Base yourself here for a great ride in Wales, with most of the summer tourists gone

Map of motorcycle route west of Telford into Wales

Telford’s a great place — no, seriously. Easily reached from the rest of the country, thanks to the M54, it’s the perfect jumping-off point for exploring Wales (for those of us who are not lucky enough to live there already). This route’s a full day in the saddle. If you live more than 40 easy miles from the start point, then it’s worth considering staying in Telford before enjoying the ride, though the final leg can be shortened by taking the A458 from Welshpool to Shrewsbury, then the A5 back to Telford. That’d be a shame, though, wouldn’t it?

Where to stay

Luxury: Haughton Hall: Lovely manorhouse hotel in Shifnal.
B&B: The Old Rectory of St James. Town-centre B&B.

STAGE 1

Telford to Crossgates: 60 miles
Leave Telford on the A4169 — if you’re on the A442, carry on towards Much Wenlock when the 422 turns left to Bridgnorth. In Much Wenlock turn left on the A458 towards Bridgnorth but when you reach Morville, take the first right on the B4368, for Ludlow. At the roundabout in Craven Arms go left on the high street and then right at the roundabout, staying with the B4368 to Clun. Turn left on the B4367, signed for Knighton, turning right at the A4113. Turn left on the A483 to Llandrindod Wells. After the cattle grid in Penybont, turn right on the A44.

Morning coffee: Café Express By the petrol station.

STAGE 2

Crossgates to Aberdovey: 60 miles
At the roundabout in Crossgates, turn right on the A483 to Newtown. At the lights in Newtown, turn left on the A489 to Llangurig. After five miles, turn right on the A470 just before a level crossing. At the roundabout, turn right on the A489 to Machynlleth. Turn right in the centre of the town, to Dolgellau, then left after crossing the river on the A493 to Aberdovey.

Lunch: The Fridge At the end of the Aberdovey promenade.

STAGE 3

Aberdovey to Vyrnwy: 74 miles
Stay on the A493 through Tywyn, then as you go into the 30mph limit at Bryncrug turn right on the B4405 to Tal-y-Llyn. At the T-junction with the A487, turn left towards Dolgellau and the A470. At Cross Foxes, turn left onto the A470. Stay with it along the seven-mile straight (which often has a mobile speed camera), past Trawsfynydd, then turn right towards Betws-y-Coed to stay on the A470. Coming into Ffestiniog, turn right on the B4391 to Bala, turning left when it meets the A4212. Go straight over the staggered crossroads in Bala on the B4391 towards Llangynog. Look for the right turn onto the unclassified road towards Rhos-y-gwaliau and Lake Vyrnwy – a small, wild, single-track road across spectacular countryside. When it reaches the Lake Vyrwny road, turn right towards the visitor centre where you can stop for a well-deserved cuppa.

Afternoon tea: Artisans Coffee Shop. Just past the bridge. A very pleasant café with an apparently extremely popular carrot cake.

STAGE 4

Vyrnwy to Telford: 74 miles
Take the road across the top of the dam, turning right on the B4393. When it meets the A490, turn right towards Llanfylln, then at the A495 junction turn right towards Welshpool. Bear left on the B4389 (to Welshpool) and when it meets the A458, turn left. Head through Welshpool, following signs for the A490 to Churchstoke. At the bridge in Churchstoke, turn left on the A489 to Craven Arms. Turn left on the B4370 to Church Stretton, turning left again at the A49. In Church Stretton turn right on the B4371, pick up the A4169 and return to Telford.

Route summary

Start/finish: Telford
Distance: 268 miles
Riding time: 7 hours
Download the GPX file

Please note: This page contains the motorcycle touring routes for The RiDE Guide To Great Britain which was published in October 2017. These website pages are not regularly updated, so please check all critical information before you travel. All route files are in .gpx format. Garmin and BMW users can download the main file, which contains all the routes. TomTom users can either download the individual routes or use the MyRouteApp (depending on the age of your device).