So this was it. After 19 days and over 2300 miles we had just 2 piers left on out list, Aberystwyth and Mumbles (Swansea). My Dad had set off with us right at the start of our adventure and it seemed fitting that he had decided to join us for out last leg also. So first port of call was to pick him up from Aberystwyth train station.
Leaving our last hotel in Porthmadog we enjoyed yet another scenic drive to our first location of the day. We arrived in good time so headed for the pier to get our selfie. The pier wasn't open as it was still early but the selfie opportunity was taken and we moved on to get my Dad.
It was a beautiful Summers day, the best of the last 3 weeks, so we decided to stick around for a bit and ride the Vale of Rheidol Steam Railway. It meanders and climbs for 12 miles through the stunning Welsh countryside and finally stops at Devils Bridge. We had an hour to explore the waterfalls, borehole and bridges before heading back to Aberystwyth. A glorious 3 hours.
After a spot of lunch in the beer garden of a nearby pub it was time to tackle the last route of our adventure. Anyone who has driven the roads around the mid/West side of Wales knows just how slow and arduous it is and it was a good 2 1/2 hours before we had made the 79 miles to The Mumbles.
Despite living relatively close to Swansea I'd never been to Mumbles Pier before but I'll definitely be returning. This is a pier going places. They've got an excellent set of buildings at the front with bars, cafes, shops and a busy amusement arcade. Around the back of the arcade is the entrance to the pier which looks about half way through it's program of rejuvenation. The end of the pier is now finished with a brand new lifeboat station, new seats, freshly painted wrought iron railings and a lovely wooden decked boardwalk. The views of the extensive Swansea sea front are spectacular and this is going to be one fantastic pier when the middle section renovation is finished.
I just hope they keep the gorilla in a bikini statue (yes really!) that stands around halfway up the pier.
Leaving our last hotel in Porthmadog we enjoyed yet another scenic drive to our first location of the day. We arrived in good time so headed for the pier to get our selfie. The pier wasn't open as it was still early but the selfie opportunity was taken and we moved on to get my Dad.
#54 Aberystwyth Pier
It was a beautiful Summers day, the best of the last 3 weeks, so we decided to stick around for a bit and ride the Vale of Rheidol Steam Railway. It meanders and climbs for 12 miles through the stunning Welsh countryside and finally stops at Devils Bridge. We had an hour to explore the waterfalls, borehole and bridges before heading back to Aberystwyth. A glorious 3 hours.
After a spot of lunch in the beer garden of a nearby pub it was time to tackle the last route of our adventure. Anyone who has driven the roads around the mid/West side of Wales knows just how slow and arduous it is and it was a good 2 1/2 hours before we had made the 79 miles to The Mumbles.
Despite living relatively close to Swansea I'd never been to Mumbles Pier before but I'll definitely be returning. This is a pier going places. They've got an excellent set of buildings at the front with bars, cafes, shops and a busy amusement arcade. Around the back of the arcade is the entrance to the pier which looks about half way through it's program of rejuvenation. The end of the pier is now finished with a brand new lifeboat station, new seats, freshly painted wrought iron railings and a lovely wooden decked boardwalk. The views of the extensive Swansea sea front are spectacular and this is going to be one fantastic pier when the middle section renovation is finished.
I just hope they keep the gorilla in a bikini statue (yes really!) that stands around halfway up the pier.
#55 Mumbles Pier
My dad photo-bombing at the end of Mumbles Pier
All that was left to do now was head back home to Penarth to take our final selfie of our holiday.....
Miles travelled: 2442 Piers visited: 55 Days spent on the road: 20
The End!
I'll take a few days to let everything sink in, look through the hundreds of photo's and attempt to write one last blog entry summing up our incredible journey.
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