On The March

Quiet and twisty As and Bs through the Welsh Marches

- Bill Ward

The border country between Wales and Shropshire is quiet, beautiful and little travelled, so it has glorious motorcycling roads to enjoy. If you like country roads with enough bends to be challenging at sensible speeds then this is an ideal area to ride.

I live in south Cheshire and John lives on the Wirral, so we usually meet at the Midway Café at Prees Heath, (other cafés are available, as they say). After the mandatory mug of tea and toast we rode the mile into Tilstock where we picked up the B5476 south through Wem and on to Shrewsbury. It was a taste of what was to come – plenty of bends and not too much traffic.

At Shrewsbury you could take the bypass, and no doubt the DfT traffic planners would love it if you did, but I find it too busy and boring. The ride through the town centre, alongside the River Severn, past the old buildings and indulging in a little people watching, is slower, but much more attractive. After crossing the river bridge, take the first exit from the next gyratory system, then after about 100 yards, take the first left signposted to Porthill. This road takes you out of the town, over the bypass and on to the A488, which is the one we’re after!

There are some small towns to slow down for in the first few miles, but after Minsterley the route is pure bliss. After a couple of miles you ride down into Hope Valley, a deeply wooded valley of about one-and-a-half miles, which sees the road flip-flop from side to side, many of the bends tight and blind so they have to be taken with a balance of skill and caution, particularly the last one with a house on the apex.