Thought I should write up one of my 'visiting stations' adventures.
On Saturday, I left at about 3pm to go straight to Fishguard via Aberystwyth. This section I was dreading due to the single carriageway and curvy nature of the roads beyond Newtown. Still, although being stuck behind a lorry for the most part between Aberystwyth and Cardigan, the view of the sun-drenched sea in the distance and rolling hills kept me content all the way to my first station in the 22-hour journey through West Wales.
Fishguard is a lovely harbour town, especially the entrance via the Old Town where the gap between the houses seems small even for my Corsa. Following the hill down into the Harbour station was like driving into a picture postcard, lapping waves, sunshine illuminating impressive cliffs and a horde of gulls.
I pulled up into the Harbour and by 8pm, it was silent. Thankfully, the female toilets were left unlocked which gave me my first and probably only time of using the wrong gender's facilities. There was a passenger in the waiting room who seemed as disorientated as me. The train due to arrive was an hour away so I thought better than to wait and head off to Clarbeston Road after a quick stop at Fishguard and Goodwick, a lovely new little station, better situated for the townsfolk.
After stopping for picture time in Clarbeston and a small look at the platform, I aimed to make time up from the view behind lorries, horse boxes and slower drivers earlier in the day and pressed on to Haverfordwest, Johnston and Milford Haven for a break for food and drink and a short walk along the waterside. I would like to return to Milford in the daylight.
Thanks to the Cleddau bridge (with it's very cheap price) I could make a crescent shape towards Clunderwen via the Pembroke line stations including my favourite Tenby, and almost making a wrong turn into Manorbier holiday park.
Narberth was the site of my first set of traffic lights since Wigan and these were temporary and frustrating when it's about 11pm and there is only the sound of animals nearby. Narberth was also close to the A40, a relative straight and speedy section with the dual-carriageway nearby.
After stopping briefly at Whitland, I made good time into Carmarthen where I was hoping for the 24-hr McDonalds to let me sit inside for a bit. Sadly, it was only 24-hr Drive-Thru which the taxi drivers were getting their money's worth from. The station was quite busy with overnight staff preparing trains for the next day.
My next stations were Ferryside and Kidwelly with signallers who were waiting for the late night boat-train and probably arousing me with suspicion given the time of night, but hopefully I gave them a couple of minutes to take their mind of the solitude.
The only thing I'll say about Pembrey and Burry Port was the welcome display of youths fighting on the street next to the station, who later were seeing laughing and walking off together... This made me want to quickly snap and drive off to Llanelli and Gowerton via Llangennech and Bynea which took me a while to find (poor signage) but here I found quite a number of NR workers tinkering on the stretch between Swansea and the HOWL branch.
Swansea is a great looking city, which sprawls in all directions, and after taking a snap whilst being watched by a stranger staring straight through me opposite the station, I took off for Llansamlet and a sorely needed petrol station before the M4.
When filled up, I was eager to get to Pontarddulais and begin my slog along the Heart of Wales line and return home. Having 29 stations on this line, it was thankful that it was very early hours on Sunday otherwise re-entering main A roads could have been quite time-consuming.
All of the stations including Llandovery were easy to get to and not much to write home about but making a mistake there after lead me almost to Brecon on the A40 rather than Cynghordy on the A483. Don't drive all the way upto the platform here, it's bone-shaking. Pull up down the lane instead!
Finally, I hit Sugar Loaf at 5:44am and finish my bottle of coke and I stop here for 20 minutes and watch several Network Rail trucks pass on to places further along the HOWL I assume. Sugar Loaf sounds interesting and looks interesting as to my surprise, I saw a passenger information screen down the steps and some evidence of gardening too! Although being slightly half-awake, waiting for the 6.10am train to surprise the guard was foolish as I looked at the Saturday timetable instead of Sunday's! I took a couple of pictures here and after the break, rejoined the A483 towards Llanwrtyd, Llangammarch with it's fleet of NR workers working along the line, Garth, Kill Mary, and another pretty place, Builth Wells.
By this time, I was longing to reach England but still had some work to do including Llandrindod Wells which is beautiful. I can imagine it to be heaving in the Summer. This was my 899th station I visited which meant Pen-y-Bont snagged the coveted 900th spot!
I have sad news regarding Dolau, the pheasant around the corner did not make it no matter how much I beeped.
