the skies cleared and woke to a memorable dawn. A fast descent in to Pontryhdfendigaid was exhilarating and a small shop avoided the need to continue on in to Tregaron so I began the long steady climb past Strata Florida and in to the Tywi Forest to reach Moel Prysgau bothy by late morning. Again all was well and the MO's efforts to prevent bikers from accessing the bothy seem to be working. Another new stove looked the business and the bothy itself has new views across the stream following recent extensive felling. The bridleway up to the top track is hard going at present due to the timber extraction but once up there it is a good ride south to Nantystalwyn with good views back across to the bothy. 

I called in to the Elenydd Hostel at Dolgoch and met Jim who is wardening for the week. He has accumulated a fair archive relating to the hostels, bothies and a long disappeared way of farming and I look forward to delving further when I return next weekend for a volunteering work party.

In glorious sunshine but falling temperatures I rode over to the superb chapel at Soar y Mynydd before taking the byway over to the Doethie Valley and Tyn y Cornel, the second EHT building. The track was repaired at great expense a few years ago following a huge washout but the weather has won again and the track is only passable to walkers and cyclists and even then with care and a more durable solution with improved drainage will be required. Peter, the warden, was waiting at the gate as I powered up the track and after a very welcome hot shower and change of clothing I spent an enjoyable evening with him and his wife who are retired farmers from near Hay and also here for the week.

I slept soundly, woke to another bright dawn and then left for Tregaron via the forestry tracks to find just the one small cafe open but with a pastie to die for. The cycle track alongside Cors Carron Nature Reserve brought me to Ystrad Meurig and a back road put me in Ysbyty Ystwyth and the start of a route through the Hafod Estate. Access issues at the start of that section seem to have been resolved which avoids a nasty and occasionally busy road climb and I reached Cwmystwyth again for the final climbs back over to Llangurrig. Another eroded section of track has been repaired but there is quite a deep ditch now to one side but at least it is passable and I reached the campsite after 120 miles and apparently 17,000' of ascent which seems unlikely. I soon had the bike washed, enjoyed a hot shower and settled in to reflect on a memorable ride as a cold night set in.

Today I returned to Brecon, took a cancellation for a last minute flu jab and will shortly return to the badminton court.

After the Dolgoch work party I am heading oop north for a month but will report on things in due course.......

Pics

Bridges, buddies and Beacons

After a steady journey through the Midlands where work to install additional safety bays on smart motorways meant miles of 50 mph zones (which suited me as that is my default speed) I arrived back at Rock Farm near Shepton Mallet where Caroline soon had me to work cutting and drilling more steel sections. These were destined to form part of the safety fencing that would line each side of the approaches to the proposed bridge installation linking two detached sections of the Strawberry Line cycle path. 

The new bridge was required to be some 4m higher than the original to accommodate the modern HGVs that now use the road and as a cycle path aims to have a maximum gradient of 1:12/13 these rising approaches would be around 50m long.

The previous work party had created the rebar and shuttering for a substantial concrete pour that created the two new abutments and after a few weeks curing these were ready to accept the new 15m bridge built near Huddersfield.

Thus early on Tuesday morning a significant number of volunteers and spectators gathered to await the arrival of first a large crane and shortly after the lorry carrying the bridge. A road closure was in force and one of the groundworks contractors used his tracked excavator with a multi purpose operating head to slice through a number of dead ash trees which would impede the lift and were in any case a potential traffic hazard. The deft operator soon had the debris clear enabling the crane and lorry to take up position in a still restricted operating space. Slings were attached and final checks made before gradually the crane took the strain and the bridge moved towards its final resting place.

