NCN81 Lon Cambria

In early autumn 2025, my brother and I cycled from Birmingham to Aberystwyth over three days, following National Cycle Route 81 and Lon Cambria. At 165 miles, the route carried us steadily west from the Midlands’ canals through quiet border country and deep into the Welsh mountains. Cold starts, long climbs, and striking scenery defined the days, with the reward of reaching the coast by bike making every effort feel worthwhile.

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The Seaside Divide - A coast-to-coast adventure linking two of Britain’s historic seaside towns.

This adventure is part of a bigger mission to complete a 460 mile, coast-to-coast route from Margate in Kent to Aberystwyth in Wales. We're undertaking the whole route in three sections, stitching together established cycle routes and sections of the National Cycle Network. This blog article recounts our adventure on section 3: Birmingham to Aberystwyth. Our previous journey on section 2: London to Birmingham, found here. With luck, section 1: Margate to London, will be tackled in early 2026.

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Day 1 - Birmingham to Shrewsbury

Our trip started beneath the glass canopy of Birmingham New Street Station, in keeping with the end of our previous London to Birmingham ride. It was mid-October, and autumn was very much present — damp air, muted light, and leaves already turning red and gold. The forecast had promised sunshine, but we set off to grey skies and a fine drizzle, the city was busy and slick with rain. The Birmingham Canal led us west — once the beating heart of the Industrial Revolution, when narrowboats carried coal and iron through a dense maze of waterways to power the “Workshop of the World.” Today, the route felt almost forgotten. Reflections of autumn shimmered in still water alongside derelict cranes, brick warehouses and rusting ironwork, all softened by a faint mist.

Just outside Smethwick, bankside repairs had closed a short section of the canal towpath. The rerouting signage wasn't great and we found ourselves taking a wrong turn into an old derelict yard. Crumbling walls, puddles, a dead end and a naval gun were all encountered within a few hundred metres before rejoining the towpath beneath the looming concrete of the M5.

What struck us most was how far the waterways carried us without seeing the city. Mile after mile slipped by quietly, the canal threading its way through the urban sprawl all the way to Wolverhampton, leaving us amazed at the distance covered almost unnoticed.

Passing through Wolverhampton brought a reminder that this wasn’t just an industrial town, but a cultural one too. In the late 20th century it became an important centre of the UK Black Arts Movement, home to the BLK Art Group, whose artists challenged racism and reshaped British contemporary art. Layered with histories of labour, migration, and creativity, it felt fitting to move through the city at bicycle pace. Beyond Wolverhampton, we joined the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal, where the clouds began to thin and the grey slowly lifted.

Our first stop came at Codsall, still with a chunky 32 miles to go and already 2pm. Our pace along the canal had been steady but not particularly quick. Then it was on past the RAF base at Cosford, a glimpse of hangars, history, and a Hunter fighter jet, before the route wound into Telford, where a new housing development confused the GPS and briefly convinced us we’d strayed off course.

By mid-afternoon the light had changed completely — clouds thinning, warmth breaking through. A quick coffee stop outside Wellington, and then the best stretch of the day: open lanes, soft air, hedgerows turning amber, that quiet that only arrives once the city is far behind.

We met the River Severn at Uffington, following its curves as the evening light deepened, the water turning silver beneath the trees. The path led us right into Shrewsbury, a town steeped in history with half-timbered buildings, cobbled streets. and low-ceilinged pubs. And also our rest stop at the end of the first day west.

Day 2 - Shrewsbury to Llanidloes

It was a misty, cold start leaving Shrewsbury, the kind of morning where you wonder if thicker gloves and knee warmers would’ve been a good idea. The town was quiet as we rolled out, but a few miles in — with the legs turning over — the chill faded and the day began to open up.

We crossed into the Welsh Borders, following quiet lanes through old villages — empty roads, stone cottages, and the faint smell of woodsmoke drifting from chimneys. It felt like a gentler world from yesterday’s industrial past, steady miles through soft greens all the way to the base of Long Mountain. Once a natural border defence between England and Wales — dotted with Iron Age hillforts — today it was simply our first proper climb: a long, steady haul up and over, rewarded with wide views down towards Welshpool and a rather spritely descent down the other side.

