A calm night but very misty by morning. The daytime temperatures yesterday were in the 20s but had dropped to 9degC overnight. Last night was the first time I’d used my new Higear sleeping mat. I found it excellent and better than the thermarest mat that de-laminated on my trip last month. The Higear is less than one third of the price at £25. Packing away was very uncomfortable because of the clouds of midges and I needed to put a bag with eyeholes over my head when outside.

Midge repellent

The anti-insect spray I’d brought didn’t make a scrap of difference. My original plan was to descend the mountain road directly to Rhayader but a closer look at the map revealed that a series of reservoirs to the south would be a more scenic route. I took the branch right on the descent and could just make out the highest of the reservoirs through the mist. Although the road was generally close to the top water level it had quite a few undulations. I noticed a group of back-packers heading up the hillside and vanishing into the cloud.

Bike and information board

 
Don't cycle through picnics

Don't pick the flowers

The few farmers I saw driving their land rovers and trailers would pass without a wave of recognition which is what I usually get as a solo cyclist. The first reservoir was Craig Goch and I stopped at the dam to have a look. Craig Goch Dam is topmost of a series of dams in the Elan Valley, built by the City of Birmingham from 1893 to 1904 to supply Birmingham with drinking water. The scheme involved the construction of 4 dams, an aqueduct 126 km long, and a village for construction workers. The height of the reservoirs enabled water to reach the outskirts of Birmingham by gravity alone, without the expense of pumping. Across the valley was a track which appears to be a cycle track.

Craig Goch dam

Craig Goch dam

There were back packers on that too. Pen Y Garreg followed then Garreg Ddu (Caban Goch) which seemed to have a turbine house. The road continued fairy flat and I followed it to Rhayeder. The town didn’t seem particularly interesting so I didn’t stop but continued up a very long straight climb nthen descent towards St Harmon. I descended into St Harmon and saw a ‘open - teas’ sign outside St Garmon's Church or St Harmon Church. It was rebuilt in 1821 on an earlier site. I rode through the gate and up to the church porch.

Lovely ladies of St Harmon

A lady was there and invited me it. It looked like a ladies coffee morning so I sat down with them and £1.50 (I gave £2) got me a cup of tea and as much cake as I wanted. It was a very nice stop with food and conversation. Perhaps the farmers of Wales could take some tips from the ladies. I followed narrow lanes to the A483 which I only joined for a short way before turning left to an even smaller road heading steeply up thought trees. It was so steep I had to push the bike.

St Garmon's Church

The lane continued very narrow with grass growing along the middle. As I got higher I was able to see the surrounding hills which weren’t as high as I’d passed through. The morning mist had cleared and the high cloud began to clear as well allowing the day to warm up considerably. I came to a farm where the road degenerated to a dusty track and seemed to end at a gate. At first I though I may have taken a wrong turn but a rough tarmac track on the other side of the gate indicated I hadn’t. Through the gate I pushed my bike up a very steep hill and a sheep droppings covered road to another gate where things improved considerably.

Rough road

The road ran flat across a wonderful area of grassy plateau before descending to a larger road. It was now getting warmer and the temperature was over 30degC and patches of tarmac on the road were melting. It was strange that apart from one land rover I hadn’t seen a car for over an hour. I came to the line of the railway and generally followed its line to Knucklas where I stopped to look at the spectacular 13-arch span railway viaduct completed by the Central Wales Railway in 1865 which passes over the valley. One end was castellated and looked very impressive.

Knucklas viaduct

I soon came to the B4355 and followed it to Knighton. This is where Offa’s Dyke crosses the road and there was an information building at the location. I didn’t investigate but continued through the town to the Spar shop to buy a 5lt container of water. While riding the temperature was 32degC but when I stopped to go into the shop it rose to 34. I left the town by the Railway station and soon left the road for a minor road which ran parallel to the railway line. The road was in a very bad condition, full of deep ruts and covered in loose gravel. I was glad to emerge at Bucknell where I continued along the B4367. The heat had melted large areas of the road surface making for some interesting tyre noises as I rode. It was now time to find somewhere to camp for the night as I’d almost done 50miles.

Coxall Baptist Church

Farm vehicles were preparing to leave a field to the left so I though I’d ask if it was OK to camp in the field. As I approached both vehicles drove on to the road and away so I didn’t get chance to ask. A short way further on was the isolated Coxall Baptist Church which dates from around 1861. The main graveyard was at the front but behind the brick church was a grassy area with a few graves but a larger mown area that was clear. I decided to stop here.