There was a round of applause for the fitter who walked across to ensure that the four legs were true on the abutments and a final adjustment was made to square things up. A final short lift allowed two steel plates and two heavy duty rubber pads to be inserted at the end that effectively floats to allow for thermal expansion before final bolts were installed and a resin based bond inserted to finish the job. It was a testament to the skill of all those involved from preparing the ground to making the abutments, designing, constructing and delivering the bridge that it all fitted perfectly. Having the gap literally bridged also made it much easier to crack on with the fencing and building up of the surfaces to finished level. A team of civil engineers from Bristol had turned out for a volunteering day and said they had learned a lot from getting out of the office and seeing how the reality of a project contrasts with computerised design in an idealistic scenario. A box of biscuits fortified the troops for a final push and by the end of the day most of the important fencing was in situ.

After a very satisfying day I returned to the peaceful quarry for a quiet night and returned to site the following day in torrential rain to drill and fix some final securing bolts. Unfortunately the cordless SDS drill packed up halfway through the work and it was too wet to safely use the genny so the task was put on a long list of 'to dos' before the official opening in a few weeks time.

I headed off to Priddy after stopping off to stock up for the forthcoming weekend gathering and found the field soggy but empty. Thursday was a far better day and I set off for a day's ride starting with the descent of Cheddar Gorge. On the tightest bends at the lower end I had to sharply avoid 3 motorbikes that had overcooked the corner and were over the white line - all fully liveried police bikes! I followed the Strawberry Line as far as Sandford where a new cafe has opened up at the old station - The Pullman is actually run by the adjacent sheltered housing complex for the elderly and is a brilliant innovation combining good food for passing walkers and cyclists and providing a social stimulus for the residents. I returned towards Axbridge and then explored various options to put to the team at the weekend around Wedmore before reaching Wookey Hole and the final climb back up Ebor Gorge to Priddy, always a tough finish. I enjoyed the last hour or two of sunshine after an excellent day.

A quick spin  over to the Mendip Heights C&CC site saw me buying a few bottles of local cider and some biccies before Pete and Nick turned up and settled in. We enjoyed a good catch up and retired to await the arrival of Dale early on Saturday to complete the team. Despite two flat (bike) tyres he arrived raring to go so we dropped down through Cheddar once more and stopped in Axbridge for an early coffee. Our next track alongside one of the drainage ditches was a wet mud fest and persuaded us to stick largely to the quieter surfaced lanes. Lunch on a bench in the Wedmore church yard also gave us the chance to clean the worst off the bikes before we followed a network of lanes and the odd track back towards Wookey and Ebor once more. Nick whizzed off on his ebike with the benefit for us using more traditional steeds of arriving back just as his kettle boiled.

Friends from Dethick arrived on their return from a trip south to get their van windows tinted and on a dry but fresh evening we walked the mile up to the Hunters Inn. This place has barely changed in over forty years and we secured a table by the fire to enjoy a choice of ales and their basic but excellent food. Pete took a shine to the local farm cider and impressed all by downing four pints and remaining both coherent and upright. It was a memorable evening and Dale was kind enough to run Nina back to their van as her damaged knee was playing up before heading back to Bristol.

Sunday morning saw heavy rain leading to some fun and games getting them away before Pete, Nick and I walked back to the pub getting soaked in the first half mile by a final shower. We were in search of Nick's missing phone which Roger handed over with a wry smile as we ordered some soups and another round of beer. A good walk back past Priddy Pools, up to the remarkable Nine Barrows and back via the Swildon's entrance hole saw us warmed up and dried out and ready for an entertaining games evening in Pete's van. It was good to experience the layout of different vans over the weekend as we each have varying needs and priorities and seek different adventures, however IMNSHO the Topaz reigns supreme😁😁

With work a thing of the past the three of us set off on Monday to ride over to Shepton Mallet to give Nick a chance to see what we had been involved in. The groundworks contractor had made great progress on the two approach ramps but unfortunately back at the cemetery project the final stone work for a curved bench was yet to be finished so this sensitive area remained to be completed.

Some good off road sections and lanes returned us to Wells where I noticed an unusual number of texts on my phone. To my horror the phone had sent multiple emergency texts to the 999 service and they had replied numerous times. Then my phone rang and the Avon and Somerset Control room were relieved to hear it was all a mistake and I of course apologised profusely.

