To Rhayader

June 16, 2024

The world looks significantly different when I look out the window this morning - the sky is a clear blue in all directions. The field below us is good for checking out the local birds and after watching for a minute or two I’ve come up with a list of at least seven before even heading off to the bathroom: jackdaw, carrion crow, goldfinch, English sparrow, common swift, house martin, wood pigeon. It’s a promising start to the day.

We have a ride today that looks easy on paper, and in a surprising plot twist actually does end up easy. It almost wasn’t though, as I’d originally planned on us following the NCN route north to Rhayader. At the last minute though I noticed it included a couple of unpaved miles so I checked back to see our route two years ago when we rode this same stretch going the other direction on a longer day from Rhayader to Hay.

We rode the same NCN route then. Those two unpaved miles? horrible in spots - slow going, requiring a substantial amount of walking. I got through it by reminding myself that it wasn’t too hot, and it wasn’t raining:

So I study the map for an alternate route that sticks to the pavement, and find one that looks safe enough. It includes about a mile on an unshouldered A road, but its traffic load looks pretty light on the satellite view. We’ll just watch for gaps in the traffic and be ready to leave the pavement. I discuss it with Rachael and am not surprised to get her immediate agreement.

It’s past ten when we leave. We have to watch our time because we have a 1:30 lunch reservation at the Crown Inn we need to show up for. Our host at the apartment we’ve booked for the next three nights says that 4 is the earliest we can show up, so our plan is to make lunch our main meal and hang out at the Crown as long as they’ll let us keep the table.

The ride I’ve come up with is a big success. There’s a bit of a climb when we first leave Builth Wells that was cooked in no matter which route we chose, but after that it really is a pretty easy ride, and pleasant most of the way. And that mile on the A road isn’t bad when we get there - not too much traffic, reasonable visibility, easily worth the tradeoff for avoiding a tough two mile hike and bike. Looking back now, I only remember having to leave the saddle once and that was to make way for a passing farm vehicle.

Not far into the ride we come to the only climb of significance of the day.

Quiet roads, blue skies, easy grades, nice!

Oh, that’s right. There are sheep to enjoy too. Sheep are always nice.

This place would be a temptation if I were on solo ride.

Rachael insisted we include this shot for some reason.

Video sound track: Twilight On Prince George's Avenue, by John Fahey

We arrive in Rhayader just before 1:30, just in time for lunch. The host shows us around to the beer garden in the back where we can safely park our bikes, and then we’re back inside camping out at the table we’ll stay at for the next two hours. And the meal is excellent, good enough that we book ourselves for a repeat appearance on Tuesday. It wouldn’t be a surprise if we order the same meal again.

In Rhayader, at the junction of North, South, East and West. The street names here make it easy to get your bearings.

Brains, the thinking man’s beer; but they sold me one anyway.

The soup of the day: puréed butternut squash.

It’s only 2:30 when we finish our mains so we order a piece of cheesecake to share just to buy ourselves some more time and don’t mind at all when they misplace our order and leave us sitting for another half hour. I finally walk up to the bar to ask about it and as an afterthought to order a pair of white coffees to go with it.

Finally though it’s time to go because the place is emptying out for the end of lunchtime service. No one is home yet at 3:45 when we come to the Bear Inn, so we pull up a wall in the sun to sit and wait, and pull out the iPads. Or rather we pull out mine, because Rachael’s is missing. There’s some panic of course, but we’re only two blocks from the restaurant so I quickly walk back. When I open the door our server is holding it out to me with a wide grin on his face - he must have seen me walking their way through the window.

So we’re in. Our host Sian shows up right at four, opens a shed for the bikes, and orients us to our unit. The apartment looks great, and in spite of what the Booking listing says it does come with bedding so we don’t need to beg for some or go buy some sheets. It doesn’t provide towels though, but we knew about that beforehand and had asked in advance if they’d please, please, please provide them - and they’ve been provided, folded up on the bed waiting for us.

What’s not provided though is the washing machine we’d expected, but that’s on us. The booking never promised it, but somehow we’d made a note in our planning document that we could do the laundry here. What’s nearly as good though is that there’s a laundromat less than half a block away, so after Rachael’s gotten us groceries for three days she walks over there with the wash while I walk down to the river to see if there are any birds around.

On South Street. The blue plaque tells us it’s a toll house with a bit of Welsh history to be aware of.

The Rebecca Riots! It sounds like there must be a good story there, and there is. Look it up.

A closer look at the only toll house in town that survived the Rebecca Riots.

I’m optimistic about the bird scene on the river when I see a pair of red kites soaring low above downtown. I’ve been surprised at how well established they are here - I think I’ve seen them daily ever since Abergavenny.

And sheep. We’ve been seeing a lot of sheep lately too.

The riverside walk along the Wye is very pleasant. I’m walking south along it here, but should check out the path to the north also.

The Wye is thinning out considerably by now. We aren’t all that far from its source.

Not many birds unfortunately, but there’s at least this flying object.

And sheep. When all else fails you, there’s always the sheep.

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Today's ride: 24 miles (39 km)
Total: 2,177 miles (3,504 km)

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