Llandeilo to Llandovery

May 29, 2022

further to the east

My right arm was aching badly last night and spoiled my sleep. It's concerning.

It's now eight o'clock and I go down stairs and into the dining room and it's a bit of a shock to find it full. I didn't know there were so many guests. There are about 20. Unable to face another calory-laden full English, the waitress takes my order for mushrooms on toast.

The sun's out and access to Dinefwr Park is maybe only 100 metres away. A narrow road cuts through the large grassy area and soon gives me a view of the Victorian-era Newton House, with its square towers looking impressive. My goal is to see the ruined Dinefwr Ccastle and there's a sign saying a footpath leads to it at a wooden gate, which takes a lot of shoving to open wide enough to get my bike through.

The track is rough and there are sheep roaming around. It sweeps left across the immediate landscape and disappears into woodland, veering to the right and slightly up as it does so.

Newton House in Dinefwr Park, with dark clouds in that direction

There's another wooden gate to open and close and then the track goes up through the wood. A jogger comes past and I soon spot a couple walking their dog. The castle is not visible and must be hidden amongst the trees.

This is a tranquil place. It's shaded, cool and and quiet, with the green of the trees making it easy on the eyes. The climb proves to be a bit of a test, but as it reaches a high point, the walls of the castle suddenly appear. There's only me here.

It's still sunny when I wheel my bike through the arched entrance and lean it against a wall, but the menacing clouds that have got darker by the minute start dropping rain and I quickly hide with the bike in a small passage giving access to the high, round keep.

Once it eases off, after about 20 minutes, I climb up some steps to get on top of the wide, stone wall. There's a fantastic view, what with the castle being perched high above the Towy, with a dramatic drop down to the river. In the distance, on a ridge, is the dark outline of Paxton's Tower - where I was yesterday. Strangely enough it doesn't look very far away.

My wheels bounce back down the track and I open and close the two gates and head back to Llandeilo. It's then a cruise down a short hill into the actual town and my eyes are peeled for a place to get a decent coffee.

After inspecting the couple of hundred metres of the main shopping street, posting a card to Debbie and buying a few snacks from a small supermarket, I double back and turn into a side street where there's a cafe on one corner. It has a couple of small tables outside that appeal to me.

The young owner takes my order and instructs what is clearly a new employee on basic things like remembering table numbers. You can tell he's trying hard not to show how annoyed and frustrated he is.

The new guy brings out my sandwich, then my coffee and cake, then eventually clears the table and each time parrots my one-word 'fantastic' statement. He's friendly, but seems to have some issues.

I know from zooming in on online maps that there's a footbridge over the river somewhere near the rear of the town's train station, so it's back along the shopping street. As I turn right off it there's an antique shop, but it's closed (at 11 o'clock) and a sign says Monday it doesn't open, so I go over the rail lines and find a narrow path that veers through a small area of trees before bending onto a suspension bridge. There are no signs for it.

A track then takes me across a field and I reach Bethlehem Road, where I go left and ride east. I'd toyed with doing a hilly route to the south, riding up and own small, steep lanes, but this more direct road seems quiet enough and there are good views.

My route skirts the Black Mountains and over to my left, above a ridge, are dark clouds and I wonder about getting soaked at some point. It does seem to be a matter of when - not if.

I ride into a village called Bethlehem and there's a bus shelter and as it starts to rain I go inside and wait it out for five minutes or more. The clouds must be missing this spot and it just drizzles.

A man of about 30 or so who's been busy trimming the hedge to the adjacent church finishes his job and tells me the climb that's visible ahead is not too bad and that once at the crest there's a drop to look forward to.

A few birds of prey are hovering and circling around above a wheat field that looks to have been recently harvested. One swoops down and likely catches a mouse and I try taking a photo, but they're all too far away and once they notice me, opt to fly to a different location. Maybe they were buzzards.

It's time for some refreshments when I reach a village called Llandagog.

Crossing the River Towy on a footbridge hidden at the back of the train station

I pop into the post office looking for postcards, but they don't have any. At the north end of the village is a nice Georgian house that I take a snap of, then ride back 100 metres or so and go into the rear yard of The Red Lion and lock my bike. A cup of tea costs me 1.20, which is money well spent.

The A road out of Llandagog is not great and I turn off it and follow a smaller one that goes in the same easterly direction. It doesn't take long to reach Llandovery and inside The Kings Head the man behind the bar quotes me 90 quid for a room that's on the grond floor and he says my bike can go inside, so my search ends there and then.

It's fairly early and I walk around and take a few photos of the High Street and see a restaurant called Indian Lounge. While it looks a bit tacky, I love the food and there are just a couple of other customers inside.

Too early for The Women's Tour - now east of Llangadog

For Scott - front door on Market Street, Llandovery

The man now behind the bar back in The Kings Head, like the one before, has an accent and my guess is he's from Poland, but he tells he's Romanian. All I know about the country is the name of the former leader - Ceaușescu - who, along with his wife, was executed by firing squad.

There are two draught beers on offer. They are brewed by Evan Evans, which is a brewery based back in Llandeilo and was somewhere I'd toyed with visiting, but didn't bother in the end as it's just a little outside the town itself. One brew is called Cwrw, which is Welsh for beer. The two pints cap off the day nicely and will hopefully help me get a decent sleep.

My room in The Kings Head, Llandovery - £90 with breakfast

Today's ride: 40 km (25 miles)
Total: 818 km (508 miles)

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