We cycled up the old Bristol Road back to Priddy and the others departed leaving me to enjoy a rest and the traditional BBC2 Monday night quiz night. I took another police call as more texts had been received - a longstanding irritation of my experience with the Three network has been that voice mails and texts can take days to arrive so there was a backlog of my unintentional messages. I figured that either my phone had been bouncing in the top tube bag and sent the messages or my Medical Alert app was malfunctioning so I deleted it and turned the phone off for the night. 

At 5am I turned it back on and almost immediately had another police call from another super polite and patient call handler as more delayed texts had been received overnight. Fortunately by coincidence I was calling in at the Three and O2 shops in Bristol and decided to change provider. O2 are one of the few networks not to impose EU roaming charges and have a more reasonable roaming limit of 25 GB a month so I arranged for a PAC code and signed up for 100Gb a month at £20. 3 were unable to match that offer or indeed explain the delayed texts etc : ironically I took a final call from ASP actually in the shop.

I stayed the night in Brecon before joining Jan and other members of the Hereford Caving Club on their weekly dig above the Usk Valley. A rift is being excavated in the hope that it might link up with known sections of the Agen Allwedd system. The cover was removed and a scaffolding frame raised in to position over the shaft to enable a 3 pulley rope system to be used to remove the spoil. Thus an energetic day in good company passed as we raised bucket after bucket of loose muddy material and some heavy individual rocks in a net to be deposited nearby. It was hard work but very enjoyable but I was more than happy to stay on the surface as the working void was tight and muddy. Regular breaks refreshed us and good progress was made with the draught increasing noticeably before we called it a day late afternoon as after lifting many tons the hauling crew were exhausted. My progress around the badminton court that night was even more sedate than normal and Guinness in the rugby club more deserved.

A cracking ride from Talybont over to Talgarth with Mike for an excellent soup in the Mill cafe was enhanced further by the main road being closed for resurfacing to all traffic other than bikes and pedestrians so our return was a reminder of those quieter times during Covid when roads were so empty.

I joined Jan and Ian at the Coliseum in Brecon to see The Outrun which was thought provoking as was the size of the Friday night crowd - 9, and returned to the park up where a number of vans were in residence.

A bright Saturday dawn and a forecast for two fine days inspired me to get up and get going on a long held desire to revisit the 40 plus mile long Epynnt Way which follows the perimeter of the Sennybridge Military Training area north of Brecon. I had failed to complete the circuit in a day a decade ago so had decided to allow two days given that the days are now shorter. I stocked up with sandwiches, pork pies and hard boiled eggs as I wasn't bothering with a stove and just took a sleeping bag, roll mat and bivvy bag for the night out.

I surprised Crad by arriving early above Sennybridge to leave the van parked up and then rode out over the common to join the route proper with almost immediately a section closed for timber harvesting popping up. However the contractors were not working and the only 'hazard' was a very deep and muddy extraction track.

Thereafter followed many hours of hard graft descending numerous valleys, climbing out of them usually pushing due to the gradient, all the while keeping an eye out for the yellow topped posts that mark a route that is rarely otherwise evident on the ground. My Satmap enabled me to retain my precise location as deviating from the route is ill advised due to the risk of unexploded ordnance but it was still quite a challenge to spot the various twists and turns of what was as I remembered a very demanding route. I passed a platoon of soldiers and waited for another group in a firing exercise to spot me and allow me to continue but they were fully absorbed in their task so I had to bypass half a mile or so of the route proper. The northern section above Garth and Beulah across to Tirabad was easier as it parallelled the scarp face and on a section outside of the range I found a place at a small ruin to set up for the night. I had covered 30 miles in 9 hours with an average moving speed of only 4 mph which gives an indication of the challenging route so was ready to get settled down as the sun set. A tumble late on in to a stream had left my clothing rather damp so I hung it in a tree and donned my Superman onesie, bought as a joke in a charity shop, before lying back to watch the stars emerge. I was asleep in minutes and only woke when a rogue shower required me to zip up the bivvy bag and enjoy the total silence.

