WelshpoolPowys
A steamy ride on the Welshpool & Llanfair light railway, a stroll up to medieval Powis Castle, or an epic journey along the Cambrian Line to the coast: Welshpool has a variety of great car-free trips for visitors. Set among rolling green hills, with sheep-scattered slopes and banks of bracken and foxgloves, there’s a nostalgic air about the bunting-strung market town. Woodcarvings and colourful bird sculptures mark the Powysland museum, housed in a cheerful old warehouse beside the Montgomeryshire canal; and the High Street has old-fashioned shops, Georgian coaching inns and a series of wonderfully ramshackle stalls under the brick arches of the clock-towered market.
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Ride the Welshpool & Llanfair railway
Carriages on this scenic steam railway have balconies at either end, so passengers can stand in the open air to watch rivers, fields and wooded valleys chugging past. There’s nothing half-hearted about this train ride, with its deafening whistle and thick white steam, dislodging drops of from the leafy canopy overhead.
- Simply stroll the mile down the High Street from the mainline station to reach the steam railway at the other end.
- The Welshpool and Llanfair Light railway runs through eight miles of idyllic mid Welsh scenery in mid Wales.
- At the far end of the line, there’s just time to stroll along a waterside path into the small, sleepy town of Llanfair Caereinion, with its hilly streets, bowling green and old pubs.
- You can buy hot drinks, cakes and ice creams at Welshpool’s Raven Square while the railway’s retro tearoom, at Llanfair Caereinion, with indoor and (covered) outdoor seating, offers soup, sandwiches and homemade cakes, like fruity Welsh bara brith.
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Stroll up to Powis Castle
This thirteenth-century fortress towers over enchanting gardens with Italianate terraces and herbaceous borders. A steep landscaped park, with herds of antlered deer and lily ponds, leads up to red, gritstone walls. Inside are rooms hung with faded tapestries or lined with marble emperors. The state bedroom, which survives from the 1660s, has an opulent, crimson-curtained four-poster in its own royal alcove.
- Park Lane leads off Welshpool’s High Street to the wrought iron gates of Powis Castle. The mile’s stroll up through the park is a lovely walk.
- Have a cream tea on the top terrace, but watch out for the predatory peacocks.
- Don’t miss the Clive Museum, a collection begun by controversial adventurer Robert Clive, of Indian objects, from tiny ivory elephants to Tipu Sultan’s ornate tent and palanquin.
- Leave time to explore the terraced garden – even more remarkable than the interior. With views that stretch as far as the Shropshire hills, the walkways are lined with peonies, roses and delphiniums, dancing statues and urn-topped balustrades.
- Look out for the Ozymandian stone foot, which stands in the woods, near glades of common spotted orchids.
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Walk the Severn Way (or something less strenuous)
Following the River Severn from the source to the sea, this 210 mile route starts on the remote Plynlimon plateau in Mid-Wales before heading through Llanidloes and Newtown into Welshpool. It goes on to Shrewsbury and Ironbridge before heading south through Tewkesbury and Gloucester to the Severn Beach at Bristol.
- The fifteen-mile walk from Newtown to Welshpool along the canal has mainline railway stations at each end.
- Some less strenuous walks start from stations along the Welshpool and Llanfair railway, making it easy to combine strolling and train rides.
- The Glyndŵr’s Way National Trail starts close to the Welshpool station. Follow the trail up through the parkland of Llanerchydol Hall, with glimpses of the neo-gothic mansion, and then out onto the bare hills, heading for the heights of Y Golfa.
- After two miles, you can branch off the trail and return via a wooded cwm (or valley) to the little wayside halt at Sylfaen and rest your feet on the train back to Raven Square. A book by Steve Page, with more walks from W&LLR stations, is available at the railway’s shops.
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Cambrian line to and from Shrewsbury
The epic 120-mile ride from Shrewsbury to the Welsh coast is one of Britain’s great scenic railway journeys. Crossing the border between England and Wales and running through hills and mountains to the sea, it runs from the bustling medieval market town of Shrewsbury, through the sheep-speckled hills of mid Wales, and on to the Cambrian Coast.
- For a foodie trip, head to Shrewsbury, with its wide choice of restaurants – try Turkish-style grilled meat at the Istanbul BBQ or inventive tapas nights at Number Four.
- Pick up one of the window gazer guides from Shrewsbury station to find out more about people and places along the way, many with important links to Welsh history and culture.
- The next stop after Welshpool, Newtown, was home to the Pryce Jones warehouse, which operated the world’s first mail order service – supplying underwear to Queen Victoria!
