Route 47 Preseli Hills Tips please

Cycle-touring, Expeditions, Adventures, Major cycle routes NOT LeJoG (see other special board)
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BritishEagle
Posts: 31
Joined: 20 Apr 2021, 7:17pm

Route 47 Preseli Hills Tips please

Post by BritishEagle »

Three of us (2+child) are planning the Carmarthen to Fishguard round trip via Route 47 and Route 4. My question is about the Crymych to Fishguard section. There seems to be an alternative route out of Crymych which loops north around the hills and looks easier. Is the original 47 route through Rosebush much more scenic and worth the extra effort? We would probably stop here for our first night camp if so. Thanks :)
ChrisF
Posts: 665
Joined: 22 Mar 2014, 7:34pm

Re: Route 47 Preseli Hills Tips please

Post by ChrisF »

If you plot the routes on a route-planning app (e.g. https://cycle.travel/map/journey/246471) then yes, it's easy to see that going further north is less hilly (290m instead of 490m climbing). I rode most of those roads eailier this year; I can't recall which is more scenic but the northen route (which includes part of route 82) is actually more 'inside' the Presili hills area. There's also a nice little microbrewery / cafe at Cilgwyn :)
Chris F, Cornwall
Richard Fairhurst
Posts: 2030
Joined: 2 Mar 2008, 4:57pm
Location: Charlbury, Oxfordshire

Re: Route 47 Preseli Hills Tips please

Post by Richard Fairhurst »

They're both lovely routes indeed. If you follow the northerly one you'll go via the gorgeous Cwm Gwaun and the Dyffryn Arms (Bessie's) at Pontfaen, which is an astonishing time-capsule of a pub - seemingly unchanged for 50 years. But the southern option, i.e. NCN 47 itself, has a real austere quality to it. If you're riding with a kid I'd probably take the northern route simply because there's less climbing.
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BritishEagle
Posts: 31
Joined: 20 Apr 2021, 7:17pm

Re: Route 47 Preseli Hills Tips please

Post by BritishEagle »

I can now answer my own question- the south route is glorious. I think we met maybe 2 cars and 6 tractors the whole day; no cyclists oddly enough.
1000m of ascent, apparently, but brilliant if there’s no headwind. It was a good warm up for the rest of the ride around the coast!
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