Llandrindod Wells
Llandrindod Wells (Welsh: Llandrindod, informally Llandod) is a spa town in Radnorshire, Mid Wales.
Understand
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Llandegley International Airport closed in 2022, to much regret: in its 20 years it never suffered a flight delay, aircraft incident, unruly passenger, lost bag, stuck car-park barrier, or any of the other vicissitudes of the average airport. Thing is, it never existed. Nothing, not even a grass strip. A local man put up a spoof signpost by the A44 / A483 junction near Llandrindod Wells, the joke caught on, and so he maintained it at considerable personal expense. It was about as central in Wales as you can get, but even Ryanair couldn't pass it off as "Cardiff North", and in 2022 he called time on it.
Get in
[edit]
By train
[edit]- Llandrindod Wells is linked to Swansea and Shrewsbury by the famous Heart of Wales Line. Trains depart for the two-and-a-half hour journey to Swansea at 7:35AM, noon, 15:41PM and 7:56PM, and for the 1 hr 40 min journey to Shrewsbury at 6:18AM, 8:45AM, 12:01PM, 4:59PM and 9:19PM.
By bus
[edit]- During the week there are four buses a day from Cardiff (about three hours). The T4 TrawsCymru service continues as far as Newtown to the north.
- There are also buses from Aberystwyth and Hereford, as well as other local services.
By car
[edit]Get around
[edit]The centre of the town can easily be explored on foot.
See
[edit]- 1 The Rock Park. A peaceful woodland area with short walks down to Lovers' Leap, a rocky outcrop above the River Ithon.
- 2 The town's lake. It is popular with anglers and walkers. There's a cafe and playground there.
- 3 National Cycle Museum, Automobile Palace, Temple Street, ☏ +44 1597 825531, curator@cyclemuseum.org.uk. Tu–F 10AM–4PM. Over 250 bicycles of all ages on display, including a number of penny farthings. Also a lot of cycling memorabilia. £5 adults, £4 seniors, £2 children.
Do
[edit]Events
[edit]- Victorian Festival. 20-26 Aug 2018. Takes place every August. Includes free music concerts, a Victorian fun fair, parades, balls, a torchlit procession and fireworks on the last night.
- 1 Albert Hall. Watch some of the plays performed in the local Victorian theatre during the Drama Festival.
Buy
[edit]Middleton Street is the main shopping street and has some interesting independent shops. All in Middleton Street: Food from Van's Good Food Shop, a deli/health food shop. Household goods from old-fashioned hardware store Bradley's. Gifts from Caer Sidi and Porticus. Plants from Jack In The Green.
Eat
[edit]There are three chippies, two kebab shop takeaways and two Chinese takeaways. There's also an Indian restaurant, tea rooms, a greasy food cafe and two jacket potato/sandwich/healthier food option cafes.
- 1 Fabian's Kitchen, Albion House, Temple St, ☏ +44 1597 824642.
Drink
[edit]- Jules Wine Bar. Opposite the Automobile Museum you'll find this cosmopolitan watering hole. Tends to cater to middle-aged professionals though it's a safe, decent place so anyone should feel welcome. Also serves food.
- Metropole. The town's premier hotel's bar is the most interesting of all the hotel's public bars. Offering views of the town garden and cars and people making their way around town, the bar has very posh staff, and although expensive, opportunities to meet a diverse range of tourists or people visiting a conference make this the most refreshing place to drink in Llandrindod.
- The Log Cabin. Fairly reasonable prices at this pub. It's the most popular pub in town but can be rough and ready at peak times.
- Llanerch Inn. A quaint old world pub behind the police station. The interior is full of character and oozes traditional charm but expect expensive prices.
- V Club. The town's only nightclub is adjacent to the Log Cabin pub down an alley. It looks like a rickety shack from the outside but is astonishingly modern, clean and funky internally. Friday nights are lively throughout the year but only venture there on Saturday nights in the summer or expect a boring evening. Rejoice at the cheap drink prices - the cheapest in town and much more affordable than the pubs and hotel bars.
Sleep
[edit]
Budget
[edit]- Cwm Edw, Cwm Edw, ☏ +44 1982 570324, scilla.allaway@btinternet.com. 3 * first floor holiday flat, sleeping 4.
Mid-range
[edit]- The Yat, The Yat, Glascwm, ☏ +44 1982 570339, krystyna.zaremba@theyat.net.
Splurge
[edit]The town's three biggest hotels face each other across Temple Gardens:
- The Metropole Hotel & Spa, Temple Street, Llandrindod Wells, LD1 5DY, ☏ +44 1597 823700, info@metropole.co.uk. 24 hr. Check-in: 4PM, check-out: 11AM. A family-owned 4* 1896-built hotel doubles from £126.
- Glen Usk Hotel, South Crescent, Llandrindod Wells, LD1 5DH, ☏ +44 1597 822085, glenusk@theukholidaygroup.com.
- Hotel Commodore, Spa Road, Llandrindod Wells, LD1 5ER, ☏ +44 1597 822288.
Go next
[edit]The mediaeval church, castle hill and nature trail at Cefnllys, a couple of miles to the east of the town, are worth a look. Llandrindod is also only 20 km or so from the Elan Valley reservoirs.
| Routes through Llandrindod Wells |
| Swansea ← Builth Road ← | S  N |
→ Pen-y-bont → Shrewsbury |
| Aberystwyth ← Rhayader ← | W  E |
→  Kington → Leominster |