My iPhone conked out and I lost access to my brilliant OS map app. I lost myself for a while too. Left my broken compass at home. My unerring sense of direction (ahem) failed me on the high green plateau of the Cambrian Mountains. Never mind. I saw some interesting off-grid communal living but also one too many barbed-wire fences impeding my progress.
I started in Rhayader central bus station. A commodious car-park there, neatly tucked in on a sloping site. I left my car here and caught the rather marvellous X47 bus to the first village on the Wye; Llangurig. Great chat with the local sub-postmaster - who, like me is a fan of the 20mph speed limit. Off I set. Plenty of up and down on the green common land high above the village. Common land is a rare thing in modern Britain. Didnt we all share it a thousand years ago? The normans have a lot to answer for; the aristos have never loosened their grip on what should be our common heritage.
I had lovely spot of "splish-splash" fording the Nant Clochfaen. A tiny stream that drains into the wye below. All was good. Bumped into a chap who lived locally but hada london connection too. Enjoyed his rant about over-fancy modern building vernaculars. He favoured brutalist concrete. Lunched on the verge of a quiet land and headed off for the east bank of the Wye and climbed up high on the russet and khaki coloured hills. Passed Gilfach and looked out for some archaeology. Found it but then lost my way a bit and came down the wrong side. I entered my destination of rhaeadr from an unintended direction!
Watch the video and see how I got on.
Here is the route i should have taken BTW
https://explore.osmaps.com/route/21315426/llangurig-to-rhayader-wvw2?lat=52.358497&lon=-3.628813&zoom=11.0416&style=Leisure&type=2d