On days like these—a mid-Wales route at its best
Discussion
A taste of the drive, the Cwmystwyth Lead Mines
What are special cars best at? This is no trick question. The answer can only ever be an opinion. Track days? An excuse to meet and make friends? Polishing to a mirror finish? Lazy Sunday drives? Gaining a sense of joining an automotive clan?
Me? The social aspect has great appeal. But to be contrary, what I look forward to as much are the rare, solitary adventures I have across Wales. A country designed for exploring, getting lost, having your breath stolen from you as you round a new bend in a remote part of the land.
I was resolute that work could take a back seat this Friday as I planned my route. I wanted to push how far I could comfortably travel and explore in a day, combined with revisiting my favourite driving road. As I deliberated in Google Maps, hovering the little yellow Street View figure over great swathes of nothingness, interesting and otherwise invisible lanes would highlight to reveal themselves. I'd drop the figure "pin" and pan around. Could a near 600 BHP, ground-hugging Aston Martin cope with the broken tarmac, optimistically located passing places, angry looking hairpins, and blind crests?
The eventual route chosen, broken into two section: part 1 and part 2 - Goolge Maps links
One reason I repeatedly bought a VH Vantage (first, two V8's and now the end-of-line V12 AMR) was that it's a surprisingly compact package regardless of how much punch it packs. To many, it looks wider than it is, explaining why oncoming traffic instinctively dives into hedges. As a comparison, automotive's second coming, in the Tesla Model S, is 218.9cm wide across the mirrors, whereas the sleek and elegant coupe is 202.5cm. That makes a big difference when you're ferreting down a random lane in the wilderness, and it's a virtue that helps every single day in the backwaters of England that I call home.
Combine this all together and I must warn you now; if you want to follow in my tyre tracks—and I'll encourage you with nuggets of travel information here on—some of the routes I fixed my gaze on are not for the faint-hearted, or nervous of disposition. Even I met my match on the route, more of which later. It also very much translates into several routes that do not suit convoys or ill-considered over exuberance.
Like Bear Grylls setting off for Base Camp, before diving into the depths of mid-Wales, with all its rugged scenery, moorlands and cliff-edge drops, spend at least 10 extra minutes preparing. Where these tracks go, mobile phone signals rarely venture. So, the first task is to download offline sat nav maps if you rely on the likes of Google. The Apple CarPlay integrated in the last two years of previous generation Aston Martins (2017-2018) encourages connected-up mappery, easily bypassing the instantly out-of-date internal scrolls. There's only so far you can get lost as mid-Wales in not exactly the scale of the Amazon Delta, but to take a wrong turn can easily equate to a lost hour or two in an area civilisation forgot to occupy.
Secondly, no phone signal equals zero chance of emergency call-out without an hour or two hike. Therefore, tyres should be in good condition and fluids for both the car and passengers. Even if there was a signal, would Aston Martin Roadside Assistance, the AA or equivalent really be able to get to you? (To stand a remote chance, install the What3Words app so that if you do need help, you can give a pinpoint location.)
Thirdly, do your checks on Google Maps Street View in advance of reaching very minor roads. Some forestry roads aren't even surfaced beyond loose gravel, and yet Google Maps considers it all fair game.
I prepared my day trip, an indicated 240+ miles round trip, in two parts. There and back. My starting point is Herefordshire, from where I pick up the tedious A49 north. It's a long, long road with minimal passing places and always busy. So just bide your time and satisfy yourself with the beautiful rolling countryside. I suggest the true starting point is the Ludlow Farm Food Shop, just north of Ludlow.
Continue north to Church Stretton where you peel off West towards what quickly becomes a daunting incline to the heights of the Long Mynd. I have passed this landmark for the best part of 25 years and never once took the invitation for adventure suggested by a solitary, narrow lane winding its way to the summit. I knew I had to change that, and I wasn't disappointed! Look down—way down—to your right as you ascend. Then you may forgive me for not screeching to a halt halfway up to take a quick snap. This gives you a taster for what's to come.