I woke at first light but had no idea of the actual time as the clocks had changed and there was no phone service. However I wanted to crack on so with a ground frost keeping it a bit fresh I put on the damp clothes but was grateful for dry socks and then hastened up the hill to warm up in the bright sunshine. Another 4 hours saw me knock off the final 15 miles with plenty of descents and ascents, stunning views of the Brecon Beacons and a final tough climb back to the start of the route. I was really pleased to have managed the full circuit but would advise anybody not to underestimate the rough terrain and isolation. A quick shower and a catch up with Dawn after her trip to Venice was followed by a shop and sort out in Brecon before we all met up at Talybont where Clare produced an excellent meal and Mike undertook the duties of maitre d'.

I stayed the night and slept soundly before moving on to the Whistle Inn above Blaenavon where today I have enjoyed a steady 30 mile circuit down the Clydach Gorge, along the canal to Pontypool and then back along the old B&P railway. The pub did a good curry last night and is now gearing up for the Halloween trains to arrive whilst I move on tomorrow, possibly for some more digging and then a brief farm sit at Lower Chapel.

My onward plans include a multi day mid Wales ride visiting various bothies and a volunteering weekend for the Elenydd Hostels folks before returning north for our annual fortnight in Langdale.

Beyond that I have plans to head away south before Christmas - watch this space for the intended itinerary....

More photos here...

Bothies, Bicycles and Follies

Our week at Brecon saw a mixed bag weather wise leading us to head over to Merthyr Tydfil on a particularly miserable day to experience the retail experience that is Trago Mills. The huge store allowed us to buy a few bits for a project on the van and midweek I went to badminton whilst Mandy enjoyed the cinema.

 

We set off on a fine day for a ride round the back lanes of Cray and Trecastle but recent hedge cutting saw me get two punctures in half a mile so we repaired to the Castle Coaching Inn for an excellent lunch instead. I then tackled the project to remove one of the van's high top blinds which had become unusable, fill in the window with insulation and then carpet the interior to disguise the leak stained original finish, add two storage pods and then various Velcro strips to allow phones etc to be charged there as well as tidying up the 12v wiring and USB outlets.

 

Jan and Ian joined us in the Shoemakers on the Friday for a very sociable evening and we were away via the military ranges and Tirabad early on the Saturday morning. Our destination was the MWMAC training centre at Newbridge on Wye where a dozen MBA volunteers undertook a First Aid Training Course led by the dynamic Daz who ensured we were up to scratch on a variety of topics. We all stopped in Rhayader for fish and chips before heading through the Elan Valley and Cwmystwyth to Nant Syddion bothy in the forests behind 'The Arch' for the MBA Wales Area Autumn gathering. We of course tucked away in the woods in the van but joined the others for an evening of catching up in front of a warm stove. Sunday morning saw our meeting concluded in a little over two hours after which some of those with long journeys headed off whilst a few of us remained to carry out minor repairs including relaying the top steps on the access path that were something of a hazard.

We left late afternoon and called in to Nant Rhys bothy where all was well and then had a cosy night down at Sue Pope's site at Llangurrig as the temperatures dropped. She was delighted to receive the all clear on the TB front for her cattle just as we departed on the Monday to get laundry done in Rhayader. Whilst there we called at one bike shop for spare tubes and patches as a forecast of fine weather had tempted us to ride the 190 mile Shropshire Cycle Way over 4 days. We also checked out a newer bike shop just along the road and spotted a rather nice Merida 29'' wheel carbon fibre hard tail for sale second hand. At only a grand I decided to try it out and immediately decided this would be the perfect replacement for the bike stolen in Spain. It felt very well put together, was already set up as tubeless and sported Deore XT components and a decent set of Rock Shox forks. We nipped back for the washing whilst Neil gave it a final check over and were pleasantly surprised at how easily the bike rack took on another steed.

