If you fancy a bit of Welsh wonder for a ride out, you can’t beat a couple of hours in the Wye Valley.
We started this loop from Fowlers’ car park, so you’ll need to weave through the traffic a bit to blast up the M32 and join the M4 West. From here you could go straight to the old Severn Bridge on the M48, but we prefer to swing round onto the M5 and catch the A38 at Almondsbury, following the road until the Fernhill turning that leads down to Tockington. Running parallel to the motorway, this is much more fun. Head for Olveston (not to be confused with nearby Alveston) and then pick up the M48 to cross the Severn at Aust.
Soon after, it’s straight off the motorway towards Chepstow, through the first roundabout and head for Tintern.
But we’re not heading for Tintern straight away, as we take a left in front of Chepstow Racecourse gate to pick up the road to Devauden and from there on towards Llanishen and then Trellech. After a little wiggle through this tiny village, the road will take you into Monmouth, where there are plenty of cafes to get a cup of tea and a [Welsh] cake. If you don’t fancy that for the moment, then you’ll need to go up and back onto the dual carriageway to cross the river, and onto the glorious A466 that tracks the Wye. At Bigsweir, the road crosses the river and goes on to Llandogo and then past Brockweir, which is well worth a quick detour to see the fantastic Grade II listed bridge.
If you didn’t get a cuppa in Monmouth, our favourite is the Old Station Cafe just after Brockweir Bridge on the A466. If you are after something more substantial, The Wild Hare on the main road or The Anchor Inn close to the historic Abbey in Tintern are great options.
From here it’s a joyful sweep back to Chepstow, where the journey ends. Or you could just do the whole route again in reverse!
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