Itinerary Planner

Cosy Pub Trail | Two Days of Fires, Ale and Good Food Across Mid Wales

A two-day driving route through Mid Wales for people who like a fire, a pint and a proper meal at the end of the day. It runs from Llanwrtyd Wells and Llandrindod Wells in Powys, through Machynlleth to Dolgellau in Southern Eryri (Southern Snowdonia), with an optional extra day on the Ceredigion coast. Please nominate a driver, or stay over and walk to the bar.

Day one: Llanwrtyd Wells and Llandrindod Wells

Start in Llanwrtyd Wells, the small town in the Irfon valley, with lunch at The Trout Cafe, which has a bar as well as a cafe. In the afternoon, drive north-east to Llandrindod Wells and settle in at The Bell Country Inn on the edge of town, a country inn with a bar, a restaurant using local ingredients and rooms upstairs, so nobody has to drive after dinner.

Day two morning: Bettws Cedewain and Machynlleth

Head north towards Newtown. The Bull and Heifer at Bettws Cedewain is a country pub serving seasonal food, including local game, and makes a good early lunch stop. Then drive west over the hills to Machynlleth, the market town where Owain Glyndŵr held his parliament, and stop for a coffee or a drink at The Wynnstay on Maengwyn Street.

Day two evening: Dolgellau

Dolgellau sits beneath Cadair Idris in Southern Eryri, with stone-built pubs in its narrow streets. For a special last night, Penmaenuchaf Hotel near Penmaenpool has rooms and a garden room restaurant looking over the Mawddach.

An extra day on the coast

If you have another day, drive south to the Ceredigion coast. The Moody Cow Bistro at Moody Meadows near Aberaeron is a farm bistro, and Y Ffarmers in Llanfihangel y Creuddyn, in the hills near Aberystwyth, is a village pub with a good kitchen.

Where to stay

Split the trip with a night in an inn so nobody has to drive after dinner. The Bell Country Inn near Llandrindod Wells and Penmaenuchaf Hotel near Dolgellau both have rooms, and Y Talbot in Tregaron is another inn with rooms if you take the mountain road west. Book ahead for autumn weekends.

Good to know

Book tables for Friday and Saturday evenings and for Sunday lunch, as country pubs fill quickly in autumn. Many welcome dogs in the bar. Opening times change out of season, so check before you set off.