 

 

En route to my brother's at Bishop's Castle we called in to Montgomery for a look round Bunners the remarkable hardware shop, lunch in the hotel and then turned up at Mark's - unfortunately they had left for a holiday in Spain but were happy for us to leave the van there whilst we were on our tour. I swopped the SPD pedals from my Decathlon bike and tweaked the new Merida before we walked in to the small town where Mum had enjoyed her last couple of years in one of The Wintles eco homes. We had a quick catch up with a former neighbour and then returned to the van to pack a few belongings and enter our route on my recent SatMap Ebay purchase. Tuesday morning was grey and wet but by lunchtime, as forecast, things were brightening up and we set off out of BC to pick up the route proper near Churchstoke. Quiet but watery lanes took us across to Oswestry after 44 miles with the black and white timbered church at Melverley being a highlight.

 

The rural nature of the route and delayed start meant that we arrived at the plush Wynnasty Hotel in need of sustenance so booked a table for dinner, enjoyed hot baths in the very well presented room amd then dined well in the stylish surroundings of the new dining room whilst our bikes were securely stored in the old one. 

 

After a good night's sleep and a full breakfast we headed across flatter terrain towards Ellesmere and Whitchurch with coffee overlooking the Mere and some lovely quiet lanes south to Market Drayton where grabbing lunch proved amusingly tricky. In the end we settled for a jacket potato in a pub but I felt a bit queasy so couldn't finish it or my cider shandy - quelle horreur.

 

A few more miles south towards Newport brought us to the Swan Hotel at Forton where another very comfortable room, secure bike storage and good food revived us after 55 miles. Newport led on to the more urban sprawl of Telford after which we were in the old favourites of Ironbridge and Coalbrookdale before following the Severn down to Bridgnorth. Heading south again we arrived at Hampton Loade station on the Severn Valley Railway in time to see a few of their diesel locomotives taking part in the Diesel Derby. As always the staff seemed to be enjoying their work and as on the cycle path, hostel and bothy volunteering fronts I felt many people would benefit hugely in getting out and contributing to these undertakings.

 

Climbing out of the valley reminded us that our final day would be amongst the Shropshire hills but quiet lanes with a couple of fords, stunning views and some superb country properties took our minds off the gradients and we had a long and restful final descent in to Cleobury Mortimer where the Talbot Hotel allowed us to store the bikes in their dining room. We decided to eat out for a change and enjoyed an excellent Indian just across the road at The Spice Empire - to be commended for its excellent food and friendly staff.

The final day's 50 odd miles brought our total to 204 with a much needed coffee stop late in the day before the final hills around Clun returned us to Bishop's Castle in time for an evening meal at The Castle Hotel to celebrate our third memorable UK cycle route of the year - this I felt merited a large and succulent steak before we collapsed in the cosy van. My new wheels had performed faultlessly and as ever Mandy had shown remarkable strength and determination on what were long demanding days. With a day of rest planned we walked in to town for a breakfast before heading out to the remarkable Hawkestone Follies north of Shrewsbury stopping on the way at Salop Leisure to inspect some of their display vans. I was concerned at the flimsiness and poor finish of even new vans and we didn't see any variation on layout that we felt out performed ours. With new prices now nudging £80k plus I hope to keep our 22 year old bus on the road as it has met our needs for years now.

The Follies were well worth a visit with the White Tower and Monument set in mature woodlands. We were able to ascend the latter for views over most of our cycling route and then enjoyed the numerous gorges, chasms and caves spread out across a sandstone ridge. In one grotto a themed wedding had taken place which would have been very different and the walk back along the Reynard path included numerous sandstone features and outcrops.....8 miles in total, so much for a rest day!