The naturally aspirated V12 Aston Martin produced over decades, continuously evolving into the last state of tune found in the Vantage and Rapide AMR, plus Vanquish S, is a sonorous and perfect companion for mountain climbing excursions. The elasticity in the torque makes you think of being pulled along by some almighty, invisible elastic bungee. Relentless and effortless. And whereas some bemoan the SportShift gearbox, having long experience of both this and the manual, for more challenging routes, the SportShift is always on your side, a faithful companion always happy to shift of cog for you. Paddles stationary on the column, any frantic wheel twirling on these very tight lanes is easily accommodated with an assured click for crisp up or downshifts.
Bridges Wood, Shropshire
As you approach the summit, things quickly level out to the beautiful but relatively nondescript moorland of Shropshire. The road across the moors has a few picturesque highlights, including the small woodland around the Bridges hamlet, on the way to the wonderfully named Bog Visitor Centre. You can take this stop literally if you wish. Or if the call of nature is not your purpose, pop in for a very calming hot drink and home-baked cake.
Toying with the England/Wales border, you find yourself passing through the small town of Welshpool before maintaining the A458, then diving off on the B4389. It was as this point that I suddenly realised that my choice of Google Maps way marker wasn't as polished as necessary. Whereas my route now highlights the Noddfa House Bed & Breakfast, it originally opted for Llangyniew, a tiny hamlet just off the main road. Google then thought that some fun was in order for the human flesh in the metal machine by directing me across a 2-mile micro lane. In all fairness, there were warning signs early on. But I had truly met my match as the road shrink-wrapped itself around the Vantage, with a continuous brushing of soft grass on both mirrors. And then a brushing of healthy road crown wilderness. I knew I had to keep moving to avoid igniting half of Wales with two very hot catalysts brushing by. With zero offers of lay-bys or passing places and the thought of reversing looking even less of an option, forward was the only way.
A road too far
Eventually, and with a heart rate slightly heightened, I emerged like an early British explorer at the other end. Fully intact. Car checked for any damage on top and underneath (thankfully, neither), I carried on a little more cautiously for the first few miles, destination Lake Vyrnwy.
Gaining a little more trust in Google Maps once more, I departed the B4389 and headed up an arrow straight stretch of no-name road. Centre lines no longer appearing, it was thankfully not a heart stopper and proved to be relatively casual, punctuated with bursts of rev-induced adrenalin, drive up to one of the most iconic Victorian dams, “Llyn Vyrnwy”. This structure, having caused the flooding of a valley with the vast quantity of pure, blue mountain water it was holding back for the benefit of Liverpool and beyond, was the amuse-bouche for the stunning view across the lake.
The Vyrnwy Tower, Lake Vyrnwy
Driving across the structure, you arrive at a visitor centre and ample car parking. This and the subsequent waterfalls at the top of the lake is where my original plan to aim for the coastal town of Barmouth unravelled. It would have been rude to travel all that way and not take at least a cursory look and happy snaps. Anticipated minutes of being nosey turned into hours.
After refreshments at the cafe, I headed along the road to the east of the lake, past the imposing Vyrnwy "Straining" Tower. Effectively the plug hole for the reservoir lake. Whereas you can't stop at the tower, you can at least play "On days like these" in your head as you meander up the perfectly smooth and snaking lakeside road up to the northern tip and the car park for the Rhiwargor Waterfall. On this tranquil road, it seemed rude to be in full Sport mode, instead calming things down with the relatively hushed exhausts, short shifting and keeping things under 2,000 RPM, and generally enjoying the Vantage in its full GT persona. The car could play Jekyll and Hyde in the West End of London, it’s so adept to the role.
Lake Vyrnwy B4393
Once more, time evaporated like the fine, misty spray from the waterfall. The free car parking beside towering pines is the starting point for a leisurely, well paved and marked 20-minute amble to one of the most stunning natural spectacles in the UK. Falling a fair height, starting as two spouts of water and recombining at the base into a single, lazy stream, you cross over the steppingstones and clamber up half way. With the sun beating down past 2pm on one of the longest days of the year, the freshness and coolness of the water and shade at the side was very welcoming.
