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The original gang of four consisting of Larry,Dave,Karl and myself recently visited Rhayader in central Wales for a long weekend of green laning and a few beers of which there was no shortage of either.
I travelled down with Karl a very good friend of mine in his 90(complete with everything)and joining us was Dave in his Discovery(complete with two fridges)and Larry in his 110(complete with erm Larry).We made our way to Wales in best convoy fashion with C.Bs at the ready to head for our tenting destination of the Wyeside caravan and camping park just outside Rhayader,a very good clean site with showers that actually work and at £5 per person per night quite reasonable.
Dave's chuck wagon Discovery capable of making a trans Africa crossing without having to visit a Tesco on the way
Having got a flat tyre on the 90 whilst travelling down we stopped off at a small garage at the side of the road in a very small village somewhere in Wales and we were transported back in time about forty years with the layed back service we received but after about an hour and a half we actually got the puncture repaired at the second attempt and we continued the rest of the weekend without mishap until we set off for home on monday morning.
Arriving to late on the Friday to do any laning we pitched camp and retired to the sanctuary of the local hostelries within Rhayader of which there are plenty to go at.The mixed grill in the Lamb and Flag is not for the faint hearted as Dave and Larry can testify and the real ale in the Cornhill Inn is very much the same as I can testify and as for Karl after 10 or 12 pints of Stella he can't testify to anything!!!
After the compulsory cholestorol in a frying pan breakfast on Saturday morning we set off for our first lane of the day using the O.S.landranger map No 147.Starting at SN962686 this lane rises about 250 meters into the hills over a length of about 2 1/2 miles so there are no really steep climbs and is suitable for the shinier motor.The chuck wagon Discovery became cross axled at one point but thanks to the weight of the two fridges and emergency rations the wheels cut through the mud and found enough traction to carry on.
Although the lane is mainly solid and stoney we found a good stretch of water that upset the V8 Discovery but it was nothing that a tin of W.D.forty couldn't sort out.
It's amazing what effect stella and chicken tinderloo can have on a man
Before
During
After
Exiting the lane high up in the hills we drove down the Elan Valley past the reservoirs and dams that provide the water supply for Birmingham,the scenery along the valley is amazing and well worth the trip even if you are not green laning.
Before going to Wales I sent emails to the Ceredigion and Powys councils with a list of lanes and their co-ordinates asking if the lanes where open and driveable but up to the time of our departure for the weekend neither council had replied despite further emails repeating the questions.
Using the O.S.Landranger maps to locate any lanes in the area we found a nice little cluster of lanes marked as Byways or RUPPs around the village of Devil's Bridge but unfortunately when we got to them they had all been reclassified as Bridleways (is this the begining of the end for our weekend treks?).Finding Ceredigion county virtualy bare of green lanes we crossed back into Powys via the Strata Florida(more about the Strata Florida green lane later when the article has first been printed in the LROI magazine)and found a couple of tracks we could drive.
If you ever get the chance to travel the Strata Florida I can highly recommend it so if you can,do it.
Craig Goch Dam along the Elan Valley
Picture courtesy of Larry
The two lanes we could drive went from SN931539 to SN932546 and SN933549 to SN943554.The first lane was easy enough but could have a tendency to scratch paintwork when over grown in summer and the second lane has a shallow ford and as you exit the ford the lane forks off to the right or straight on up a steepish but not to challenging hill,I drove Karl's 90 up the right fork,I can tell you first hand this is definitely not recommended,and very nearly came to a sticky end in some nasty ruts with an equally nasty side slope.
Back at the camp site on the banks of the river Wye we had enough time for a shower and to get changed ready for the evenings foray around the drinking establishments in Rhayader for a few beers and something to eat.
Rhayader itself is a nice little town in the middle of nowhere and as a quiet holiday destination with plenty to see and do,if you like the country life,is ideal.
Just one of many river crossings on the Strata Florida
Picture courtesy of Larry
After the evenings socialising it was back to the tents for a good nights kip ready for the Sunday outing but during Saturday night we had one hell of a thunder and lightning storm.Due to the previous evenings intake of beer I had to answer the call of nature about 3am and dressed only in my Knickers and a pair of steel toe capped boots exited the tent during a lull in the rain to answer the said call of nature.As I stood there dressed only in the said knickers and boots and getting on with the job in hand so to speak the sky lit up with lightning for about 10 seconds like something out of scary movie,I dare say it was not a pretty sight as two ex wives can probably testify(whilst on the subject of wives a vacancy exists for No 3,interviews can be arranged at your convenience,own tool kit and some mechanical experience would be advantageous for this position).
The camp site at Rhayader
The Strata Florida green lane running fromSN745657 to SN804568 must surely be one of the finest green lanes in the country with it's magnificent scenery and river crossings plus as an added bonus there are no ramblers because the river has no bridges.
About seven miles long the Strata Florida is suitable for any 4X4 and when we where on the lane we came across a convoy of assorted vehicles which included Toyota's and such like with old series Land Rovers and even a Freelander,further along the lane we met a small convoy of very shiney newer Discovery's from Gordon Lambs of Chesterfield.The lane is only a single track for the majority of it's length so if you do meet oncoming vehicles be prepared to back up to find somwhere to pass.
I hate side slopes and the only iffy bit we found on the Strata Florida was a side slope and it was under water and we didn't see it coming(memo to self:-must buy brown underpants in future).As I drove the 90 diagonally across one river the drivers side found a dip in the river bed and even though I tried to correct the situation the 90 kept on slipping into the unseen abyss.As the heart rate went off the scale and the old brown spider started twitching uncontrolably the 90 found enough traction to hoist itself from the river bed and right itself before we went swimming with the fishes.
It looks like we are driving down the river but it is the road.
At one point on the lane there is a nasty little crevass that you can drive around or through,Karl drove through it because he's like that.
We drove the Strata Florida twice on consecutive days and despite the thunder storm prior to driving it the second day the water had dropped and this brought into view the submerged side slope.
Whilst in the area we drove around the Claerwen reservoir only to find that at the far end of the reservoir where the lane crosses the border into Ceredigion the road is privately owned by the water authority and not a legal byway.I have checked with the councils and the road is indeed private so if you get that far you will have to turn round,it is still worth driving for the views across the reservoir and to see the Red Kites flying around.
With the weekends green laning over we retired to the sanctuary once again of the hostelries in Rhayader to partake of a few more bevvies and tell the tale.Monday morning after the now famous cholestorol intake we packed up camp and headed for home only to come to a stop after about five miles with the temperature gauge of the 90 shooting up into the red.
The very nice man from the RAC decided that it would be best to get a lift back on the back of a wagon(which saved a bob or two in fuel).Once back home the 90 was taken into a garage where it had the head stripped off and no fault was found,it turned out to be the temperature sender unit that had gone faulty.
And finaly unless you know otherwise The Ceredigion council tells me that the Monks Trod lane from SN807676 to SN899719 is a legal byway but impassable even by Land Rover(his words not mine).
Cheers LES.
May the Greeen Oval be with you.
The lane around the Claerwen reservoir keeps to the waters edge for about five miles
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