Holiday-planning question

[fivemack]

I've just watched a rather impressive programme about Caernafon castle, and am pondering doing something castle-based on a bike over one of the Bank Holidays (late May probably - might well want to go to Spain and avunc for the other one) this year.

It looks as if you can leave Cambridge Friday afternoon and get to Conwy (London, walk across to Euston, Chester, Conwy) late Friday evening; the three castles Conwy .. Beaumarais .. Caernafon seems possible on the Saturday unless they're sufficiently awesome that you can't fit three castles and 60k flattish cycling into a day. Caernafon to Harlech over Beddgelert looks good (if knee-eating) fun on the Sunday morning ... what's the next stop after that? To Machynlleth in the evening, see the Centre for Alternative Technology Monday morning and then afternoon train through to Cambridge, or is there another castle practically available?

Am I missing something critical which would make this either unexpectedly more awesome than it looks, or completely miserable?

Comments

[vicarage.livejournal.com]

I'd not attempt those 3 in one day even driving between them. Why not do Carnarfon on Sunday morning, catch the newly reopened Welsh Highland railway to Porthmadoc and cycle to Harlech from there?

[frostfox.livejournal.com]

Yeah, they are three big castles, could take all weekend to do Conwy, Beaumarais, Caernafon. You'd also want to go at it - Conwy, Caernafon, then across the Meni to Beaumarais.

Good call on the Welsh Highland, vicarage brilliant views from Caernafon down through the countryside to Madog, bikes need to be booked in advance.

From the Webpage - http://www.festrail.co.uk/fares.htm
Limited accommodation for bicycles is available on some Ffestiniog Railway trains. Bicycles can be carried on most Welsh Highland trains, with a cycle wagon available for large groups. Please book before travelling - details from 01766 516024.

FF

[fivemack.livejournal.com]

Is there a ferry at the Caernafon end of the Meni? Otherwise it looks as if I have to retrace my steps quite tediously to Bangor to go across to Beaumarais (I'm assuming your order is to get the most awesome castle last, rather than for ease of travel)

[frostfox.livejournal.com]

No, no ferry, I'm thinking too much In Car - it's not too far back to Bangor and the Meni bridges by car. Do yourself a favour, go over both bridges to Yns Mon, you can see the suspension bridge from the Britannia Bridge, so it's worth doing and the suspension bridge is just beautiful.

Caernafon is the biggie. Conwy is small but perfectly formed and though I've been to Beaumarais several times, I've never been to the castle.

FF

[atreic.livejournal.com]

Both bridges over the Meni are awesome in their own rights.

[frostfox.livejournal.com]

I suppose, but the Britannia is a bit blocky for my aesthetic. The suspension is just lovely so elegant, so fluid.

FF

[atreic.livejournal.com]

Well, yes, the suspension is clearly much nicer than the Britannia, but I do like both :-)

[fivemack.livejournal.com]

The Britannia Bridge appears to be forbidden to bicycles

[atreic.livejournal.com]

I am kind of pleased to know that, as it is very narrow and busy and I find it scary enough trying to get across it in a car. But still, rah, cyclists have a right to scary bridges too, rah.

[ewx.livejournal.com]

CAT is worth a visit. I don’t know about the biking aspect; is it really possible to cycle 60km in that part of Wales and stay on the flattish?

[fivemack.livejournal.com]

Looking more carefully at the map, the flattishness is achieved only by going straight down the A55. Bother.

Sychnant Pass Road seems from its very name unlikely to be flat, and the exciting-looking wiggly road from Penmaenmawr to Llanfairfechan on the map looks on the satellite as if it goes through a large quarry. After that it looks OK, there's a little road paralleling the A55 from Llanfairfechan to outside Bangor, and A4244/B4366 into Caernafon runs along a ridge and looks lovely.

[frostfox.livejournal.com]

Penmaenmawr is where my grandad, Perseverance Skinner, set fire to the mountain, he was proving to my Gran and my Mum that gorse (well known as a tinder bush) was the only plant which wouldn't burn. So he set his pipe to it. And he and Gran and Mum beat a hasty retreat on the motorbike and sidecar.
This was in about 1937, so the warrant for his arrest is possibly not now valid...


FF

[beckyc.livejournal.com]

Unless you like cycling on the a14, you do not want to go on the A55 (bits of it you can't cycle on because of special road restrictions, but even the bits you can, you don't want to. )

The Sychnant pass is wiggly and used to scare me as a child. But if you go on it, you can also take in the location of a hill fort on the way). I can't remember much of the old route from Chester to Bangor, but it's generally wiggly, hence why they built the new dual carriageway!

I wouldn't do those three castles in a day in a car, never mind by bike! Two, yes, by car.

I'm not aware of any useful ferries across the Menai straits, but it's been a while since I used to holiday here 3 or 4 times a year.

[atreic.livejournal.com]

My (slightly hazy) memory of those three castles is that they are a little samey. Maybe you like that (in the same way doing three brewery tours can be very interesting in a compare and contrast way)

I like Criccieth castle a lot, and if it's still there, it has, as the rough guide says, 'a wonderful animated cartoon about twelfth-century Wales. [Well, it's kind of naff, and kind of lovely]. Criccieth also has some really nice restaurants and a good beach.

[frostfox.livejournal.com]

I love Criccieth, another small but perfectly formed castle. V.Good ice cream parlor, chippy opposite, several cats. Easy to get to from Madog.

FF

[papersky.livejournal.com]

Beaumaris is like a Platonic idea of a Welsh castle. It wasn't quite finished before it became unnecessary and it doesn't have any damage. I really like it.

While on Anglesey try to take in some awesome megalithic sites.

Cycling to Machynlleth would be very tiring as there are significant hills.