Rhiwargor Waterfall
Time to make tracks once more, I decided to cut off the planned trip north to (lake) Llyn Tegid, Bala and across to Barmouth, and simply make a beeline to Aberystwyth. The presence of an offline copy of Google Maps at hand allowed me to plot this with ease, albeit with no Street View to check Silicon Valley's choice of road.
Heading a short distance south on the west side of Lake Vyrnwy, I was quickly told to escape the safety and tree lined beauty of the B4393 and enter a gateway to a track-like road. The initial broken surface set alarm bells ringing, half expecting this to become a full-blown forestry track. Thankfully the Tarmac re-emerged in a solid state, and I was winding up a short distance to the summit, with occasional passing places but little other margin for error.
At a larger passing place, a substantial BMW motorbike was parked up, rider dismounted but helmet donned. Across from this spot was an impressive view of a shallow but very long valley with the road continuing into the distance appearing to be disproportionately miniature. Parking up, I got chatting to the friendly fellow explorer, an Institute of Advanced Motorist instructor. Who proceeded to take one look at the noisily ticking, eye-catching V12 Vantage and just saying "No way are you taking that down there?".
Aran Fawddwy mountain pass
After a good 20-minute chat, we parted ways, him having taken a snap of his chunky bike next to the Vantage, me joking about having to reverse for 3 hours if he proved to be right about suitability of vehicle.
Having been bitten by a road earlier in the day, I was in two minds, but with only a single car having passed us in the time we were chatting, I wondered what the worst could be? It was a surfaced road and the visibility for oncoming traffic seemed ideal. So, I set off. What I found was the most magical of roads; the Aran Fawddwy mountain pass.
Mountain pass valley view from top
Starting off flat, it pulled you into a false sense of security. And then, as is often the way, you round a bend and the scenery simply becomes more and more wide-screen cinematic, culminating in a view down to a distance valley, with the piercing sun highlighting the contents cupped in the folds of the Earth's seams. The distance stayed mystical with the hazy, blue light. I really didn't have a clue where I was truly venturing to, but as I descended (substantial metal barriers giving the game away what lay in wait for those with brake failure) the magic just kept on flashing by. The carbon stoppers didn’t break into a sweat, but the strong engine breaking of the V12 really assisted.
Mountain pass valley descending down
This 11-mile detour on its own would have made the entire journey a privilege. So it was with no heavy heart that the remainder of the journey to Aberystwyth was less spectacular and thankfully uneventful. Sweeping onto the promenade, sea glinting on the right-hand side, I eventually settled down with a replenishing coffee and cake. Ready to contemplate the journey back.
With wind back in my sails, and the sun starting to lower after 6pm, I knew the return leg would be the easier one. Not only shorter, but also on a very familiar route along my consistently favourite driving road. Heading southeast out of Aberystwyth on the A487, you quickly part company for the A4120. Climbing up past the small villages of Mariah and Capel Seion, relishing the sample of tight curves with a big promise of more to come, the frequency of the passing houses reduces until you reach the last gasp of Pontarfynach, home to the Devil's Bridge Falls. No more time to waste, I pressed on to reach the distinctive "Y Bwa" (The Arch), under which the road used to pass. Now diverted next to it, the adjoined car park marks the starting point of the perfect route. Narrow, but often well sighted with passing places, the road writhes and bucks following the valley floor.
Y Bwa (The Arch)
The bleak, grey mining remnants of the small scale Cwmystwyth lead mines contrasts with the surrounding green, purple and amber hues and is a perfect photo opportunity. More photo ops await as I want to carry on a mile or so further to a tiny lay-by following a gentle crest where in February 2022, I took a photo I remain proud of, and remains the cover image of the Aston Martin Owners Club website. I wanted to stop again and take some more snaps in the same location to see how my photography techniques had changed. As I wonder about with Canon in hand, I notice that just after the lay-by Tarmac falls away, a lamb is taking cover from the unrelenting sun a meter in front of the Vantage's snout. The resultant snap resembles the kind of scene Michelangelo would have dabbed on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, sun rays pointing above the glowing yellow of the Aston Martin, lamb layed down before it. All it needed was a large Monty Python-like finger to descend from the sky.
