Welshpool Airport to Powis Castle Walk

Welshpool airfield to Powis Castle and return.

Distance: 5 ½ miles.

Terrain: Some busy roads, tracks, paths and tow paths, a few styles.

Refreshments: Welshpool Airfield Cafe & National Trust Cafe

Setting off from the airfield requires a walk along the fairly busy A490 up to the roundabout, although the road does have reasonable grass verges to stand on whilst the traffic goes past. 

Once at the roundabout we crossed the road to follow the second exit on to the A458, before after 50 metres a small road comes off on the right, following this to the end past some cottages there is a right turn to head up Lime Kilns Lane towards a bridge over the Montgomery Canal.

Montgomery Canal - Belan Lochs

Just after the bridge there is a gate on the right and a style, passing over this and following the wide path as it heads up hill passed some trees and before long passes into another field where the path bends right to follow a fence line on the left before heading down to a gated fence and then another bridge.  Following the track until it becomes grass across a field with a style at the edge of a road. Directly across from the style is the single track road leading into the grounds of the castle.

We had been advised to head further up the hill to the other entrance to the grounds (which, for cars is the exit) as this was the shortest way to the castle. We chose however to walk up to the castle using the vehicle entrance which meant we followed the road as it wound around passed the gardens and around the back to the car park. As we found out later this was probably the best idea.

Following the road around gave us a good view of the land around the castle and also a great view of the castle from outside the lower part of the gardens. Following the road round it continues through the grounds before turning in to the large car park towards the rear of the castle. Continuing further on at the end of the car park is the final short climb up to the entrance of the castle.

Powis Castle is run by the national trust and so we had our cards scanned and had a map of the garden stamped and entered the castle.

There is a National Trust Cafe here and so we had a couple of expensive juices before walking round the grounds and taking in the view.

View across the valley from the castle.

As time was getting on we decided to leave the castle and head for the airfield, initially we started walking down the vehicle exit, but after passing over one cattle grid we came across a number of cows sitting either side of the road, with one of them looking suspiciously like a bull, so we turned back and retraced our steps out of the grounds along the road that we had arrived on.

Exiting the grounds, instead of crossing the road and heading back across the fields we turned left and followed the road down the hill until, at a T junction it met the main road. We turned right passing over the road. After 150 metres a path crosses the road and goes through a gate, entering this there is a short walk between fences until the patch joins the towpath for the canal.

Belan Loch Cottages.

Following the canal took us to Belan Lochs at which point we turned off and followed a short road through the houses until we rejoined Lime Kilns Lane and followed this back to the cottages.  Turning right at the bottom of the road we took a path along some trees until we arrived at the A483, which we crossed and headed for the roundabout and then back down the A490 to the airfield.

Links:
Welshpool airfield
Powis Castle
Montgomery Canal

Flying visit for a walk.

Last year when we visited Shobdon airfield we had a look at the map and discovered Powis Castle was close to Welshpool airfield and did some quick checking and realised it was about 2 miles on foot from the airfield. So we have had a plan this year to fly into Welshpool and take a walk up to the Castle.  This has been delayed as the aircraft has been delayed coming back from the extended maintenance over winter.

Last weekend we looked and Tuesday appeared to be a good day for this, the weather looked OK, both of us were available and a quick check on the aircraft booking showed it available also.

Having a quick plan for the route on Sunday night it's a fairly straightforward route with nothing major in the way, just RAF Shawbury’s MATZ stub to cross.

Monday afternoon I called Welshpool airfield for permission to land and took the chance to see if they had advise on walks up to the castle, which we had a short chat about.

On Tuesday morning we got up early aiming to arrive at the airfield at 1000 to get the aircraft checked and ready fro an airborne time of 1100.

Doing the walk round of the aircraft showed the fuel tanks to be ¾ full which means more than enough fuel to get to Welshpool and back, with our walking gear in the luggage area behind the seats we were ready to pull out and set off.

