31/07/21 - Heart of Wales Line - Stage 3 - Llanbister Road to Knighton

Distance - 13 Miles
Geocaches - 0
Pub - Watsons Ale House, Knighton, Conwy Brewery Clogwyn Gold
Previous Stages - Stage 1, Stage 2

It wasn't just the plague that stopped progress on the Heart of Wales Line.  Wales were adopting different travel rules to England - so even when I was allowed to travel, I wasn't allowed to travel in Wales.  Then there was a landslide.  Then there was a massive derailment and fire (unless I dreamt this).  

All told, the railway line has been out of useful operation for me since February 2020.

At the end of July '21, it looks safe to resume.

And thank God I asked the conductor to stop at Llanbister Road.  Had I not remembered how request stops work, I would have been whisked off to Swansea.

Single track request stop that is Llanbister Road

It felt good to be back.  This is the first "hill walk" that I have completed for sometime.  In a 13 mile walk, I passed one pair of walkers coming in the opposite direction.  The possibility of a pub at Lloyney had long been dismissed as having changed into a private residence.  Not that the reviews were great.  Pouring supermarket cider from a 2l plastic bottle does not a good landlord make.

Once orientating myself at the platform (the path leads directly from it), it the first of what seemed like many climbs.  Nearly 2000ft of ascent today.  That's a mountain full.

Still, you get the views.

Cnwch Bank is proper wild - feint paths cutting through the ferns - the terrain improves when Glyndwr's way is picked up.

Looking down over the Teme Valley at Lloyney

Knucklas has three things of interest.  A station - should you want to bail out of the walk.  A pub - the Castle Inn - should you wish to slightly divert from the path and the viaduct.  Its only the latter that I walk past.

Engineering

How it happened

I've got just enough water to get me to Knighton.  The path in is superb - running high above the B4355 in shady woodlands but I'm not going to lie, I was delighted to reach civilisation.

Knigton Below

Having completed my homework, I was aware that there is one Good Beer Guide Tick in Town.  Yet according to Google Maps, Watsons Ale House kept the same sort of hours as the Red Lion.  This entry from yester-year only opened at 4pm on a Saturday.   Which is little use to the rambler.

With it being 2:45pm, I went to check out Watsons - more in hope than expectation.

Glad I did.  Good Beer Guide Tick #571 and the first in Wales for some time.

There's advertising!

The small print on the sign shows that Wales is still applying rules differently.  Masks on when moving around, table service only.  I see enough as a I walk past the small bar to a sun trap garden to know that Conwy Brewery Clogwyn Gold will be my tipple of choice.  Along with an iced water chaser.

Successful day back on the trail.

It was fantsatic