Now this was the beginning of some very narrow roads which large hedgerows buffering me and brows which gave me concern in case of tractors coming towards me. One of these narrow roads led to Llanbister (Road) and onwards and upwards to Llangynllo which is near the summit of the HOWL. I think the owners of the two houses at Llangynllo have the pleasure of a railway station in their back garden which many people on here would love too! They may have found me strange walking past their washing line at 7 in the morning though. Now I did slow down and let a peacock cross the road around the next bend safely so I think I balanced things out right there.
The road snaked down to Knucklas as the sun was reaching it's high point and flooding the valley with brightness and lush views of greenery through into Knighton and the end of my Journey into Wales. (boo!)
The time was ripe for dog-walkers and early risers going to the shop as I encountered when taking corners through Bucknell, Hopton Heath, Broome and finally rejoining civilisation at Craven Arms.
I could have driven home straight from there but I thought to get food and with that in mind, quickly get to Church Stretton, turn around and come back to Craven Arms to the cafe opposite. Being still too early, there was only one thing for it. given that I had a couple of stations near Stourbridge to tick off, I ventured to Ludlow, Leominster, found that the OK Diner there had a 30 minute wait for food, then made a bee-line for Kidderminster.
Here I found parents and children eager to get through the queue to enjoy a ride on the Severn Valley Railway and stewards looking at me inquisitively whilst directing car after car to the park around the back.
Still on the look out for food, crept closer to Birmingham via Blakedown and Hagley and was surprised at how un-urban the journey was. I thought that it was pretty much house to house from K'minster to Brum. Anyway, I could side-step Stourbridge (See my thread on Stourbridge Town PPM staff) and go to Lye and stop there for a McDonalds and gorge on everything and a coffee and make use of the restrooms. I couldn't believe how early it was on a Sunday and how far I'd come. I was thinking I'd still be stuck in the middle of Powys going wrong somewhere.
After 40 minutes, it was time to make for the M5 via Cradley Heath, Old Hill, Rowley Regis and an old lady who thought it was acceptable to come from the pavement on her motability scooter onto the entrance of a roundabout, hug the pavement and rejoin around the corner on another ramp much to the bemusement of the motorists.
Joining the M5 to go back to Wigan made me anxious as there is always some accident or cause to go slow up to Warrington but luckily, I kept a steady 65-75 all the way home to sleep near Gathurst!
Uploaded the snaps at Sugar Loaf and Llangynllo facing the south.
On Saturday, I left at about 3pm to go straight to Fishguard via Aberystwyth. This section I was dreading due to the single carriageway and curvy nature of the roads beyond Newtown. Still, although being stuck behind a lorry for the most part between Aberystwyth and Cardigan, the view of the sun-drenched sea in the distance and rolling hills kept me content all the way to my first station in the 22-hour journey through West Wales.
Fishguard is a lovely harbour town, especially the entrance via the Old Town where the gap between the houses seems small even for my Corsa. Following the hill down into the Harbour station was like driving into a picture postcard, lapping waves, sunshine illuminating impressive cliffs and a horde of gulls.
I pulled up into the Harbour and by 8pm, it was silent. Thankfully, the female toilets were left unlocked which gave me my first and probably only time of using the wrong gender's facilities. There was a passenger in the waiting room who seemed as disorientated as me. The train due to arrive was an hour away so I thought better than to wait and head off to Clarbeston Road after a quick stop at Fishguard and Goodwick, a lovely new little station, better situated for the townsfolk.
After stopping for picture time in Clarbeston and a small look at the platform, I aimed to make time up from the view behind lorries, horse boxes and slower drivers earlier in the day and pressed on to Haverfordwest, Johnston and Milford Haven for a break for food and drink and a short walk along the waterside. I would like to return to Milford in the daylight.
Thanks to the Cleddau bridge (with it's very cheap price) I could make a crescent shape towards Clunderwen via the Pembroke line stations including my favourite Tenby, and almost making a wrong turn into Manorbier holiday park.
Narberth was the site of my first set of traffic lights since Wigan and these were temporary and frustrating when it's about 11pm and there is only the sound of animals nearby. Narberth was also close to the A40, a relative straight and speedy section with the dual-carriageway nearby.
After stopping briefly at Whitland, I made good time into Carmarthen where I was hoping for the 24-hr McDonalds to let me sit inside for a bit. Sadly, it was only 24-hr Drive-Thru which the taxi drivers were getting their money's worth from. The station was quite busy with overnight staff preparing trains for the next day.
My next stations were Ferryside and Kidwelly with signallers who were waiting for the late night boat-train and probably arousing me with suspicion given the time of night, but hopefully I gave them a couple of minutes to take their mind of the solitude.