The runway Tatenhill were using when we arrived was 26 and so we taxied up to the threshold of 26 to give the oil time to warm up. As we arrived at the 26 hold, there was a discussion on the radio and Tatenhill changed the runway to 08, so we completed the run up and headed back down to the 08 hold.

At Tatenhill the 08 hold is some distance short of the runway threshold and so requires aircraft to ‘backtrack’ down the runway before lining up and taking off during which time no one else can land or take off on the runway as it is considered ‘occupied’.  After we arrived at the hold we had to wait for 2 other aircraft to land so we did not get in the way of their landing.

At last we were free to get airborne and enjoy the flight.

Clearing the circuit to the west I changed over to Shawbury zone frequency and listened to their frequency before calling them up and asking for a MATZ penetration and Basic Service.

Continuing onward we passed over Stafford, Telford and Shrewsbury before the hills surrounding Welshpool came into sight and we changed to Welshpool radio.

Because Welshpool is surrounded by hills the Circuit height is at 1500’ above the airfield instead of the usual 1000’ arriving overhead the airfield we were the only aircraft in the circuit. Descending down to circuit height and heading down the downwind leg the height of the hills becomes apparent and looks dramatic, turning base I caught a glimpse of Powis Castle on the far hillside and went back to concentrating on the landing.

Welshpool (Mid Wales Airport) airfield operations.

As we were on final approach one of the helicopters from RAF Shawbury came onto the radio and started carrying out a practice emergency diversion into the airfield.

After landing and backtracking the runway to the parking area, we were given guidance on where to park the aircraft, we shut down and went to the airport staff to pay landing fees etc.

Heading for the Cafe, which is in a group of porta cabins on the edge of the buildings and has a small terrace overlooking the airfield, which as it was warm we enjoyed coffee and sandwiches, whilst watching a number of arrivals, I had a very nice bacon sandwich.

Binky sitting out on the parking, taken from the Airport cafe terrace.

After the quick lunch it was back to the Cessna to change into our walking shoes and ensure everything was locked away.

I will write later describing the walk up to the castle as we did not follow a guide, just the map.

When we returned from the walk we booked out with the airfield ops and had a short discussion about the weather and the possibility of thunderstorms later. I did a walk round of the aircraft and checked the fuel and then ensured all the gear was safely stowed before climbing in and firing up. Calling the airfield on the radio, they advised us we could use either direction on the runway as we were the only aircraft around, but the wind favoured runway 04.  I elected for 04, as although it would require a backtrack on the runway the engine would have more time to warm up before getting to the high revs.

After taking off we had good views as we climbed out from between the hills before turning onto track and calling Shawbury for the MATZ crossing, which was approved.

After passing the MATZ  I pointed out Telford and the Wrekin hill off to our right.

I was alerted by the Pilot Aware system of an aircraft just to the left of the nose around 1700 feet below and had a short look but could not see it, anyway as it was below us it should not be an issue after a short while I checked again and discovered it was climbing and resolved to check on it again. When I next checked it was getting close to the same altitude and was starting to become an issue looking in the rough direction I quickly acquired visual on the helicopter was by now at the same altitude as us. Due to the way the helicopter climbed I suspected they had not seen us and decided to turn slightly to the left so we would pass wall behind, just as I started the turn the controller at Shawbury called on the radio to alert me to the presence of the helicopter, and I advised them I was visual and turning to add some separation.

Once clear I returned on to track and had an uneventful trip the rest of the way back to Tatenhill where we refuelled and parked the aircraft back in the hanger before tidying up and getting in the car for home.

Looking back at the sky in the direction we had come from we felt we made a wise decision to head back when we did.

Sky Demon log of flight to Welshpool

Return flight, the kink just by Telford is the turn around the helicopter.

Links:
Powis-castle-and-garden
Shobdon Airfield
Welshpool Airport
Tatenhill Airfield