Photo location
Continuing onwards, the road remains near deserted allowing me to press on, Sport button's red glow failing to remotely compete with status information thundering from the exhausts. Lord knows, this car is a keeper. Nothing else comes close to the emotion it can deliver, with all the input weights in perfect harmony, adaptive dampers smoothing the surface but keeping perfect control around the tighter corners. When flying solo, you can better moderate what you think is socially acceptable, with only occasional sheep as witnesses. They barely blinked, so I took this as approval.
Cwmystwyth to Elan valley road
All too soon, I reach the optional fork to make a detour around the three linked Elan Valley reservoirs. I turn right, crossing the Ar Elan Bridge, knowing that it will add a good 20 minutes to the journey for little extra driving pleasure, but a perfect backdrop to a lowering sun.
Come the first distinctive Victorian dam (they were evidently good at making this sort of thing), the Craig Goch Dam, I cross it, to be met with a closed off carpark. No matter. A quick three-point turn and yet another photo clicked off in the wing mirror, I keep on track for Rhayader. It's slow progress around the reservoirs due to limited visibility, whilst the vistas on either side do their best to distract you.
Craig Goch Dam
Through Rhayader, it's now a series of A-road blasts for over an hour home. This leg of the journey can frequently be frustrating in the day with other traffic, but I must have been a good boy in a former life and the only two cars I crept up on were despatched in quick succession. Calmness descended as I attained a great flow with the V12 burbling away, the distance passing at comfortably under half of what the speedo tantalisingly promises is possible.
A quick refill and safely back home, the Vantage ticks away. 224 miles clocked. These were no ordinary motorway or constant A-road miles. These were a fitting celebration for the car which had just achieved its first 10,000 miles. Barely run in and fit enough for many more adventures.
Om said:
Lovely. My partner was at a conference at the Lake Vyrnwy Hotel last week and took the Cayman. Having seen the pictures of the route/Lake and heard about the drive down I am really rather jealous and wish I had gone along now!
Wow! What a place for a conference. I need to make notes and drop hints 
ARHarh said:
Right on my patch as I live a few miles north of Welshpool.
Try the road from Machynlleth to Llanidloes for another stunning view or 2.
Problem really is there are too many nice roads around mid and North Wales.
That's great to read! It's the road I was originally going to take on my way to Barmouth. But too much gawping at damns and waterfalls. I'll be back Try the road from Machynlleth to Llanidloes for another stunning view or 2.
Problem really is there are too many nice roads around mid and North Wales.
Thanks, Nick. A few of us did a North Wales tour a couple of weeks ago avoiding all the usual roads, circa 500 miles in two days. We based ourselves around 15 miles NE of Machynlleth. It's an incredible place. I chose the pig for this trip but the Vanquish would have done it just as well.
AMVSVNick said:
Thanks, Nick. A few of us did a North Wales tour a couple of weeks ago avoiding all the usual roads, circa 500 miles in two days. We based ourselves around 15 miles NE of Machynlleth. It's an incredible place. I chose the pig for this trip but the Vanquish would have done it just as well.
Apart from a bicycle or unicycle, I don't think you could go too far wrong with whatever wheels you choose around those parts!Lovely group photo.
Don't always need exotic to enjoy Bwlch y Groes https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bwlch_y_Groes Plenty of history testing cars between the wars.
ARHarh said:
Don't always need exotic to enjoy Bwlch y Groes https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bwlch_y_Groes Plenty of history testing cars between the wars.
Lovely! 
nickv12 said:
Apart from a bicycle or unicycle, I don't think you could go too far wrong with whatever wheels you choose around those parts!
Lovely group photo.
Has to be here... Lovely group photo.
https://www.google.com/maps/@52.5486079,-3.7178306...
nickv12 said:
Om said:
Lovely. My partner was at a conference at the Lake Vyrnwy Hotel last week and took the Cayman. Having seen the pictures of the route/Lake and heard about the drive down I am really rather jealous and wish I had gone along now!
Wow! What a place for a conference. I need to make notes and drop hints 
With no other cars in sight. Followed by the view from the room:
Gassing Station | Roads | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff