Getting to Pen-y-Fan

Last time I went (going from Talybont via Crybin) I used the A4042. I'll be
using that again this weekend to get up to Crickhowell/Capel-y-fin. However,
as I usually leave home in Surrey at about 6am, I'm there for about 9 and
miss most of the traffic.

Ken.

"John" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

What is the quickest route from the Severn Bridge to the middle part
of the Brecon's? I went up Pen-y-fan for the first time from the Neaud
resevoir a few weeks ago, and really enjoyed it, but was put off by
the length of the drive to get there (I live near Bath).

The route I took (which seemed the shortest on the map) was M4 to
Newport, then north through Cwmbran to Abergavenny and along to
Merthyr Tydfill. Coming back I went straight down the A470 to Cardiff
and along, which was an easier drive but didn't seem that much
quicker.

TIA

John

John said:

What is the quickest route from the Severn Bridge to the middle part
of the Brecon's?

Probably M4 - A470.

Quoted message said:

I went up Pen-y-fan for the first time from the Neaud
resevoir a few weeks ago, and really enjoyed it, but was put off by
the length of the drive to get there (I live near Bath).

Count yourself lucky that there are a few half decent roads in South
Wales. Try driving through Mid Wales sometime, to say Plynlimon.

Paul
--
http://www.wilderness-wales.co.uk
http://www.wildwales.fsnet.co.uk

Bath M4 old Bridge off at Chepstow across first round about down hill to
second roundabout first exit left at T junction in devauden left follow road
about four miles left sign post raglan in raglan left at next roundabout
second exit abergavenny after aprox nine miles next round about second exit
at next round about third exit gilwern in village turn right sign Brecon
easy to see at traffic lights right crickhowell over old bridge at T
junction left to Brecon follow road next round about left onto a470 follow
road to story arms (Note this is not a pub but there is normally a tea van
in the parking area opposite) bath story arms 1 hour 45 minutes at a steady
pace.

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M4 towards Cardiff and nip up through Merthyr. Travel that way quite a bit
and it's the quickest route, although not the most scenic

"Andrew Morgan" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

Bath M4 old Bridge off at Chepstow across first round about down hill to
second roundabout first exit left at T junction in devauden left follow

road

Quoted message said:

about four miles left sign post raglan in raglan left at next roundabout
second exit abergavenny after aprox nine miles next round about second

exit

Quoted message said:

at next round about third exit gilwern in village turn right sign Brecon
easy to see at traffic lights right crickhowell over old bridge at T
junction left to Brecon follow road next round about left onto a470

follow

Quoted message said:

road to story arms (Note this is not a pub but there is normally a tea van
in the parking area opposite) bath story arms 1 hour 45 minutes at a

steady

Quoted message said:

pace.

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Paul Saunders wrote on Wed, 15 Sep 2004 14:26:29 +0100....

Quoted message said:

John said:

What is the quickest route from the Severn Bridge to the middle part
of the Brecon's?

Probably M4 - A470.

Agreed - especially to the Storey Arms. And for the Lower Neuadd
Reservoir, I'd still generally choose that way, taking the minor road
to Pontsticill from Cefn-Coed-y-Cymmer. Done it many times, and it
takes about 1 hour 20 minutes from just north of Bristol.

I've also tried various other ways. In normal circumstances, a good
alternative for the Lower Neuadd Reservoir would be to get off the M4
at the A449 before Newport. Go up the A449, turn left onto the A40
near Raglan, then take the A465 Heads of the Valleys. As you go past
Merthyr, follow the brown tourist board signs for the Brecon Mountain
Railway to get onto a (different) minor road to Pontsticill.

I say "in normal circumstances" because there are road works on the
Heads of the Valleys as you approach Merthyr. On a trip with friends
a few weeks ago we discovered (too late) that they'd closed this road
completely. On the return trip, as I'd met my friends in Raglan and
left my car there, we went via Talybont and Abergavenny.

Note that although the M4/A449/A40 route seems to be a long way round
when you look at a road map, it's usually significantly faster than
messing around with the A4042 past Cwmbran, or getting off the M4 at
Chepstow, as suggested by others. A while ago I measured the distance
to compare it with the A4042 route, and it's only a mile or two
further.

--
Tim Jackson
[email hidden]
(Change '.invalid' to '.co.uk' to reply direct)
Absurd patents: visit http://www.patent.freeserve.co.uk

"John" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

What is the quickest route from the Severn Bridge to the middle part
of the Brecon's? I went up Pen-y-fan for the first time from the Neaud
resevoir a few weeks ago, and really enjoyed it, but was put off by
the length of the drive to get there (I live near Bath).

Don't know about quickest but the route we find the most appealing from
Bristol(less traffic, more interest, better scenery) is over the old bridge
to Chepstow, the twisty B4235 to Usk, B4598 to Abergavenny (where you can
usually observe the bikers chilling out in the car park after a hard night's
raping and pillaging) then A40 for starting points to the North and East of
the park.

AndyP <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

"John" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

What is the quickest route from the Severn Bridge to the middle part
of the Brecon's? I went up Pen-y-fan for the first time from the Neaud
resevoir a few weeks ago, and really enjoyed it, but was put off by
the length of the drive to get there (I live near Bath).

Don't know about quickest but the route we find the most appealing from
Bristol(less traffic, more interest, better scenery) is over the old bridge
to Chepstow, the twisty B4235 to Usk

Bridge? Bridge did you say? Bloody luxury! We cycled from Bath YH
to Ludlow via the Beachley-Aust ferry across the Severn in the good old
days. The water piled up on one side of the ferry and made a trough on
the other side, and we were glad when we got off the other end!
I wonder what happened when the Bore came along that stretch?

It peed down all the way up the Wye Valley, but we were only in our
teens...
--
Gordon

"Tim Jackson" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Note that although the M4/A449/A40 route seems to be a long way round
when you look at a road map, it's usually significantly faster than
messing around with the A4042 past Cwmbran, or getting off the M4 at
Chepstow, as suggested by others. A while ago I measured the distance
to compare it with the A4042 route, and it's only a mile or two
further.

So you avoid the M4 round Newport on a Friday night? I like this route
already. I always use the M4 / A4042 route, but that's mainly as I am on
autopilot driving to Brecon after a hard week's work. I think I will try
the A449 route and the A470 route depending on where I am going in the park.

Have fun,
Paul

Quoted message said:

Note that although the M4/A449/A40 route seems to be a long way round
when you look at a road map, it's usually significantly faster than
messing around with the A4042 past Cwmbran, or getting off the M4 at
Chepstow, as suggested by others. A while ago I measured the distance
to compare it with the A4042 route, and it's only a mile or two
further.

I yield in the presence of superior information! I'll try the A449/A40 this
weekend.

"Gordon" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

Bridge? Bridge did you say? Bloody luxury! We cycled from Bath YH
to Ludlow via the Beachley-Aust ferry across the Severn in the good old
days. The water piled up on one side of the ferry and made a trough on
the other side, and we were glad when we got off the other end!
I wonder what happened when the Bore came along that stretch?

Ah, the good old days. I bet Avonmouth was all still fields then as well.
Did you go that way? I know the bridge opened in 1966, don't know when ICI,
the zinc smelter and other big chemical plants moved into Avonmouth.

I usually cycle from Bristol to the Forest of Dean about once a month, no
tides to worry about but the sidewinds on the bridge can still be pretty
nasty. Last I heard the one surviving ferry was being restored in Chepstow.

"Paul Cummings" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Tim Jackson" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Note that although the M4/A449/A40 route seems to be a long way round
when you look at a road map, it's usually significantly faster than
messing around with the A4042 past Cwmbran, or getting off the M4 at
Chepstow, as suggested by others. A while ago I measured the distance
to compare it with the A4042 route, and it's only a mile or two
further.

So you avoid the M4 round Newport on a Friday night? I like this route
already. I always use the M4 / A4042 route, but that's mainly as I am on
autopilot driving to Brecon after a hard week's work. I think I will try
the A449 route and the A470 route depending on where I am going in the

park.

Quoted message said:

Have fun,
Paul

I live in Ebbw Vale, 12 miles East of Merthyr Tydfil and travel back n
forth Newport (Llanwern actually) daily to work. I used to go down the
valley which was 29 miles to my destination and on a good day could do it in
45 mins. I now travel via the HOV to Raglan and go down the A449 to the
Coldra (Jct 24) which is 10 miles further each way but probably about 10-15
mins quicker. The route is easy driving and affords a lovely view on my way
home of The Sugarloaf (a mere hill at 1900 or so feet) on your approach to
Abergavenny. There are roadworks on the Heads of The Valleys road at the
moment but this shouldn't cause too much of a problem. I know that the
junctions after the Coldra turn off can be very busy on a Friday evening
(depending on time etc)

There you go...a local's thought's/findings on it - take your choice!

Might be up there myself Saturday morning - weather depending. Might start
from the Car Park north of the Talybont Reservoir and do some sort of
circuit around.

Paul Cummings wrote on Thu, 16 Sep 2004 06:56:07 +0100....

Quoted message said:

So you avoid the M4 round Newport on a Friday night?

Ah, I wouldn't like to speak for what any of these routes are like on
a Friday night. I'm always heading there for just the day, so it
would generally be Saturday or Sunday morning.

On days when there is a big match at the Millennium Stadium in
Cardiff, by the way, I would avoid the M4 altogether, certainly from
the A449 junction onwards.

--
Tim Jackson
[email hidden]
(Change '.invalid' to '.co.uk' to reply direct)
Absurd patents: visit http://www.patent.freeserve.co.uk

Tim Jackson said:

Quoted message said:

So you avoid the M4 round Newport on a Friday night?

Ah, I wouldn't like to speak for what any of these routes are like on
a Friday night.

Atrocious. Spent an hour in a traffic jam getting past Newport a few
months back.

Paul
--
http://www.wilderness-wales.co.uk
http://www.wildwales.fsnet.co.uk

In article <[email hidden]>, Tim Jackson
<[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

I've also tried various other ways. In normal circumstances, a good
alternative for the Lower Neuadd Reservoir would be to get off the M4
at the A449 before Newport. Go up the A449, turn left onto the A40
near Raglan, then take the A465 Heads of the Valleys. As you go past
Merthyr, follow the brown tourist board signs for the Brecon Mountain
Railway to get onto a (different) minor road to Pontsticill.

Note that the A465 between Abergavenny and Dowlais is being widened to
make a dual carriageway. Horrible stretches of coned lanes - very
confusing at times.
--
Bill Grey
http://www.billboy.co.uk

"Tim Jackson" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

On days when there is a big match at the Millennium Stadium in
Cardiff, by the way, I would avoid the M4 altogether, certainly from
the A449 junction onwards.

Indeed. Best taking one of the B roads cross-country from Chepstow under
these conditions. By the time you hit the jams around Magor you may as well
just sit in the queues as far as the Coldra.

Adrian

AndyP said:

Quoted message said:

Bridge? Bridge did you say? Bloody luxury!

Quoted message said:

Ah, the good old days. I bet Avonmouth was all still fields then

Fields! We never 'ad fields! When I were a lad we 'ad to make do wit
swamps and marshes!

Paul
--
http://www.wilderness-wales.co.uk
http://www.wildwales.fsnet.co.uk