Welshpool has long been a gateway town between England and mid-Wales, shaped by its position on the border and overlooked by Powis Castle, which has watched over the Severn valley for centuries. We stopped there for coffee, cakes and sausage rolls at Coco Café — exactly what we needed and highly recommended. Setting off again, the temperature dropped sharply. The comforting warmth of the town fading quickly provoking Tim to pull on his rather snazzy colour coordinated gloves.

From Welshpool we joined the Montgomery Canal, which runs loosely parallel to the River Severn almost all the way to Newtown. Built in the early 19th century to move limestone and agricultural goods, much of it fell into disuse and disrepair after the arrival of the railways. The towpath was good fast gravel, but the old canal itself often looked barely navigable — dark, still water often dense with reeds. It didn’t feel forgotten though. Instead, it felt reclaimed and renewed: alive with birds and movement, a quiet haven for wildlife beneath the changing colour of the trees.

At Abermule, just before Newtown, the waterways reached a kind of paradoxical perfection — the Severn on our left, fast and noisy with white water and smooth rock and the canal on our right, dark and motionless. One restless, one completely still.

From Newtown, the easy miles were over. The final leg to Llanidloes was pure mid-Wales — quiet hills, sheep-dotted fields and short, steep climbs that found every bit of weariness in our legs. The light dropped, the air cooled and we switched on our lights to roll into Llanidloes, the first proper stop in the Cambrian Mountains. We checked into The Mount Inn where the food was excellent and the beer even better.

Day 3 - LLanidloes to Aberystwyth

We stared out of the pub window at another cold, misty morning while tucking into a full Welsh breakfast. It was tricky deciding what to wear in these conditions — we’d sweat on the uphills and chill on the downhills and riding on the flat wasn’t the answer, we were in Wales after all!

We mentally divided the day into three sections, with obligatory coffee stops to match. The first was to Rhayader, the second through the Elan Valley and the final leg — the long run from the Cambrian Mountains down to the sea.

Straight after breakfast came a steep climb to Llangurig, following the Wye Valley Walk, a mix of neat hedge lined farm roads, open fields and dedicated cycle trails. Our legs were heavy from two long days hauling panniers, but the scenery made up for it and the descent that followed into Rhayader was reward enough. The town itself has long been a gateway to mid-Wales, historically linked to sheep droving and mining, and a place I had enjoyed the hospitality of on one of my previous adventure.

After Rhayader, we continued into the Elan Valley, a landscape shaped as much by human endeavour as by nature. The series of reservoirs and dams, built between 1893 and 1904 to supply water to Birmingham, were engineering marvels of their time, blending Victorian ambition with spectacular natural scenery. We stopped for tea and cake at the Elan Valley Visitor Centre, almost missing it entirely, as the trail runs high above the river while the centre sits tucked in the valley below. By then, the clouds were beginning to break, and halfway up the valley the sun finally came through properly — warm, golden and long overdue. The Elan Valley trail wound through woodland and open hillsides, the reservoirs edged with trees just starting to turn. Birch and oak leaned over the path and higher up the slopes it opened out to bracken, grass, and bare rock. Dark bands of pine cut across the hillsides and with each bend the valley opened a little more, until between Garreg-ddu Reservoir and Penygarreg Reservoir the dark stone dam, pine forests and a tumbling river looked more like Bavaria than mid-Wales.

We took our time, stopping to chat with cyclists and walkers who were just as taken by the surroundings. The sun and gentle climb had us shedding layers as we eased up the gravel track. At barely five miles an hour, we were happy to slow the pace and savour the scenery, not in any rush for it to end.

After crossing a small bridge at the head of the reservoir, the landscape immediately opened out into rolling Welsh hills, bare on either side but kept well manicured by flocks of blue spray-painted sheep. After a rather punchy twelve per cent incline, which felt more like twenty, we stopped for lunch on a grassy bank next to the A470, just past the northern end of Craig Goch Reservoir. We were only a couple of miles from our highest point of the day, after that, the much anticipated 25-mile descent to the coast would begin.