 

 

Two steady hours over to and around Derby brought us to the quiet site at Dethick where on the Sunday we caught up with Pete and Nina just back from their Scandinavian trip over breakfast in a local garden centre. They have a good set up for their RV and camper with a huge barn alongside and all services available and a recently acquired runabout will give them some practical transport for local use.

Thus we finally returned to Sheffield after a busy few weeks where all was well and have today had both vehicles successfully MOT'd. I'd elected to have a lower wishbone ball joint done as the opposite side had been replaced two years ago and problems in that area in the old van had caused fun and games in Morocco ten years ago. I also had the gear linkages and bushes etc overhauled as after 22 years they were a bit slack - what a difference. Two drop links were all that were required for another year on the road and I arranged with Maddy at the ever reliable Autohaus Dolby for an oil and filter change plus auxillary belt in early December before my planned long haul south through France, Italy, Tunisia, back to Italy, over to Greece and on to Turkey and possibly beyond.

In the short term I return to Somerset and South and Mid Wales for other adventures with plenty of free time to research the winter trip - reports on this in due course.

MORE PICS HERE

Cycle Paths in Somerset, Bolt bashing in Brecon and Wildernesses in Wales.

 The unsatisfactory first effort at refurbishing the van roof was much improved by sanding everything back and adding another coat with fresh rollers that still fell apart all too soon as the paint thickened.

 

Thus I left Lower Chapel heading for Priddy on Mendip but stopped en route in the Clydach Gorge to explore the two railway tunnels seen previously.

The field at Priddy was empty as usual and I spent a couple of superb days enjoying some warm sunshine and experimenting with the rigging up of a basic awning for future hot spells.

John the hedgehog rescuer came up from Crediton for the day on his Royal Enfield and met Mark who used to live on site but now has a house in Wells - we discussed the forthcoming volunteering week over at Shepton Mallett - and later I rode over to the Priddy campsite for a few items from the shop which is also used by the village.

Unfortunately on a ride the following day I got caught out by torrential rain which drenched me and even infiltrated my original and 7 years old SatMap rendering it kaput. A quick look on Ebay saw two second hand units available so I placed bids of £150 having recently bought a second unit with the platinum GB card for £340.

Friday saw me packing up and doing a quick shop before heading over to Shepton Mallett where I was planning to join a week's work party helping create part of the Somerset Circle Bike Route. The Greenways and Cycleroutes Charity is building on and adding to the remarkable work achieved by Sustrans in creating the National Cycle Route and indeed the driving force behind much of Sustrans early work is now a hugely motivating and inspiring giant with this new body. John Grimshaw has a wealth of experience in the construction and engineering professions which he applies to these ambitious projects with the enthusiasm and energy of someone half his age.

 

Following the excellent pre arrival instructions I pulled in to Rock Farm and was directed down to the old limestone quarry by Gavin who had generously made his home available for the volunteers to use as a base camp. Passing a remarkable collection of old Land Rovers and other vehicles I parked near to the large marquee that would be our mess tent with a venerable campervan supplementing a camp kitchen in an old railway goods waggon. I met Chris, Claire and Wendy who were on catering duty, a variety of other volunteers and then Caroline Levett who is another dynamic force behind Greenways.

We were given an overview of the plans for the week with work centred on two external sites and Gavin's sheds and workspaces given over to the construction of shuttering for reinforced concrete structures, wooden benches for seating at the cemetery, preparation of over 100 steel sections for the planned pergola and a multitude of other tasks. The following is an article written to thank all those involved and summarises what was most definitely......

An Unforgettable Week

 

When a friend from my caving days suggested the prospect of joining a volunteer week on a cycle path building project in Somerset I thought it would be worth turning up to see what’s what and contacted Caroline from the Greenways and Cycleroutes Charity.

Her prompt reply with meticulous details of the work proposed, accommodation and catering arrangements should have given me an inkling of what lay ahead and I arrived at ‘base camp’ in Shepton Mallett full of anticipation.

