Friday 17th September: The dragon in me was tempted by a visit to Wales - Welshpool to be precise - so that I could sample a bit of the Cambrian railway line and explore a section of the Montgomery Canal...
The morning begins at Wolverhampton Station. A return ticket from Wolves to Welshpool and back is £16.10, which doesn't seem to be bad value actually. The Aberystwyth train isn't until 8:43 so I have a look around the old Low Level Station development to fill in some time, then decide to catch the Shrewsbury stopper at 8:25 instead. Despite the best efforts of a kamikaze cat at Oakengates, I have scope to get a train photo or two at Shrewsbury before connecting onto the Cambrian Line from platform 4a.
Despite my various rail adventures and rovers over the years, I'd never actually sampled the Cambrian Lines before. The main line runs from Shrewsbury to Aberystwyth with connections at Machynlleth for the Coastal line to Pwllheli. Welshpool is only one stop on from Shrewsbury so my explorations would be limited but at least it's a start. The journey is provided courtesy of Arriva Trains Wales, and its a pleasant ride passing allotments, playing fields, scenic hills and the occasional Little Chef restaurant.
Welshpool Station was a bit of a disappointment, or should I say the current one was. It's effectively an unstaffed halt with a few tatty benches, a bus shelter and an incongruous white footbridge that also crosses the A483 dual carriageway. Things improve with the Old Station, a fine relic of a building that has found a new use as a shopping emporium containing a cafe, gift shops and the ubiquitous Edinburgh Woollen Mill. The old place actually looks quite stately, and although the shops don't particularly appeal to me, it's great that the building still has a function.
Severn Road leads me into Welshpool Town Centre, passing the fire and police stations to arrive at the Royal Oak, a rather grand looking coaching inn. The High Street looks quite pretty with bunting and flags aplenty - the clock tower of the market hall particularly catches my eye. As usual I'm performing my own kind of pub watch, and amongst my finds were the Wellington, the Pheasant, the Mermaid, the Talbot and the Green Dragon. Based purely on external appearance, the Mermaid appealed most as it looked quite historic with hints of beams, although the Talbot had a quaint sloping nature.
High Street leads into Raven Street and on into Raven Square. The Raven Inn is a welcome discovery, along with an agricultural yard with a sign for Welsh eggs. My thoughts quickly concentrate though on Raven Square Station, the eastern terminus of the Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway, a narrow gauge heritage line that runs out to Llanfair Caereinion. Sadly the station wasn't open today, so I had to make do with some perimeter zooms. The complex looks small but there are some intriguing platform buildings with stylish canopies and evocative charm.
Proceeding with my loop of Welshpool, Brook Street introduces me to the local branch library and a vintage Ballard's petrol garage complete with antique pumps (the modern garage is just up the road). Hall Street offers a shot of the Crown Hotel, then I take Salop Road, heading out of town as I hunt down a bit of Monty.
The Montgomery Canal (or Monty for short) was constructed in stages and once linked Frankton Junction with Newtown via Llanymynech and Welshpool. Abandoned in 1944, the canal has since been the subject of much restoration work. Certainly the sections around Welshpool are in water and make for some excellent walks, as I found out today. I join the line at Gungrog Bridge (No. 116) adjacent to the Heulwen Wharf narrowboat base. Walking back into town I enjoy the peace and tranquility as I encounter a couple of modern bridges before arriving at Severn Street (No. 119).
I leave the canal in peace for a while in favour of a slice of medieval grandeur. After a random combination of Tesco developments, the Tourist Information Centre and the Mermaid, I take a turning just off the High Street and venture into the grounds of Powis Castle. A long driveway provides an elegant approach made even more memorable when some deer go skipping by, they were so cute! The castle itself looks quite formidable but is an inviting fortress these days, and I enjoy admiring the coach house and mooching about in the shop.
Through town once more, I spot the Angel pub on Berriew Street then rejoin the Monty at a footbridge near the Morrisons supermarket. My afternoon stroll takes me down to Belan Locks, a stretch arguably even more tranquil than this morning's offering. There are views of the football and rugby grounds as the canal gradually leaves Welshpool behind, entering verdant countryside albeit flanked by the A490. There's a sharp right-angle turn by a nature reserve at Whitehouse Bridge - the reserve marking the previous course of the canal before being latterly diverted - but otherwise there aren't that many features. I just relish the sense of escape and solitude, and it's especially relaxing to arrive at Belan for a handful of views of the locks, bridge and the keeper's cottage.
Belan Locks Bridge (No. 121) marks the point where I turn around and retrace my steps back the way I came, noting the occasional marker post along the way. The return walk gives me chance to investigate what I'd missed between Morrisons and Severn Street, a short section notable for Welshpool Town Lock and the Powysland Museum.
My train home is due at 15:01, leaving me just enough time for a leisurely saunter up to the station followed by a few minutes lingering on the platform. Waiting for a train can often be a chore, but on days like this when the sun is out and you're not in any real hurry, it can actually be a curious pleasure - yes, even at a station as limited at Welshpool! As luck would have it, the train arrives bang on time, and with a gentle cruise in and out of Shrewsbury, I'm soon back in Wolverhampton and another outing has been added to the exploration history books.
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