The route to the sea flits between on-and off-road sections, some of the latter quite rough. After a quick stop in "The Tea Shed" to refill our water bottles we pressed on down the valley. The stretch that winds along the Afon Ystwyth at Pont-rhyd-y-groes was particularly striking — shallow, fast-flowing white water bordered by tall pines, almost Canadian in feel. Although warm in the sun, every dip into the shade of trees or hillsides brought the cold rushing back, downhill speed forcing us to zip up our jackets and tuck our fingers behind the brake levers for added protection. But the skies were blue, the colours vivid and morale high as we pressed on into the final stretch.

Around LLanafan, after a ridiculously steep twenty meter bike push, we picked up another disused railway. It began as a moss- and fern-covered cutting, with a distinctly prehistoric feel before opening to a long gravel track, arched with oak and birch, their leaves glowing gold in the low sun. From there, the final miles continued to trace the River Ystwyth, weaving through woodland and isolated homesteads, switching between smooth tarmac and rough gravel before rolling into Aberystwyth.

The town, steeped in Victorian seaside architecture and centuries of maritime history, welcomed us with the sun dipping toward the horizon and the promise of a pint waiting somewhere along the seafront.

165 miles over three days. From Birmingham’s industrial canals to the monumental reservoirs of the Elan Valley — both feats of engineering on a grand scale. One woven through a city, the other carved deep into wild Welsh landscapes. A route that takes in mountains, forests and rivers all the way to the sea at Aberystwyth. Wales once again at its finest. Every climb, bend and descent well worth the effort.

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How we cycled NCN81 / Lon Cambria

Route

165 miles (265km) | 2,725m ascent | 11 climbs | max grade 19% The route is comprised of three main sections: Birmingham to Shrewsbury, Shrewsbury to Llanidloes and Llanidloes to Aberystwyth. We undertook the route over three days of just over 50 miles per day to align with this split. The latter two sections - Shrewsbury to Aberystwyth - are the route titled "Lon Cambria". Lon Cambria is mainly formed of the western end of NCN81, aside for a short section from Llanidloes to Rhayader where it shares the superb NCN8, Lon Las Cymru. Interestingly, the Walk Wheel Cycle Trust suggest the route is ridden from Aberystwyth to Shrewsbury, presumably in the traditional west / east direction to suit the UK's prevailing wind, however many (including cycle.travel) advocate the east / west direction which makes for a far more satisfying adventure. Given our overall "Seaside Divide" ambitions and the fact our last ride finished in Birmingham, we added an extra day to the Lon Cambria route to start where we left off. NCN 5 took us out of Birmingham New Street station to Smethwick where it then changed to NCN81. As advised by the Walk Wheel Cycle Trust, the cycleway signage isn't technically complete between Wolverhampton & Telford and Shrewsbury & Welshpool but the .gpx route exists, so is easy enough to follow on a GPS head unit. There were a few short sections of the canals that were undergoing bankside repairs at the time of our ride. Finding a way round was either signposted or simple enough to work out when on the ground. We also switched sides of the canal on a few occasions, in particular just above Dudley, where the path appeared better on the other side. A new housing development at Priorslee, to the east of Telford, had us scratching our heads for a few minutes. Hopefully by the time you ride this, the route will be re-instated and signed accordingly. The route into Wolverhampton was a little tricky as the cycle route along the canal to the south of Wolverhampton was closed for repair forcing us up onto the Horseley Fields Road. The actual route here is slightly convoluted, passing under a series of bridges at canal level, past the turning into the city, then doubling back to bring you up to street level to enter via Railway Drive.

Clicking on the map (title) above takes you to the Ride with GPS route we used for this adventure. It follows the NCN routes mentioned above, plus fills in the gaps where the route isn't complete. Feel free to download the route to use as the basis for your own adventure.

