Wye Valley Cycling Tour
Discover the Welsh Marches, Black Mountains and river valleys of Shropshire and Radnorshire on this relaxed cycling tour, with easy cycling between picture postcard villages, beautiful countryside, and a multitude of historic sites to explore.
£539 per person, tour only.
Greentraveller's Top Tips: Did you know Ludlow and the surrounding area has a strong reputation for quality food and drink as a result of the superior food and drink producers and suppliers in the region? Therefore indulging your culinary senses with fresh locally sourced meals is a great way to fuel up during this lovely cycling tour. If time allows before your train connection home from Ludlow, we recommend a lovely lunch at either the Queens, a family run pub, or Bakers of Tower Street, a quality centrally located restaurant. Both use locally sourced ingredients as much as possible and are very close to the train station.
Overview of Wye Valley Cycling Tour
A unique high quality UK cycling holiday, this is a relatively easy circular independent journey takes in three counties – Shropshire, Herefordshire and Powys, and explores the pristine natural beauty of the Welsh/English borderlands. These hidden valleys seem to exist in another time zone; rivers turn lazy waterwheels, and gypsy caravans trundle along a network of pretty lanes and bridleways below ancient hilltop forts.
After a night in the slow food capital of England, Ludlow in Shropshire, whose bustling markets and specialist shops thrive in narrow half-timbered streets, you head west along the sweeping Teme and Lugg river valleys into the Welsh Marches. You overnight in Presteigne - the old county capital of Radnorshire, where ancient drovers’ trails converge, (still signposted by tall Scots Pine trees that you can see marching over the hills). From here you’ll coast between bird-rich hedgerows through nature reserves spotting otter and kingfisher to spend two nights in Hay on Wye, world famous for its many bookshops and acclaimed literary festival. You then cycle back through Herefordshire’s apple orchards via the 16th century village of Kingsland, site of the Battle of Mortimer's Cross in the English Civil War.
Throughout the tour you’ll stay in the finest hotels and inns available, including some exceptional half-timbered and listed properties in Ludlow and Presteigne, and a gorgeous Regency coaching inn in Hay on Wye.
Detailed Itinerary:
Day 1: Arrive in Ludlow
Visit the castle before dining out in one of the town's many restaurants.
Day 2: Ludlow to Presteigne 24km/15mi
After being kitted out with your bike, cycle west from busy Ludlow into open country along the Teme Valley, winding through protected nature reserves along the River Lugg, where otters and orchids thrive below hilltop forests of yellow gorse. Freewheel into water meadows entering the Welsh Marches to reach the gorgeous market town of Presteigne, where your half-timbered black and white Elizabethan hotel awaits with an invitingly sunny beer garden - bliss!
Day 3: Presteigne to Hay on Wye 32km/20mi or 64km/40mi
Choose between an easy 20 mile ride leading across the floodplains of the River Wye, or try a challenging 40 mile route looping into Wales, leading through fairytale hidden valleys where you can stop to paddle in crystal streams. On arrival in Hay take a stroll into town to enjoy the pubs and bookshops.
Day 4: Hay on Wye
Hay - a tiny market town on the Welsh English border - is world famous for its literary festival and amazing range of bookshops - some of them outdoors! Give the bike a rest and explore a local riverside walk, or spin out to visit a C9 Crannog, a Royal Celtic dwelling on an island in Llangorse Lake - a designated nature reserve full of curlew and dippers (28 miles). If you fancy a challenge, head into the Black Mountains up to Gospel Pass for incredible views over the Wye Valley, before a long freewheel back to Hay (16 miles) - we provide notes for both excursions.
Day 5: Hay on Wye to Kingsland 40km/25mi
Cherry blossom in the hedgerows and poplar trees dotted with mistletoe lead you from Wales into Herefordshire where hills and valleys are replaced by cider orchards and hop fields! Admire the listed Georgian dovecote by the River Arrow in Eardisland, and then on arriving in Kingsland, explore the church, the site of a mass grave from the Battle of Mortimer's Cross in 1461 - very spooky at night!
Day 6: Kingsland to Ludlow 13km/8mi
An easy last day brings you back into Shropshire crossing from the valley of the River Lugg to the River Teme once again. You pass the oldest timber structure in the UK - the wooden bell tower in Yarpole dating from the C10! Visit either C14 Croft Castle for lunch in the gorgeous tea-rooms, or picnic up at Croft Ambrey - a beautifully preserved Iron Age fort dating from 390BC, and from whose ramparts you can see 14 counties!
Is this trip for you?
This is a 1 cycle independent holiday (See Headwater’s Cycle Rating System) which takes you on a relatively easy circular journey through three picturesque counties. If you love unspoiled countryside and coasting along country lanes, dropping into tea shops and country pubs then you'll enjoy this holiday.
What price includes
- 5 nights, B+B accommodation in inns and hotels.
- Transport of bags between hotels.
- Fully equipped, all-terrain touring bike.
- Local information, route notes and map kit.
Location
Plan your journey by train
Meeting point:
The Feathers Hotel, Ludlow
Ludlow
Transfer to meeting point:
Guests make their own way to meeting point
The Feathers is just a few minutes walk from Ludlow railway station: turn right out of the station onto Station Drive, and follow the road round to Corve Street. Turn left onto Corve Street and the hotel is a couple of minutes down on the left. Alternatively, try one of the following taxi companies: Annettes (01584 878787), Trevs (01584 873939) or Ludlovian (07970 208020).
Plan your journey by train
Finish point:
The Feathers Hotel, Ludlow
Ludlow
Transfer to finish point:
Guests make their own way to station
The station is just a few minutes walk from The Feathers Hotel - turn right out of the hotel and walk for a couple of minutes before turning right onto Station Drive, which takes you to the train station. For taxis, see left.
