The Heart of Wales Line is one of Britain’s great scenic rural railways, winding for 121 miles between Shrewsbury and Swansea through some of the most unspoilt countryside in the country. With request stops at some of its 34 tiny stations, dramatic crossings of the Knucklas and Cynghordy viaducts, and a tunnel through the hills at Sugar Loaf, home to the most remote and isolated railway station in Wales, it is a line that has long captured the imagination of railway enthusiasts and casual travellers alike. This short break puts the line to genuinely practical use, combining it with quiet lane cycling to explore mid Wales without ever needing a car.
Based in Builth Wells, a handsome market town on the River Wye best known for hosting the Royal Welsh Show, this tour makes the most of the surrounding countryside’s gentle valleys and rolling hills. Nearby, the spa towns of Llandrindod Wells, Llangammarch Wells and Llanwrtyd Wells, all strung along the railway line, retain a genteel, unhurried Victorian charm, while red kites wheel constantly overhead across the open Epynt hills and the wooded Radnor Forest between Llandrindod and Knighton.
The railway itself has a fascinating history, built up piecemeal between the 1850s and 1868 by a succession of small Welsh railway companies before being absorbed into the London and North Western Railway, which used the route as its own link through to Swansea. The line follows three distinct river valleys in turn, the broad, pastoral Tywi, the dramatic gorge at Cynghordy, and the winding upland Irfon beyond Llanwrtyd Wells, each with its own very different character, offering a properly varied backdrop for a few days spent exploring by bike.
What makes this part of mid Wales so well suited to a combined rail and cycling break is precisely this network of small stations dotted along quiet, lightly trafficked valleys. Rather than cycling the same lanes there and back, riders can hop aboard the train to cover ground quickly, reach a different starting point for the next day’s ride, or simply enjoy the view, making it possible to explore a genuinely wide area without excessive daily mileage or unnecessary repetition.
For anyone conscious of their carbon footprint, or simply looking for a properly eco-friendly short break, Heart of Wales offers a rare and rewarding combination, quiet, beautiful cycling country linked together by one of the most scenic and characterful railway lines in Britain, all without the need for a car at any point in the journey.
Discover the unspoilt countryside of the heart of Wales on this three-day tour of Powys based around Builth Wells. If you are concerned about your carbon footprint, this is the ideal eco-break, since all travel throughout is by train and bicycle, with no compromise on comfort or quality. There are no set departure dates, simply choose when you would like to start your tour and we will arrange the rest. Our Heart of Wales package includes pick-up and drop-off at either Abergavenny or Hereford railway station at the start and end of the tour, your ticket and reservation for travel on the Heart of Wales Line, three nights’ accommodation in quality B&Bs and guesthouses, daily luggage transfer, emergency vehicle back-up, custom maps with your daily ride highlighted, a detailed route guide with directions and background information, and a well-equipped 27-speed hybrid bike complete with handlebar bag, puncture repair kit, cycle computer, first aid kit, lock and water bottle.
Day 1: Arrive in Builth Wells Make your own way to Builth Wells, ideally by train along the Heart of Wales Line itself, and settle in for the evening ready to explore the surrounding countryside.
Day 2: Builth Wells to Llandrindod Wells and back A gentle loop along quiet lanes to the genteel spa town of Llandrindod Wells, with fine views towards the Radnor Forest, before returning to Builth Wells for the night.
Day 3: Train to Llanwrtyd Wells, cycle the Irfon Valley Board the train for the spectacular ride to Llanwrtyd Wells, crossing the Sugar Loaf summit, before cycling back down the beautiful Irfon Valley to Builth Wells, keeping an eye out for red kites overhead.
Day 4: Depart Enjoy a final morning in Builth Wells before making your way home.
(Itinerary shown as an example – rides, train connections and daily distances can be adjusted to suit fitness levels and interests.)
