Tuesday, 15 August 1944

Log of a Cycle Tour to North Wales, by Roy Spurgeon, with Leslie Lee.   14 August   16 August

Leaving the Hostel at 1000 hours by the correct way, a much easier route than that by which we had entered it, we set course, once more in perfect weather, for Church Stretton. This was a grand ride, the country becoming noticeably more rugged. We passed through the village of Longville-in-the-Dale and reached Church Stretton at 1050 hours (4026.6). This pleasantly situated resort stands amid wonderful scenery and surrounded by hills in the valley through which the Roman Watling Street once ran. We spent some time in the town and then turned north up the valley for Shrewsbury. A few miles out, having passed through the adjacent village of All Stretton, we stopped beside a small, clear, swiftly flowing stream and were able to have the good wash we were unable to obtain at Wilderhope. We ate our packed lunches while we were there but we hardly noticed them they were so small, so that we looked forward to a proper lunch in Shrewsbury.

After a fairly flat, fast ride, we arrived at Shrewsbury at 1255 hours (4040.1). We went first to the local British Restaurant where we secured an excellent lunch, then spent some time making a few purchases and exploring the town. Shrewsbury is a large and interesting place, built inside a horseshoe loop of the Severn, which is crossed on the East side of the town by the English bridge (see photo) and on the West side by the Welsh bridge. A very old town, it was once a Roman stronghold, then a residence of the Saxon Kings. Its abbey and castle were founded by Roger de Montgomery in Norman times.

Having seen most of the town, we went down by the side of the wide river and were lucky enough to hire a canoe in which we spent a most enjoyable hour. During the course of our boating, we rescued, not without some risk, a cocker spaniel which had exhausted itself trying to get out of the river up the very steep bank. With the aid of our "assisted take-off" it was able to climb out successfully. The river here (see photo) is quite wide and deep and presents a considerable contrast to its appearance at Bridgnorth only a few miles upstream, where it is very shallow.

We finally left Shrewsbury by the Welsh bridge at 1545 hours and took the Welshpool road for our next Hostel, Welsh Harp. A comfortable ride, climbing slightly, with the wind apparently still behind us, brought us to the left fork off the main road, which led up towards the hostel. We were soon walking up a steep hill, which continued for a mile and a half until, reaching the top and passing into Montgomeryshire and Wales as we did so, we sailed merrily along the ridge on top of Long Mountain (1121 feet high), for about two miles on a rough track until we reached the Hostel at 1820 hours (4059.6). Welsh Harp Hostel is a farmhouse, laying back from the road and had it not been for the shortage of water very evident there at the time, it would have been quite pleasant.

After the very long climb, we were very tired and did nothing more before supper except watch the warden endeavour to raise some water from the well in the back yard, with very little success, because two milk churns, formerly used to draw the water up, had become detached from the rope and were jammed across the well thus preventing the bucket from going down far enough. Normally, the water level was well above the churns, but owing to the drought, there was insufficient left to cover them and, as the well was a good 100 feet deep, it presented a rather difficult problem. After supper, we took a short stroll over the hill to admire the view and then retired to bed.

Total cycling distance for the day - 40.9 miles.

Next day: 16 August