Closest Wales Cache to London?

[+staton23]

Hello all. My wife and I will be visiting the London area in 3 weeks on our way back to the States from a year of teaching in the Middle East. While I'm sure we'll grab many geocaches in London and around, I'd really like to find one in Wales as well. I've rented a car and we'll be driving up to Stonehenge, Bath, etc, all the touristy stuff and I'd like to sneak over to Wales to grab a few caches. Could any of you tell me the easiest/closest route from London. We'll be driving through Salisbury and then up to Bath, so I'd like to find the easiest way through to Wales from that direction. Thanks for the help and looking forward to visiting your beautiful countryside.

[The Hearse]

Travel a few miles north of Bath to the M4 motorway and heading westwards will take you over the Severn Bridge and into Wales. It is a very straight forward journey with a very convenient stop just before the boundary in which put on the pre-requisite woad before making the crossing... and watch out for Mrs Blorenges who lurks just over the border in rather frightening regalia.

Edited June 20, 2010 by The Hearse

[+ayepee]

Travel a few miles north of Bath to the M4 motorway and heading westwards will take you over the Severn Bridge and into Wales. It is a very straight forward journey with a very convenient stop just before the boundary in which put on the pre-requisite woad before making the crossing... and watch out for Mrs Blorenges who lurks just over the border in rather frightening regalia.

 

Having negotiated the M4, the closest would probably cross into Wales via the M48 and the original Severn Bridge and leave the Motorway in Chepstow. Beware though that the England / Welsh border is close (it runs along the river Wye). There are caches in and around Chepstow.

[+Stuey]

Be careful if you are caching near Tintern Abbey. My first Welsh cache errrrr wasn't! It was a multi that started at Tintern Abbey in Wales and was hidden the other side of the river, in England, lol. A good cache though all the same!

[+The Duckers]

... and watch out for Mrs Blorenges who lurks just over the border in rather frightening regalia.

Talking of Mrs B, I think a good cache for you could be The Blorenges very own Welcome To Wales!

[+FancoverFive]

From Bath it's just an hour's drive over either of the Severn bridges into Wales on the M4. There is a toll of about £5 for a standard car on the way into Wales, and it's free on the way out.

 

Have a good time in Bath - it's a very nice city, but most of the caches in the centre are multis, which aren't ideal for people who aren't going to be around long. If you're in the Bath area, one place you might like to visit is 30 minutes to the east - Lacock. It's a small picture-perfect village which has been used in countless television and film productions, including Harry Potter 1, 2, and 6.

[+staton23]

Thank you ALL for the wealth of knowledge! Will definitely head through Bath, then up the M4 and cross into Wales. So excited for the trip. Let's hope this Yankee can drive on your side of the road safely!

[+The Blorenges]

... and watch out for Mrs Blorenges who lurks just over the border in rather frightening regalia.

 

 

Whatever do you mean? Being as how it's the Summer Solstice my druidic robes are appropriate for today... Anyway...

 

As Duckers mentioned, if you enter Wales over the Second Severn Crossing (M4) I think our "Welcome to Wales" is the first large cache you can find although there is also a very small one near the Magor Services called "Two Castles walk, cache 1". If you come over the old Severn Bridge (M48) there are several caches in/around Chepstow.

 

As the OP is coming over to Wales "in 3 weeks" I'll just mention an event that we're having in Newport on 7th July which is for another American couple who'll be visiting south Wales then... so if y'all like to attend then that'd be swell.

 

"Three Blackbirds" event.

 

MrsB

[+Von-Horst]

... so if y'all like to attend then that'd be swell.

 

"Three Blackbirds" event.

 

MrsB

 

Shouldn't that be "all y'all"?

[+slimey]

There is a toll of about £5 for a standard car on the way into Wales, and it's free on the way out.

 

It's currently £5.50 to cross the Severn into Wales on either the M4 or the M48, and you'll need to make sure you have the toll available in cash - they don't accept cards, and will turn you around and send you back to England if you don't have the cash.

 

But, yes, MrsB's Welcome to Wales cache is highly recommended, and gets some great logs.

 

Simon

[+staton23]

Thanks again for the help and thank you Mrs. B for the invite to the event. Unfortunately, we won't fly in until the next morning on July 8th, so we'll miss it by one day! We'll be visiting your Welcome to Wales cache though!

[+Eclectic Penguin]

It may not suit your itinerary of course, but might I suggest perhaps an afternoon/day visit to Wales? The scenery is quite different from most of the South of the UK, especially if you venture into the Black Mountains/Brecon Beacons and there are plenty of caches in these areas to entice you along the way.