The only thing I'll say about Pembrey and Burry Port was the welcome display of youths fighting on the street next to the station, who later were seeing laughing and walking off together... This made me want to quickly snap and drive off to Llanelli and Gowerton via Llangennech and Bynea which took me a while to find (poor signage) but here I found quite a number of NR workers tinkering on the stretch between Swansea and the HOWL branch.
Swansea is a great looking city, which sprawls in all directions, and after taking a snap whilst being watched by a stranger staring straight through me opposite the station, I took off for Llansamlet and a sorely needed petrol station before the M4.
When filled up, I was eager to get to Pontarddulais and begin my slog along the Heart of Wales line and return home. Having 29 stations on this line, it was thankful that it was very early hours on Sunday otherwise re-entering main A roads could have been quite time-consuming.
All of the stations including Llandovery were easy to get to and not much to write home about but making a mistake there after lead me almost to Brecon on the A40 rather than Cynghordy on the A483. Don't drive all the way upto the platform here, it's bone-shaking. Pull up down the lane instead!
Finally, I hit Sugar Loaf at 5:44am and finish my bottle of coke and I stop here for 20 minutes and watch several Network Rail trucks pass on to places further along the HOWL I assume. Sugar Loaf sounds interesting and looks interesting as to my surprise, I saw a passenger information screen down the steps and some evidence of gardening too! Although being slightly half-awake, waiting for the 6.10am train to surprise the guard was foolish as I looked at the Saturday timetable instead of Sunday's! I took a couple of pictures here and after the break, rejoined the A483 towards Llanwrtyd, Llangammarch with it's fleet of NR workers working along the line, Garth, Kill Mary, and another pretty place, Builth Wells.
By this time, I was longing to reach England but still had some work to do including Llandrindod Wells which is beautiful. I can imagine it to be heaving in the Summer. This was my 899th station I visited which meant Pen-y-Bont snagged the coveted 900th spot!
I have sad news regarding Dolau, the pheasant around the corner did not make it no matter how much I beeped.
Now this was the beginning of some very narrow roads which large hedgerows buffering me and brows which gave me concern in case of tractors coming towards me. One of these narrow roads led to Llanbister (Road) and onwards and upwards to Llangynllo which is near the summit of the HOWL. I think the owners of the two houses at Llangynllo have the pleasure of a railway station in their back garden which many people on here would love too! They may have found me strange walking past their washing line at 7 in the morning though. Now I did slow down and let a peacock cross the road around the next bend safely so I think I balanced things out right there.The road snaked down to Knucklas as the sun was reaching it's high point and flooding the valley with brightness and lush views of greenery through into Knighton and the end of my Journey into Wales. (boo!)
The time was ripe for dog-walkers and early risers going to the shop as I encountered when taking corners through Bucknell, Hopton Heath, Broome and finally rejoining civilisation at Craven Arms.
I could have driven home straight from there but I thought to get food and with that in mind, quickly get to Church Stretton, turn around and come back to Craven Arms to the cafe opposite. Being still too early, there was only one thing for it. given that I had a couple of stations near Stourbridge to tick off, I ventured to Ludlow, Leominster, found that the OK Diner there had a 30 minute wait for food, then made a bee-line for Kidderminster.
Here I found parents and children eager to get through the queue to enjoy a ride on the Severn Valley Railway and stewards looking at me inquisitively whilst directing car after car to the park around the back.
Still on the look out for food, crept closer to Birmingham via Blakedown and Hagley and was surprised at how un-urban the journey was. I thought that it was pretty much house to house from K'minster to Brum. Anyway, I could side-step Stourbridge (See my thread on Stourbridge Town PPM staff) and go to Lye and stop there for a McDonalds and gorge on everything and a coffee and make use of the restrooms. I couldn't believe how early it was on a Sunday and how far I'd come. I was thinking I'd still be stuck in the middle of Powys going wrong somewhere.
After 40 minutes, it was time to make for the M5 via Cradley Heath, Old Hill, Rowley Regis and an old lady who thought it was acceptable to come from the pavement on her motability scooter onto the entrance of a roundabout, hug the pavement and rejoin around the corner on another ramp much to the bemusement of the motorists.
Joining the M5 to go back to Wigan made me anxious as there is always some accident or cause to go slow up to Warrington but luckily, I kept a steady 65-75 all the way home to sleep near Gathurst!
Uploaded the snaps at Sugar Loaf and Llangynllo facing the south.
