Oxford to Pembroke

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billoetjen
Posts: 3
Joined: 22 Jun 2014, 5:29am

Oxford to Pembroke

Post by billoetjen »

Hi Folks,
I am currently touring around the Cotswalds by bike and would like to add a visit to Ireland by way of ferry from Pembroke.
Can anyone please recommend a route from Oxford (my current base) to Pembroke?
I can easily handle 50 to 70 miles a day under easy to moderate conditions.

Thank you in advance for your thoughts.

Bill

(PS - this represents a change in plans (Oxford to Holyhead) since I first posted a few weeks ago.)
Richard Fairhurst
Posts: 2030
Joined: 2 Mar 2008, 4:57pm
Location: Charlbury, Oxfordshire

Re: Oxford to Pembroke

Post by Richard Fairhurst »

Spoilt for choice really - lots of lovely cycling round there.

A lot depends whether you want to stay inland (maybe see a bit of the Brecon Beacons and rural Carmarthenshire), hug the coast, or split the difference and see some of the Welsh Valleys, which despite the reputation have some glorious scenery.

For an inland route, I'd try something like this: http://cycle.travel/map/journey/8129

Image

Lots to see along the way (Gloucester, Hay, Brecon, Laugharne and Tenby) and scenic all the way, apart from the initial stretch to Witney! But getting out of Oxford to the west is always a pain...
cycle.travel - maps, journey-planner, route guides and city guides
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meic
Posts: 19355
Joined: 1 Feb 2007, 9:37pm
Location: Caerfyrddin (Carmarthen)

Re: Oxford to Pembroke

Post by meic »

I am a "regular" on that route west of Newent and Richard (or his computer) have come up with something that that agrees with local knowledge, I am quite impressed if software worked that out.

There are some minor tweeks that I would/do make to that route.

Firstly I would go through Newent because it is always a good place to get supplies and visit a toilet.
The small B road west of Hereford is so flat and fast (to me from Wales) that I stay on it the whole way to Hay, very few motors to share it with and you fly along. I havent actually tried the minor road that his route uses as the B road is so enjoyable.
At Trecastle I would enter it on the A 40 which is a few unpleasant miles but it does avoid a sod of a hill with a rather infamously aggressive dog on it.
Just before reaching Carmarhen on the B4300, the B4300 isnt! It went swimming in the River Towy. Sustrans has signed up a detour which is quite hilly but preferable to taking the A40 at most times of the day. A bit of the A40 that I normally refuse to use.
I would however leave Carmarthen on the A40 to St Clears as it is mostly cycle path and parallel minor roads, though the much, much slower and harder Sustrans route is probably worth riding once in your life.
I would just skip going through Tenby and go to Lamphrey from Saundersfoot through St Florence.

Those are just minor tweeks and not ones that all others would agree with, apart from that it has picked a route which is pleasingly flat (as flat as you can get in the area, if you follow my tweeks) without sharing the A40 with motors the whole way.
Yma o Hyd
Richard Fairhurst
Posts: 2030
Joined: 2 Mar 2008, 4:57pm
Location: Charlbury, Oxfordshire

Re: Oxford to Pembroke

Post by Richard Fairhurst »

It's mostly the computer's work - I added a via point at Hay, so it went inland rather than over the Severn Bridge and through the Valleys. Other than that, a few little tweaks here and there (e.g. to go via Maisemore rather than the horrid B-road out of Gloucester), but mostly what the route-planner suggested.

You're definitely right about NCN 4 out of Carmarthen... I did that hill once in my life and once was quite enough!
cycle.travel - maps, journey-planner, route guides and city guides
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