The old quarry at Gavin’s remarkable property provided flat ground for a number of tents, camper vans and the all-important catering tent complete with large camp kitchen augmented by Chris and Claire’s venerable camper van. Portaloos and a shower were available plus a variety of working environments including an articulated trailer body and across at the farm a range of sheds and open spaces which over the next week would see various teams of skilled and enthusiastic volunteers construct reinforced concrete abutments for a proposed bridge replacement, create sturdy benches from timbers repurposed from a Dutch harbour, assemble gabion cages for filling at both sites and cut and drill the steel bars and tubes for a planned pergola that would form part of a link up to the cycle path for locals.

Thus my first couple of days were spent preparing the metalwork for Charlotte the welder to assemble with the working days followed by excellent meals created and served by Chris, Claire and the ever reliable Wendy who regularly shot off on her bike to deliver snacks, hot drinks and sandwiches to the two off site teams.

Socialising in the marquee at the end of a long day created a host of memories and new friendships and I became deeply impressed by the commitment and goodwill offered to this and other allied projects around the country from a cohort of people from all walks of life with many years of experience across a wide range of careers and hobbies.

John amused us with his bicycle based steam locomotive complete with sound track, Charles’ cargo ebike looked fit to transport all materials for future projects, David sported a new bandage most days and in the background Caroline was constantly orchestrating a hundred and one tasks to keep the project running from her lair: cunningly disguised as a shepherd’s hut

Once the steels were ready I transferred my energies to the cemetery site where mindful of the sensitivities of the location a team were creating a new pathway around the perimeter using the gabions for support and adding hand crafted wooden benches and steel planters to enhance the already peaceful surroundings. Malcolm’s skill on the digger supplemented the physically demanding work by numerous folk who barrowed stone for the gabions and new walls up a slope that after the regular sharp showers became ever more arduous. Each evening tired, muddy but happy workers returned to base camp for yet more exceptional catering and the donated cider before retiring to tents for well-earned rests. As the wet weather moved away temperatures dropped and frosty mornings were followed by drier working conditions.

Various contacts from the local and national bodies behind schemes such as this from across the country joined us midweek to actually get hands on and one evening enjoy a retrospective slide show given by the true giant behind this and many other projects – John Grimshaw.

As the final profile of the path was reached we were able to install the complex but meticulously measured pergola and stainless steel wires that will one day create a green tunnel for the cyclists thus preserving the privacy of cemetery visitors who will also benefit from five new benches. Visitors were greeted respectfully and encouraged to comment on our work and our efforts seemed to be very much appreciated.

The last work day saw the path finished, the boxes planted up by Lucy, Jane and Debbie whilst the two Petes, David, Tim, Jane and others trued up the steel work before a final tidy up of the site leaving just a stone wall to be finished by Geoff before a final curved bench is installed.

Gavin employed a number of his remarkable collection of vehicles, machines and trailers to supply tools, equipment and materials to the various sites whilst juggling family and working life and kindly donated firewood for the evenings which took the edge off the chill and displaced the midges

People began to head home after a hard week, those heading to York and Cumbria having long journeys and those who had cycled over from Wellington, the Forest of Dean and elsewhere looking to exercise a different set of muscles whilst the final group broke camp on the Sunday.

I departed after a truly memorable week and would just like to record my thanks to all those involved for providing such a rewarding (and exhausting) experience and would encourage anyone to get involved in future stages of this remarkable effort. I only visited the bridge site today so will have missed out much of that team’s efforts but their turn will come in mid-October when a new overbridge is installed on the preparatory work they have undertaken.

I returned to Priddy on the Sunday and passing the Hunters decided to pitch up and cycle back for two very enjoyable pints of farmhouse cider and quite possibly a ham and mushroom pasta dish that set me up well for a doze in the afternoon, unfortunately I missed the deadline for the first Ebay auction!

