Mid Wales - Elan Valley

 

We did this ride to check out the route for a club ride sometime in September.  As well as having a good ride it was an opportunity to get away in the van and camp.  

The Elan Valley reservoirs were built around the 1890's by the Birmingham Water Corporation to provide clean drinking water for Birmingham.  Rivers were dammed to create these lakes.

As you can see it's a bleak but beautiful area, and we were very lucky with the weather, no rain!!  Its not a ride you want to be doing in pouring rain as there's no escape. 

These are the remains of the silver and lead mines.  Mining has been done here since Roman times  and reached a peak in the 18th. century.  Many miners died young with an average age of 32, mainly due to lead poisoning.

This arch was built in 1809  to commemorate the jubilee of King George 111.  It was built over the old toll road 1 1/2 miles from devils Bridge.

All pictures taken on Nikon Coolpix L27

Chester

At last a trip away in the van as campsites are open, but not all their facilities are fully open until the 17th May.  So it was "strip washing" for as few days !!

As the weather was not good we went to Chester as there's plenty to occupy you in bad weather and it was bad, when it wasn't raining we had hail and sleet with frosts at night.  We've been to Chester when the kids were small and walked the walls so we didnt do the whole circuit this time.   

First impressions of Chester streets is that they look very old, and there are some very old bits, but most it was created by the Victorians who went for the mock Tudor look in a big way.

 The cathedral and gardens are always good.

Bridgegate

The Shropshire Union canal runs through Chester .

Bus station

Not that busy as there are restrictions on the numbers travelling on the buses.

It was good to get away and see that certain aspects of "normality" are slowly returning.  Its things you have taken for granted on previous trips that you miss, like stopping off for a coffee  a beer and a snack, and yes we had all of these ,but sitting / standing outside in the cold is not the same.

But we are getting there.

"New" camera

When I'm cycling I like a pocket camera as I find it quicker to use than my phone.  I have used a Canon Ixus, but the lens cover broke and whilst it still works fine,  but when it's in my pocket the lens tends to get dusty and damp.

 So I decided to get a cheap replacement , .....£12 from eBay.  So far it works fine and I'm very pleased with it, and to be honest at that price if it gets wet, dropped or whatever its fine.

It's an old style Coolpix, which suits me as I didn't want one with a touch screen, as I sometimes take pictures whilst riding and the less buttons etc to touch the better, and the auto mode suits this.  Also its "chunkier" that the newer models and that makes it easier to hold.  It uses AA batteries, however the battery life is not so good compared to a lithium battery.

Here's some pictures.