Terrain

Surfaces: 82% paved | 18% unpaved

The terrain is classic National Cycle Network and any gravel, hybrid or touring bike with around a 35mm touring tyre would suit. The early section next to the canals are flat, as you'd expect, with a small hill to scale when going through Telford. The paths next to the canals vary in width but do get quite narrow in places, particularly when passing under the numerous bridges on the Montgomery Canal. Take care or plan alternatives if you are uncomfortable cycling close to open water. Long Mountain, just before Welshpool, is fairly chunky but it's a tarmac road is easy cycling even if you'll wish you had an extra low gear or two. There's another hill just after Newtown and then a few more lumps as you climb into Llanidloes. After this the Welsh undulation starts, but the cycleways are surprisingly good. Arriving at the Elan Valley, the terrain turns to good quality gravel tracks. After this it's on and off-road all the way to the main spine of the Cambrian Mountains, then more of the same all the way to coast. There is a rather unexpected bike push up a 33% incline through the woods to meet the old railway line at Pen-y-bont, just below Llanafan. I thought I'd tackled the steep incline as I arrived at an old bridge gasping for breath, until I realised that I had reached a false summit. The path scrabbled up to the right at over 30% for a further 10 meters or so! This whole section is very short, perhaps only a few hundred meters, so a short bike push won't materially affect your riding time and can be by-passed by taking the road.

Audax Card

Day 1 - Birmingham to Shrewsbury. 55 miles (88.5km) | 565m ascent | max grade 12%

Birmingham, Smethwick (4), Tipton (10), Wolverhampton (15), Codsall (22), Albrighton (25.5), Cosford Airstrip (27), Shifnal (31), Telford east (34), Telford west (41), Wrockwardine (42), Withington (46), Upton Magna (48), Uffington (50), Shrewsbury (55).

Day 2 - Shrewsbury to Llanidloes. 57 miles (92km) | 1230m ascent | max grade 19%

Shrewsbury, Montford Bridge (5), Wilcott (10), Crewgreen (15), Long Mountain (21), Welshpool (27), Berriew / Aberriw (33), *Abermule (37), Newtown (42), Caersws (49), Llanidloes (57)

Day 3 - Llanidloes to Aberystwyth. 56 miles (90km) | 1060m ascent | max grade 19% (33%)

Llanidloes, LLangurig (5), Rhayader (15), Elan Village (18), Penygarreg Dam (22), Craig yr Allt-goch Dam (23.5), Pont ar Elan (northern end of the reservoirs) (26.5), Pont-rhyd-y-groes (40), Bike push up 33% track through woods at Pen-y-bont (43.5), LLanilar (49), Rhydyfelin (53), Aberystwyth (55.6)

* indicates locations just off the main route

Getting to the start

Birmingham New Street train station is well connected and makes travel to the start easy enough. If you are driving, parking here may be a little more tricky and certainly quite expensive. Parking slightly out of town, perhaps at Smethwick, may be easier in order to find cheap parking and is on the same train route back from the coast. Due to our particular circumstances we chose to drive to Shrewsbury, where we parked the car and spent a night before commencing our adventure. On the first day of the ride, we caught the train to Birmingham New Street station and rode back to Shrewsbury to complete Day one of the trip. This meant we didn't have to carry panniers on the first day and significantly shortened the train journey back from the coast at the end of the trip. We also chose to stop over in Aberystwyth on our last day to enjoy a relaxing meal and drink, without the pressure of having to catch a late train or drive home after a long days cycling.

When to go

Given the 'four-seasons-in-one-day' Welsh weather, and the fact you're in the mountains for the third day, I'd definitely suggest opting for the better weather months. We undertook our adventure in early October, which provided us with cool riding temperatures but beautiful Autumn colours. I wouldn't leave it much later in the year, so opt for late April to early October.

Accommodation

• Day 1 - Premier Inn Shrewsbury Town Centre, Smithfield Rd, Shrewsbury SY1 1PG.

• Day 2 - The Mount Inn, China St, Llanidloes SY18 6AB. 01686 412 247

• Day 3 - Premier Inn Aberystwyth Hotel, 36-37 Marine Terrace, Aberystwyth SY23 2NN.

We've been using Premier Inn hotels as part of our adventures for years. They're great value, offer superb facilities and are bike friendly. Our stop over in the Premier Inn in Shrewsbury was actually an extension of a business trip and suited us well but if we stayed in Shrewsbury again, it would be great to try and sample something with a little more character and more in keeping with the olde-worlde town. At the end of our trip we decided to stay over in Aberystwyth to avoid the rush home after a long days cycling.

Eating

Food and drink was never really too far away during the first couple of days, albeit requiring a slight deviation off route to get it. Shrewsbury had a vast selection of olde-worlde pubs and well worth sampling a few if you have the time. As mentioned above, due to the fact we stayed in Shrewsbury for a couple of nights, we got to sample a double share of pubs and restaurants! Stock up well in Rhayader for the second part of day 3, as beyond the Elan Valley visitor centre the route becomes remote pretty much all the way to Aberystwyth some 35 miles away.

