Shrewsbury Tywyn Loop
Town, mountains, sea - how to have your cake and eat it.
Ride Info
- Start
- Shrewsbury
- Finish
- Shrewsbury
- Distance
- 155.5 miles
- Directions
- Leave Shrewsbury town centre across the Welsh bridge, second exit at Frankwell roundabout, up The Mount, following the sign for Welshpool. You want the A483. It's not the most interesting road but please stay with me and your patience will be rewarded, I promise. The 'hills' as you start approaching Welshpool are drumlins, glacial features from the last ice sheet (did you listen in geography at school!!!) known locally as 'the seven sisters'. At the roundabout take a left and follow the signs for Newtown. Through the town, do NOT turn left for the rest of the A483 (well you can if you want to, that's another great ride) and head for Llanidloes (pronounced 'Lan-id-loyss', stress on last syllable). Now pay attention as it's easy to get lost here. At the roundabout turn right B4518 into the small town, and then turn right across the bridge over the Severn. Then turn left into Van Road, B4518, past Llyn Clywedog ('Cloo-wed-dog'). Great road, this:) After Staylittle, you want the mountain road to Machynlleth ('Ma-hunt-leth'). This is just freakin' awesome, it goes up up up and you will think you're lost. Nope, just in welsh Wales... you gotta feel sorry for Londoners, I mean with scenery like this who'd want to live down the smoke? Interesting bend or two at the top, the ride down into Mach is just gorgeous. So, into Mach and stop for a brew, lovely Georgian Welsh town. At the clock tower (you can't miss it), take a right, there is fuel just a few hundred yards along on the left. Carry on, we are going left A493 for Aberdyfi ('Aber-duffy'). This is a charming seaside place, really nice to stop for an ice cream and watch the world go by. Carry on into Tywyn (bit of a dump this, not as nice as Aberdyfi, you'll see what I mean). Follow the one-way system through the town and take a left to stay on the A493 for Fairbourne. After a few miles the road comes back to the coast at Rhoslefain, beware this is a VERY sharp right bend, usually with oncoming in the middle of the road. When you see the simply jaw-dropping view across the sea to the Lleyn peninsula, you will understand why. It's simply beautiful. Follow this road on for many miles, past Fairbourne, to Penmaenpool. Time for a stop. Very sharp left into the George The Third pub, serves great food and nice strong coffee, no shit dishwater here. The setting is beautiful, on the Mawddach river, with a swing bridge to the other side, it's just perfect. It really is. Left out of the George The Third, soon after you are turning right onto the A470 to Dolgellau and more or less immediately left onto the A494 for Bala. This is the sort of road where ad agencies would shoot an ad for a 4X4 in twilight, it's hills and peat bogs. Nice ride up to Bala (fuel on left just as you come into the town, please don't chance it as the next piece is very mountainous and remote, it would be a long walk for fuel), take a right onto the B4391, can't remember what the sign is, but it goes over the top of the Berwyn Mountains - a simply stunning ride. Beware the two very sharp hairpin bends just before you start climbing uphill. Over the tops, then down down down, the views are stunning. Through Llangynog, Penybontfawr, take a left onto the B4396 (there is next to no notice, it comes as you're climbing up out of the village, the sign is next to useless but this is a great road, a few very sharp bends - be careful) and at the end turn right (still on the B4396, but there are give way lines) through the glorious Tanat valley. At Llynclys (this is actually in England - pronounced 'Lunclas') exercise EXTREME care in crossing the A483, carry straight on until the roundabout with the A5, take a right, back to Shrewsbury. This is an awesome ride and I promise you, you will want to come back for more.