Llangollen to Tanat Light Railway – Magical Mystery Tour

A decent sleep and packed by 9.45 and off, down the track to Llangollen. (‘Track’ – railway terminology). A cool but dry day and a cheap but lovely full English in town.

The town is a canal centre, steam train centre, historical centre and a beautiful location. I’m becoming a Taffyphile.

The Offa’s Dyke Path ran along valley floors today but I wasn’t finished with mountains. I found a route to Trefonen, where I was headed, which climbed two serious hills and took me down narrow country lanes. After half an hour I was questioning my sanity as I gasped for breath up the steep slope. But looking back was worth it.

Over the top of the hill the track dropped down for a couple of miles to a small village on a river and then kicked up a rougher track to the top of the second hill. This was not as steep but higher. Again, looking back was lovely. 

A few miles over the top of the hill I met Offa’s Dyke Path and carried on along it. King Offa may not have defined the Welsh/English border but the Path certainly straddles it most of the way down. Switching backwards and forwards. 



The path cut across fields and through ancient woods where things got very Lord of the Rings. Treebeard in person. Look at those beechy toes.

Then it dropped down to a stone seat with a stone roof, custom made for Gandalf, Strider and Elrond. Sat around having a chat about the Ring and things. Shooting the breeze. Killing Orcs. Normal Wednesday afternoon in Lorien.



Climbing up out of the valley was the first time I had seen Offa’s Dyke itself. Eroded and not as high or wide but still brooding over a thousand years since it was built. 

I was camping in Trefonen at Fron Farm and I walked up the posh drive to it when a 4×4 came up. I asked if I could camp there and he said they didn’t take campers or caravans and never had. My research and planning was cack. There was another campsite which I’d contacted but didn’t get back to me. The bloke with the 4×4 said they could put me up at the local pub. The local pub said I could camp out back on their AstroTurf as long as I didn’t knock pegs in??? I had no signal so they rang local B&bs and the nice people in the bar all tried to help. 

Eventually a bloke in the corner, Mike Thorpe, said he was a volunteer at Tanat Light Valley Railway and he would drop me off there to camp. What a star!

There were real trains in this quiet valley. And if you look over my shoulder above you can see the fireplace and wood remaining from a hippy weekend. Wow! I was tired but I couldn’t resist a fire. Particularly when Mike gave me a bag of tea, toilet rolls, blankets, fire lighters and a gas lighter. 

All by myself. 

Night night.