Top Gear Roads Driving Routes
One of our main activities is the enjoyment of driving those excellent local Welsh roads within easy reach of our homes. We include great driving roads that you may recognise from Top Gear programmes and magazine photoshoots. We have refined our routes over the years, including having to stop doing one of them thanks to the traffic police: the A4069 from Llangadog to Brynamman is one of the best driving roads in the country but was ruined a few years ago when 40 mph Average Speed Cameras were installed. Recently (December 2024) there were reports of the cameras being cur down so we may give the route a go again this year.
We have now settled on the following four routes, each of which we try to include each year. These are the default routes, starting in Llanllwni at the junction of B4336 and the A485 (what3words: ///snooping.educates. panting). Northern routes normally include breakfast at the Woodlands Tea Rooms in Devil’s Bridge and all routes usually end at Lloyds Fish & Chip Shop in Lampeter, but may vary slightly on the day.
Top Gear Roads North – Clywedog route
Llanllwni – Lampeter – Pontrhydfendegaid – Devil’s Bridge – Nantymoch Dam – Talybont – Machynlleth – Dylife – Clywedog Dam – Llanidloes – Llangurig – Rhyader – Newbridge-on-Wye – Beulah – Llanwrtyd Wells – Tirabad – Epynt Ranges – Llywel – Llandovery – Llanwrda – Lampeter Fish & Chips ~200 miles
Top Gear Roads North – Elan Valley Route
Llanllwni – Lampeter – Pontrhydfendegaid – Devil’s Bridge – Cwmystwyth – Craig Goch Dam – Elan Valley Visitor Centre – Rhyader – Newbridge-on-Wye – Beulah – Llanwrtyd Wells – Tirabad – Epynt Ranges – Llywel – Llandovery – Llanwrda – Lampeter Fish & Chips. ~125 miles
Top Gear Roads – South
Llanllwni – Llansawel – Porthyrhyd – Llyn Brianne Reservoir – Devil’s Staircase – Abergwesyn – Beulah- Garth – Upper & Lower Chapel – Brecon – Libanus – Sennybridge – Trecastle – Usk Reservoir – Llandeilo – Talley – Harford – Lampeter Fish & Chips. ~120miles
Top Gear Roads – West
Newcastle Emlyn – Cenarth – Boncath – Clynderwen – Haverfordwest – Newgale – St David’s – Croesgoch – Goodwick – Llanychaer – Tafarn Sinc – Eglwyswrw – Boncath – Cenarth – disperse. ~95 miles
Top Gear Roads – South including A4069
Llanllwni – Llansawel – Crugybar – Llansadwrn – Llandovery (breakfast in the Owls’ Nest) – Llangadog – Brynamman – Ystalyfera – Abercraf – Glynneath – Hirwaun – Libanus (stop at the T’air Bull Inn) – Brecon – Llangammarch Wells – Tirabad – Epynt Ranges – Llywel – Llandovery – Porthyrhyd – Lampeter Fish & Chips. ~170 miles/9 hours