The view down to the sea from this extraordinary but unknown road (Image: Laura Clements)
I write with a high level of confidence that this road offers among the most stunning views in Britain. You might think it’s high praise for a minor road traversing a common in north Pembrokeshire, but Ffordd Bedd Morris is truly exceptional.
I seldom need an excuse to sing the praises of my home county, but over recent years I’ve developed a particular fondness for its northern region. The roads are less busy for starters and, when it comes to Ffordd Bedd Morris, there are few other routes where you can simultaneously view common land and the coast.
I can almost guarantee that you’ve never navigated this route, and even fewer will have cycled it (which is when it truly shines). The optimal way to experience it is from the Gwaun Valley, a magical part of Wales often described as ‘the land that time forgot’.
Winding its way behind Bessie’s pub – a landmark in these parts – the road is incredibly steep.
The Dyffryn Arms pub, known as Bessie’s after the late landlady (Image: Rob Browne)
The journey begins with a challenging 16% gradient stretch that tests your clutch (or burns your thighs) and requires navigating a couple of tight bends. Eventually, it levels off as the fields transition into common land.
The entire route spans approximately two miles, boasting an average gradient of 6%. However, it’s not just the climb that impresses, but the breathtaking views as you ascend.
To your right, you can gaze over the common and straight into the mystical Preseli mountains, the source of the bluestones used to construct Stonehenge. To your left initially, you’ll spot Dinas Island jutting out into the sea with Cwm yr Eglwys cove nestled below.
Looking to Newport, Pembrokeshire, from above (Image: Laura Clements)
Then, the coastline starts to unfurl before you, beginning with the small wooded bay at Aberfforest and extending all the way to the broad, smiling sweep of sand at Newport, a quintessential Welsh village tucked away in an ancient port, home to what’s been dubbed the ‘best pub in the world’.
At the peak of the climb, a standing stone enveloped in myth and legend marks the highest point. Known as Bedd Morris – from which the road derives its name – it translates to the grave of Morris.
Depending on which tale you subscribe to, Morris was either a heartbroken lover or a formidable highway robber.
The more romantic version of the story tells of a young man named Morris from Newport, who was deeply in love with a beautiful girl from Pontfaen, a quaint village nestled in the stunning Gwaun Valley. The wild and rugged terrain of Carningli Common separated these two young lovers.
Unfortunately, the girl’s father disapproved of the relationship between Morris and his daughter, considering Morris unworthy of her. As a result, he arranged what he deemed a more suitable marriage for her.
However, his daughter was not ready to silently accept her father’s decision and pleaded with him repeatedly to reconsider.
Despite her pleas, her father remained adamant, leading the young couple to secretly decide to take matters into their own hands. Morris challenged the other suitor to a duel at the highest point on the rocky road over Carningli Common.
This is where they met and fought until one of them died.
This is how Morris lost his life, and according to this tale, the stone, Bedd Morris, marks the site of his battle. Shortly after his death, the narrative also tells us that the maiden who loved him died as well from a broken heart.
Scientific evidence suggests that the standing stone dates back to the Bronze Age (c.2300 – 800 BC) and is located at the highest point of the ancient route, which is now a minor road across Carningli Common.
It’s a place where traffic must yield to wandering sheep and an irresistible urge to pause and admire the view.
The plunge into Newport is equally breathtaking. On a sunny day, the blue horizon where the sky kisses the sea stretches as far as the eye can see, only occasionally interrupted by the white of the Irish ferry en route to Fishguard.
The road over Carn Ingli Common (Image: Laura Clements)
The verdant green of the Welsh countryside is dotted with bursts of purple in September, when the heather is in full bloom, blanketing the common like a plush carpet.
The road surface is surprisingly smooth too and the clear line of sight encourages a surge of speed, whether on the bike or in the car. It’s almost melancholic to descend further and further as ferns give way to shrubbery and the warmth of the lowlands ascends to greet you.
Carningli translates as Angel Mountain, and high above Newport, it truly feels like you’re in paradise.