The A road that runs entire length of Wales — but no one knows where it starts

It’s the only A road in the UK that runs the entire length of a country, starting at one seafront spot in the south and ending once more at the water’s edge in the north.

In between, it passes huge mountains, lakes and castles, and runs through two national parks. But few people know its starting point, even those who live on it, despite the fact that it’s a hugely busy and well-known location where thousands of people spend their summer days.

The road is the A470. For many people, the very name conjures up traumatic visions of crawling or stationary traffic during the rush hour commutes into or out of north Cardiff from the south Wales valleys. But this section, akin to an urban motorway, is only a tiny segment of the road.

From there, heading north, it passes through iconic and historic Welsh towns like Pontypridd and Merthyr, which fuelled Britain’s industrial revolution when Welsh coal and iron powered the world. Just north of Merthyr it heads into the Brecon Beacons and runs right past the highest mountain in south Wales, Pen y Fan. The views from your car window at this point are spectacularly beautiful, with nerve-wracking drops from the road and down a mountainside on one side of the road.

North of the pretty market town of Brecon (where you could spend a couple of hours on a narrowboat on the Brecon and Monm outhshire Canal), the road heads through gorgeous rural mid Wales and the stunning Elan Valley (a little-known beauty spot w hich rivals th e Lake District for its scenery and lakes). If you’re hungry, at the side of the road just north of Brecon you’ll find the Felin Fach Griffin, which serves some of the finest food in Wales alongside roaring log fires. You can also spend the night in cosy rooms.

From this point northwards, you may well find yourself stuck behind any number of slow-moving farming vehicles - you are now in the heart of Welsh farming country and the Royal Welsh Show takes place over one week every summer near the town of Builth Wells.

Further north, and it heads through the Coed y Brenin forest (that’s Welsh for Forest of Kings) and the Eryri (formerly Snowdonia) national park, passing not too far from the highest mountain in all of Wales and England, Yr Wyddfa (or Snowdon).

In that area, it also passes through the historic slate mining town of Blaenau Ffestiniog (while the likes of Pontypridd and Merthyr were sending coal and iron from Wales to the world, Blaenau Ffestiniog was doing the same for slate) and the gorgeous village of Betws-y-Coed, which feels almost Alpine with its surrounding waters, woodland and mountains. The Swallow Falls waterfall just outside the town is well worth a visit. Also nearby is the gorgeous village of Beddgelert, with quaint stone built cottages and pubs running alongside a river - it’s home to one of Wales’ most tragic stories.

Continue north and the road passes near Conwy, where you will find one of Wales’ most impressive castles, one of King Edward I’s Ring of Steel. Looking over the Conwy estuary, its a formidable and imposing structure even today. Conwy is a beautiful town, full of good places to eat, drink and spend the night, as this writer found out. The A470 ends on the famous seafront promenade of Llandudno, which has been a popular staycation and day trip spot for Brits since the Victorians started coming here.

Where does the A470 start/end in the south?

Now to that starting point, which few people will be aware of. The A470 actually starts at Mermaid Quay in Cardiff Bay, just outside the Wales Millennium Centre. It runs up Lloyd George Avenue before it heads up Cardiff’s North Road and turns into what everyone in south Wales thinks of as the A470, the dual carriageway running from Cardiff through the valleys.

When was the A470 built?

The original road from 1922 ran from Cardiff Docks to Brecon. The modern route came from a campaign in the 1970s by the Western Mail newspaper for a single route to link north and south Wales. At 186 miles long, it is Wales’ longest road.

When is it best to drive the A470?

Put simply, when you have time on your hands. Driving it from end to end is a glorious road trip and there are so many places to stop and enjoy good food, lovely walks and incredible views. But if you’re in a hurry, you don’t want to be caught in a Cardiff traffic jam or behind a tractor in mid Wales.

Where to eat and stay on the A470

There are lots of options here either directly on the road or within a short detour off it. You could head into the towns of Conwy or Brecon for lunch or dinner, and one of the nicest places to eat in all of Wales, the Felin Fach Griffin, is at the side of the road.