Autumn Drive

Chirk, Glyn Ceiriog, Llangollen
and the Horseshoe Pass -
a delight in the autumn

This drive is just wonderful all year round, but one I tend to take at that time of year when the trees are trying to make up their minds whether to hang onto their summer garb for a few more weeks or to change for the winter.

Peggy, my mother in law, loves all things floral - including trees. One of our regular topics of conversation is the vagaries of the British weather and the affect onset of the seasons have all that we see on our Sunday afternoons.

This drive begins on the ubiquitous A483 the road which, to my chagrin, I have lived within a few hundred yards of all my life. Take the slip road off to Llangollen and then right at the roundabout and take the A539 which takes you through Rhosymedre - not the most beautiful of locations it has to be said, but the Country Park at Ty Mawr is very special and well worth a visit on another day, but not on this drive. Turn left at the T junction to Chirk. This takes you into this little village which on another day is a pleasant place to stroll around and perhaps visit the NT's Chirk Castle.

But go through the village and you come upon a sign to turn right to GlynCeiriog. The B4500 is one of the prettiest roads in the area. Take your time along this road, which flirts and dances with the little River Ceiriog on the route. Here our conversation turns to comments about the relative 'browness' of the trees making up our minds about whether Autumn really is on its way or not. The village of GlynCeiriog itself marks the end of this lovely tree lined route and the place where the ride gets rather hairy. Take the sharp narrow turning right by the shop and wind your way past the little cottages - careful now! At the top of this windy narrow road you come to a T junction. There is a sign to Llangollen left but ignore it and turn right. Look to your right and you will see amazing views over the valley. After a mile or so take a left which will take you down the steep slopes through pine woodland towards Llangollen.

Away from the rural lanes you reach the busyness of the the town dubbed 'Where Wales Welcomes the World' as it is the home of the International Eistedfodd. Turn right over the bridge and once over the bridge turn left towards the notorious horseshoe pass. Any of the pubs such as the Abbey Grange or The Britannia along this route welcome you for meals or even afternoon tea..... but we know of somewhere better so keep going.

After the slow hairpin bend after which the pass is named, you will reach the delightfully untrendy Ponderosa Cafe at the top of the Horseshoe Pass - incredibly popular, but easy to muscle in between the bikers and other grannies to get a bargain cup of tea at the bargain price of £1.

Suitably refreshed, turn right out of the car park (more fabulous views in front of you) then right again at the roundabout and right at the lights towards Llandegla. We drive past Llandegla Forest this on this particular drive but again another good place to go - although it is really for bikes as there are lots of trails through the forest.

We pass what I personally name 'Mum's Reservoir' as Mum usually recounts how she used to keep a careful eye on this stretch of water when she was little girl. She was worried when her parents happened to mention that the reservoir was low. She imagined a drought and eventual death if the water ran out.....

Local people always take a right at the Moors Inn to go through Gwynfryn rather than straight onto Bwlchgwyn which has the somewhat dubious claim to being the highest village in Wales - at 333m above sea level. If you have time, you can stop at the War Memorial at look at the view over Wrexham and the Cheshire plain beyond. Then into Coedpoeth - home of many bakeries.

Mum's brother Frank used to say that if you were on a bike from this point onward you could reach Wrexham town centre without once having to pedal... I afraid I have never been brave enough to find out if he was right. So here in the comfort of the car we finish our journey back into the town and home...