• Starbucks Coffee, Hadley, Telford, TF1 6SZ

• The Three Fishes (Pub), 3-4 Fish St, Shrewsbury SY1 1UR. 01743 344 793

• The Beefy Boys, 39 High St, Shrewsbury SY1 1ST. 01743 535 047

• Ask Italian, 23 High St, Shrewsbury SY1 1SJ. 01743 384 245

• Premier Inn Shrewsbury Town Centre, Smithfield Rd, Shrewsbury SY1 1PG.

• Coco Coffee House, 34 Broad St, Welshpool SY21 7RR. 01938 552 366

• The Mount Inn, China St, Llanidloes SY18 6AB. 01686 412 247

• Elan Valley Visitor Centre, Elan Valley, Rhayader LD6 5HP. 01597 810 880

• The Tea Shed, Ysbyty Ystwyth, Wales, United Kingdom

• Aber Dining (Indian Restaurant), 20 N Parade, Aberystwyth SY23 2NF. 01970210289

Comfort and Convenience stuff

The route has a good mix of urban and remote trails. On the whole you'll find yourself fairly close to some form of toilet facilities however as the route moves into the Welsh mountains, these get trickier to find. In the mountains there are plenty of secluded areas for a quick stop if you're comfortable with an outdoor view. There are a number of convenience stores in the towns and villages the route passes through, supplying food, drink and essentials. Bike repair and maintenance are relatively well catered for given the large towns and cities the route passes in its early stages; however the mountains present very limited options.

Equipment

Bike:

The route is best suited to a touring, hybrid or gravel bike. National Cycle Network routes always seem to feature a slightly rough section of trail so a fast rolling tyre, with a reasonable width and degree of tread, would be ideal. A hardtail MTB with reasonably fast rolling tyres would also be ok. The route is not suitable for a road bike. A good selection of essential bike repair tools and spare parts would be handy due to the remoteness of the route in the Welsh mountains.

Kit:

We both carried a variation on the list below; this being my personal kit:

• Fairlight Secan 2.5, running Schwalbe Marathon Mondial 700 x 35 tyres; a 2x 30/46T x 11-36t Shimano GRX mechanical drivetrain.

• Ortlieb "Quick Rack" pannier rack, with Ortlieb Sport Roller Core (2 x 14.5ltr) panniers, Tailfin top tube bag (0.8ltr), Tailfin Half Frame Bag (3.8ltr) and a no-brand bar dump pouch (0.8ltr)

• Cycling clothes: Helmet, gloves x 2, glasses, cycling shoes, cycling bib shorts x 3, wool cycle jersey x 3, cycle gilet, arm warmers, neck buff, overshoes and waterproof jacket.

• Casual clothes: Down jacket, light weight fleece, zip off trousers, socks, underwear, light weight trainers.

• Wash kit, towel and first aid / medical items. Inc. chamois cream and sun cream

• Mobile phone, Garmin 830 GPS, GoPro Hero 10, charger, cables.

• Comprehensive set of bike tools, including: innertubes, pump, CO2 gas, chain lubricant, spare bike parts (derailleur hanger, bolts, cables etc.)

• Front and rear lights, bike lock, bell.

• 1.5 ltrs (2 x water bottles) carried on the bike

• Snacks.

Final thoughts

Lôn Cambria had been on the list for a while, and linking it with the Birmingham stretch of NCN81 worked exceptionally well. It also served as a reminder that there are countless great cycling adventures already waiting in the UK, without the need to chase the latest, more vogue “bikepacking” routes.

The journey stitched together places that felt worlds apart: industrial canals and forgotten towpaths, border towns and empty lanes, engineered valleys and open mountains. The section through the Elan Valley was simply stunning and brought back memories of my ride along Lôn Las Cymru — a reminder of just how good cycling in Wales can be.

As a three-day ride, this adventure stands comfortably alongside some of the finest routes out there. And as the final leg of the Seaside Divide, it feels like a fitting way to finish — rolling steadily from sea to sea, having experienced all that is possible on a modern bike packing route. Happy Adventuring!