21st April 2022: Llangollen (brisk)

Meeting at Alison's café today in Tattenhall, John W and I were well outnumbered by at least 16 other CER riders out today enjoying the April sunshine. As Brisk rides go, it was just the two of us!!!

John had cobbled together a route from Chester via Tattenhall to Llangollen and I slightly amended the route. Attached GPX file gives you a ride that could test your stamina but the roads and vista are well worth the effort and enjoy the ride. We experienced reasonable roads and the only Strava classified climbs were where you would expect them i.e The Horseshoe Pass .

Lunch was at the Llangollen canal-side café and the food was "ok" and no problem finding an outside table to dine in 19 degree sunshine. We were riding in shorts and sleeveless vests for the first occasion this year. The ride up the pass is much easier than fighting up steep gradients from Castell Dinas to the Panorama cafe and once over we made good progress against an easterly wind via Llandegla and Pennyfordd. 

Llangollen Canal Cafe

Llangollen Canal 

Although the ride should be circular to Tattenhall we headed back into Chester and completed a 70+ mile round trip with 4180 feet of ascent and many enjoyable down hill descents. Mileage covered at just under 16mph average.

Thanks to John for another enjoyable day out in sunshine

See route map and/or gpx file download

ID

Photos by ID

1st August 2019 : Llangollen (brisk)

There were going to be four us of starting out on this route, but Clive saw some significant climbs in my route so went with the mods. Turned out a good choice considering I had meant a much easier climb out of Ceiriog; I had plotted the wrong road up but hadn’t noticed! I was asked about the lunch stop, (the Mill at Llangollen), but John keenly recommended the Special Welsh Rarebit at the canal-side tea room.

So myself, Ken and John set off in improving weather towards Chirk via the familiar route of Bangor on Dee and Overton. Passing the A5, we skirted Chirk by going to Weston Rhyn and along a delightful lane taking us into the scenic valley of the Ceiriog. Taking turns at the front due to a headwind we soon arrived at Pontfadog. A sharp right turn took us straight into double digit gradients, with some sections between 20 and 25%. A mile later and 800ft higher, we topped out with an impressive view of Llangollen and the limestone escarpment leading to our next climb, at World’s End.

To John’s relief, after bigging-up the proposed lunch, the rarebit in Llangollen was indeed excellent and spot-on cycling fodder. Soon, in increasingly hot sunshine, we set off up to the Panorama road. At the ford at the base of the climb, we chatted to a cyclist who said he had walked across due to the slippy algae on the concrete, so of course we rode across. I crossed first but then heard a splash behind to see Ken lying in the river with his bike on top! Naturally, when you see an accident like that, the first thing you do is get your camera. Fortunately un-injured (bruises perhaps?), Ken managed to pick himself and bike up before I was ready. I requested that he go back in and lie, with bike, in the stream, purely for accurate photo-journalism and the benefit of you good readers. I missed what he said, but I think the gist was a No!

After the rigours of the earlier climb, the climb out of Worlds’ End didn’t seem too bad, and we were soon flying across the moors above Minera with Llandegla Forrest to our left. On descending, John split off and turned left to go to Chester to pick his car up, we turned right then 2 miles later left down a very rough track to yet another ford. This was quite a deep one, so an easy decision to walk. 

We then passed down a beautifully wooded valley following the River Clywedog and Nant Mill. Abruptly emerging at the bypass, Ken navigated us through Wrexham, himself then to Gresford, me to Tilston.

An excellent days cycling with good banter aplenty, my route (Tilston to Tilston) was 58.5 miles with 3,850ft climbing, averaging 14.4mph. This route is 53 miles.

See route map and/or gpx file download

NH

Photos NH and JW

7th September 2017: Llangollen (mod)

There were only seven of us at The Gallery cafe today, and as Bryan W was just out for coffee, this left six of us for a ride to Llangollen. Steve had prepared a ride to St Asaph, but I convinced him that my proposal was a “flat” ride of only 3500ft of ascent! So in pleasant but cool conditions, Johns W and M, Steve H, Trevor, Tom and myself, set off bound for Wrexham via a mixture of back lanes and quietish main roads.

In Penyffordd, John W pointed out Jemoley’s Cafe, which was to feature later in the day. So out and along the back lanes to Hope, we take the Alyn River park bypass then circle around Caergwrle castle - all hidden in the trees - but there is a footpath up to it I notice. Nearing Alyn Waters park, we take the steep climb up Windy Hill to Summerhill and thence the long run down into Wrexham at the Sainsburys roundabout. A whiz around by the hospital, finds us turning off at Bersham.

Here there is an idyllic Elizabethan house set by the Clywedog river that powered the nearby ironworks and water mill. It’s a pity that the A483 almost literally runs above it casting it into a shadow of its former picturesque glory. The lanes take us in to Rhosllanerchrugog. We now start the pleasant undulating climb, via Penycae, to the Prospect Farm cafe gates. Peaking at nearly 1000ft, the panorama of the “Panorama Walk” lane now comes into view.  We stop for a photo opportunity relishing the fact that it really is now all-downhill to lunch.

Photo by John W

Photo by John M

Sliding off the Panorama at Dinas Bran Castle, it is hard on the brakes for the steep drop down to the arms of the Llangollen Wharf cafe. The local delicacy of Welsh Rarebit with a bacon topping is a firm lunch favourite. Soon it is time to go back and we enjoy the long flat canal side ride back to the Aqueduct. There are quite a lot of canal boats on the canal today and a few fellow cyclists as well.

Rather than running back through the usual route of Cefn-mawr, we take the main road via Acrefair and thence towards Overton. As we leave Acrefair behind, we notice the heavy clouds amassing over the Berwyns behind Llangollen but, in the end, the weather behaved itself with only a few minutes of heavy mizzle.

At lunch, John W had asked where are we going to stop for “tea and cake”; so I suggested Erddig and he suggested Jemoley's. So the route is re-planned to take in a tour of Erddig. It is a bit too early after lunch when we get to Erddig, so we press on. In Wrexham, Steve and Trevor decide to head for home via Holt as we remaining four wiggle through Wrexham bound for Llay.

We are now heading for Jemoley’s at Penyffordd but John M decides to drop off at Kinnerton to go home. Jemoley's lights are on but they are “closed” so I suggest Hawarden Farm shop, so we head for this along the main roads. So we have ridden a very pleasant 51 miles and acheived 3500ft of climbs.

As we leave, Tom buys a very nice looking pie for his evening meal - if he can get it back home in one piece that is. John and I make our pie-less way back via Airbus and the ferry bridge to Chester environs.

CA