We were the only ones down at eight for breakfast, no fruit and a poor choice of cereals but the coffee was fine and we enjoyed the avocado and poached eggs on toast. Ty Penbont had the sense to provide summer duvets, consequently we all slept better. An easy start, with a reservoir hugging path and a continuation taking us to edge of Rhayader, which we didn’t have to enter.
We hit the hills after that, the standard brutally steep mid Wales variety. We crossed the trunk road at Llangurig and the last five miles into Llanidloes were much easier. We were passed by two women on road bikes, cycling Lon Las Cymru but unladen so presumably with support. We were saddened to note that Llani Bikes were no more, they’d saved us a few years ago when Rowan’s tyre shredded. I’d wanted to ask them to check my squeaking rear brake, I’d had my Spa Elan serviced before we came away so it should have been alright.
The Wild Oak Cafe has been serving excellent vegetarian fare to locals and travellers for over forty years, I was pleased to see it’s still popular, having spurned the passing trend of vegan meat substitutes and the easy option of burgers. I had a Stilton and mushroom quiche, the others went for pancakes stuffed with roasted Mediterranean vegetables, with cake to finish.
It was slow and hilly through Caersws and onto Newtown, a jarringly urban incursion into rural Powys. It was designated a new town in 1967 and saw population growth as firms settled, changing its market town character. Oddly, the name dates from the thirteenth century, adopted to distinguish the town from the older centre of Norman power at Caersws. The Welsh name is Y Drênewydd, exactly equivalent.
We enjoyed the towpath along the Montgomery canal, though it was very narrow with encroaching foliage, as slow as riding uphill. We branched off the route to stay at Montgomery, the county town of the historic county of Montgomeryshire until 1974, when a major reorganisation on local government amalgamated the small rural counties into larger entities. Its population at the 2021 census was 967. We reached the Dragon hotel at 18:30, just in time for a quick shower before our booked dinner slot at 19:00. Four cask ales were on tap, the Ludlow Best at 3.7% abv was the perfect rehydration drink.
The town hall is now used for entertainment, and along with the hotel stands at the top of Broad Street. Its cobbled pavements extended to the roadside, affording standings for sheep and cattle on market days. The town layout has changed little since its founding in 1227 but most of its ancient buildings were given new Georgian faces as business flourished between 1750 and 1850.
46 miles, 1059 metres ascent.