OS Map (zoom in for more detail):
Download file for GPSDirections & GPX:
Route directions PDF (right click to download)
GPX file (right click to download)
Glorious Bike Rides
Glorious Bike Rides
Route directions PDF (right click to download)
GPX file (right click to download)
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
I rode this on 22nd June (pm). It was my 14th Lost Lanes Wales. I started from the free Auction Yard car park in Bishop’s Castle and rode 41km (having set off in the wrong direction to begin with!) with 670m of elevation gain.
Yet another very pleasant ride through quiet country lanes. The views from the Kerry Ridgeway are superb. Note that on the day I rode the first 50m or so of the Ridgeway track wasn’t rideable having been ploughed up by forestry vehicles and covered with forestry debris.
I suppose they’re relative terms but I wouldn’t have described either of the off-road sections as “short” nor would I have classed a 40km ride with over 1.5% average gradient as “Easy”!
“Gair i’r gall” – Watch out for the left fork from the forestry track in the woods just before Guilden Down. It looks just like a footpath branching off the main track and is very easily missed as I can testify!
Decided to ride this after work thinking it was “easy”, best described as brutal and watch out for weather changes when you get on the high sections.
I did this ride last Saturday with my wife, an experienced cyclist and some friends who are a lot less experienced. One turned for home at Clun after the first steep climb and, whilst he made it all the way round there was quite a lot of pushing on the second climb. I recon its more like a moderate with hard climbs.
That said the ride was truly lovely, with monstrous views and some lovely villages to pass through. The last section, 13 km or so, from the Kerry ridgeway is to BC predominantly down hill and a great end to the ride.
Also Bishops castle is a centre for great beer with more than one brewery within the environs and some great pubs.
Rode this in April 2017; good quiet (i.e. minimal vehicle traffic) ride but a couple of tough climbs. The climb out of Brockton has 2 sections; both pretty hard. You climb pretty much most of the way out of Newcastle to 2 Crosses; harder towards the end, but really enjoyed it. We were on road bikes (25mm tyres) and the 2 off-road sections were completely dry, so OK if you took it easy. Wouldn’t be much fun if it was muddy but the section after 2 Crosses, being higher up, may dry quicker. Great views from that section. Lots of refuel options in Bishops Castle.
I rode this on 14th July 2024 with my wife Sylvia. I rode it on a Carrera hybrid, and Sylvia rode a Raleigh Array electric assisted bike. What a stunning ride! My 3rd Lost Lanes route. Yes, there are a couple of tough climbs, but it’s what one would expect, riding along the Welsh border. The climb from Newcastle to Two Crosses is about 5miles long, although it doesn’t get steep until the last mile, when the gradient goes up to about 9. The GPX route was spot on, again, thanks Jack. Clun castle was a great spot for a picnic and a rest. The off road sections were easily manageable. The uphill sections made me yearn for lock out forks though. Getting up out of the saddle on the climb on suspension forks had me pogoing like an aging punk at a Sid Vicious memorial gig. Stunning views across Kerry Ridgway. Well worth the effort. I recommend the Castle Hotel for a drink after the ride is finished.
Thanks Steven for posting such a colourful write-up! It’s great to see you and Sylvia are enjoying working your way through the books.
Rode this with my wife May 2025.
After looking at the profile we decided to reverse the route to get lots of the climbing done at the start. Views up to and along the Kerry Ridgeway were fabulous.
Agree with others comments about this not being an easy ride due to the elevation.
Fabulous route with lots of points of interest and some lovely places for refreshment in Clun (another good reason to reverse it).
10/10 – would definitely recommend!
This is a stunning ride – but I would say ‘challenging’. 1000ft climb up to Two Crosses and also some very steep hills before Clun. But absolutely worth it. We will be doing this ride again.
24465567 (OSMaps) was followed from Clun: free parking and toilets (by castle), plus Clun is nearer to me.
While Jack’s GPX is excellent, the OSMaps route adds waymarks and suggestions for road bike detours. Were they (roadies) to follow this, however, they’d miss my two favourite bits of this ride: Sunnyhill wood and Ceri Ridgeway. The latter clearly shows why this route “belongs” in the Wales book, as the “sarn” (ridge in Welsh; and on road signs) clearly shows the ancient demarcation of the two countries.
I “chose” 😉 a sunny, blue-skied day and had one of the best rides of my life. I’m sure your experience will be similar. Thank you Jack! (Strava: 15356091493).
[Jack/Vertebrate: I have a timelapse video of the entire route, if you want to reach out.]