Monday was spent easing aching bones, pulled muscles and blistered hands before on Tuesday with the van cleaned and the domestics serviced I headed in to Bristol to get some new trainers from GoOutdoors and drop a spare MTB tyre in to Dale who had been kind enough to help us out on the Saturday. He gave me a quick tour of the printers he works at - a remarkable array of highly sophisticated machines and equipment were churning out 2025 calendars, posters, leaflets and books.

I took my spare alternator in for testing to an auto-electricians that I had last used almost 40 years ago whilst living nearby and was told contrary to the opinion of a place in Sheffield that it was in perfect working order leading me to suspect that that place had planned to rip me off with a non existent rebuild....Finally I called at Machine Mart for their largest breaker bar and a replacement 19mm socket as I had sheared one in the quarry whilst trying to free off the rear NS wheel bolts that had defeated a garage in Ireland.

As planned I collected Mandy on time from Bristol Parkway and we stopped briefly at Aust services to walk the bridge before arriving in Lower Chapel where Jan produced a good pork supper and we refreshed our knowledge of the various animal routines. A short break near Abergavenny had secured the second Ebay SatMap for £140 including the all GB 1:50,000 SD card : happy days.

I later discovered we had picked up a nail so I took the tyre back in to Brecon where ATS fitted one of the set of five due to be fitted next week rather than repair a puncture. Penylan's water supply had been off since arrival so we filled up at the Morrison's garage - thanks guys - and then returned to see Jan and Ian off on their trip to Devon. A quick whizz out to Sennybridge garage to get my post work party laundry done gave me a chance to get acquainted with Ian's luxurious and powerful Range Rover before I set to on releasing the wheel bolts that had been a nagging worry for the last few weeks. I'd borrowed a powerful blow torch from Crad and this plus the new bar eventually saw the first of five bolts give way. None had rusty threads as I had greased them all on reassembly a year ago following my annual strip down so I can only assume the shoulders had become tight on the steel rims. Much relieved I then removed all four wheels, checked the pad wear and condition of the calipers and reassembled everything having meticulously cleaned all 20 threads and torqued up the bolts.

I'd used the quarry facilities to cut and drill a replacement steel support bar for the waste tank after that had taken a knock in Ireland so fitted it and then gave the van interior a good clean and sorted out all my tools and equipment following the work party. Finally I used the hand held steam cleaner to refresh the cooker, sink, bathroom, blinds and other surfaces of the van before turning my attention to the engine bay.

On the Friday we nipped over to Crad and Dawn's to get instructions re their chickens and horses before a birthday meal in the Shoemakers and a return to LC during a dramatic thunderstorm.

We were up and away early yesterday for the stunning drive over the Epynnt to Garth, past Beulah and up to Abergwesyn and then over the Devil's Staircase to Tregaron with the van performing well on the steep and twisting roads. Our purpose was to attend the AGM of the Elenydd Wilderness Hostels who have run two former YHA simple hostels for the last couple of decades. Y Talbot Inn provided a comfortable function room for the meeting which also involved members attending by Zoom and we enjoyed learning more about the history, work and issues affecting the charity. Many of their concerns echo those of the Mountain Bothies Association with the ever increasing burden of regulations suited to urban housing being imposed on simple shelters - Fire Regs, Building Control, H&S, Waste Management, Safeguarding and the like all making the work of volunteers and trustees so much harder and removing the simplicity of life that so many visitors to these alternative shelters seek, if only temporarily.

After the meeting we all relocated to one of the hostels - Dolgoch - for a buffet lunch and a chance to have a good look round. I committed to returning in November for a work party weekend but will be unlikely to volunteer as a warden any time soon as their training sessions take place in April when I am usually away.

The return to Sennybridge to check on the animals took us round the superb Llyn Brianne reservoir with Mandy taking the wheel on a mystical evening. All was well at both farms and we have returned to the Sennybridge location for the week with a mixed forecast but plenty of things to do round and about.

 That's it for now...

Pics 'ere....