Jenny, our social media meister, recently won the prize of a night away for 
two, anywhere in the country, through MotoGoLoco and as it happened to coincide with her birthday, it was the perfect excuse to explore and enjoy the beauty of Mid Wales.
MotoGoLoco is a terrific online resource for UK motorcycle travel, so all the ancient Inns and camping spots they recommend, have been tried. Everywhere they endorse is bike friendly, so the proprietors understand the importance of securing your bike for the night and of hanging your wet jacket. Of course it doesn’t rain much in the UK, but should you be unlucky…
It’s a website that also lets you book accommodation, plan routes and win competitions, as Jenny did.
On Friday evening she whizzed up to Brecon from South Devon, on her terribly photogenic orange BM, hubby Clive on his ‘R’, and on Saturday they headed for the Cain Valley Hotel in Llanfyllin, Mid Wales. It was a fantastic day so they could take full advantage of the well-surfaced twisty roads through some of Britain’s best scenery. They loved the plethora of different routes and that even on a Bank Holiday weekend it was quiet. The Cain Valley hotel is a 17th Century Coaching Inn, full of Character with an impressive Grade I listed Jacobean staircase. If you are looking for the bland sterility of a chain hotel, then it won’t be for you. The floors are sloping and the walls are gloriously uneven. 
They had been allocated a family room and so had a large room and a sofa with double bed and twin beds. The bathroom looked to have been recently refitted. The décor and style of the room was perhaps a little dated, but all was clean and comfortable, and as it’s a very old building, this really is part of the charm and ambience. Secure bike parking in the owner’s garage is offered to motorcyclists. He’s a GS man and handy with the spanners, so if you’re having a mechanical crisis it may be an even more ideal place to stay.
Jenny opted to add a night to the prize and enjoyed the full dinner, bed and breakfast package, which is excellent value, with a good selection of choices on the menu. 3 Real ales including very local brews, were on tap in the wood panelled bar, adding somewhat to their contentment! If you choose to stay for 2 or more nights, it is only £20 a night extra to have a 3 course meal for two! As the village of Llanfyllin isn’t terribly big there isn’t great cullinery choice, so it’s a wise move.
But the special draw of the area, if you aren’t into hiking or kayaking, is the ‘scratchy’ roads through wonderfully tranquil but varied countryside. There’s the lovely quiet narrow passes up into Snowdonia nearby and only a few miles up the road from Llanfyllin is Lake Vyrnwy, with it’s amazing stone built dam and many activities on offer. If the weather had been less favourable we might have gone to the aircraft museum or the Iron Bridge museum near Telford. Great roads and scenery, friendly hotel with quality food and real ale all close to hand. Thanks to MotoGoLoco for a great weekend break.
Jenny and Clive would like to thank MotoGoLoco for a great weekend and for getting them to explore somewhere new. They did enjoy it and would go back, but it seems the website has so many options there may not be time…