CROSSLEY VEHICLES TODAY

2023 Crossley Register UK National Rally - Radnorshire

Crossley Register 2022 rally
2023 Crossley Register rally
2023 Crossley Register rally
2023 Crossley Register rally
Friday morning departure
2023 Crossley Register rally
2023 Crossley Register rally
2023 Crossley Register rally
Erwood Station coffee stop.
2023 Crossley Register rally
The Llanstephan suspension bridge _ I don't think any of our cars weigh more than 3 tons.
2023 Crossley Register rally
An impressive array of Crossleys at Hay-on-Wye.
2023 Crossley Register rally
Malcolm Jenner followed by Dan Cole entering the Hay car park.
2023 Crossley Register rally
How to jack up a Torquay.
2023 Crossley Register rally
Richard Naughton's Golden and John Cole's 25/30 at the Elan Valley visitor centre.
2023 Crossley Register rally
John Naughton crossing the hump back bridge in the Elan Valley.
Crossley 2023 rally
Ready for our expedition to Craig Goch dam.
Crossley 2023 rally
The path uphill to the dam.
Crossley 2023 rally
The doorway into the dam.
Crossley 2023 rally
Crossley 2023 rally
Out from the tunnel and on the central dam tower.
Crossley 2023 rally
Cooling down at the top of the hills above the Elan Valley.
Crossley 2023 rally
The Griffin's in their 15hp Shelsley storming up the hill out of the Elan valley
Crossley 2023 rally
Afternoon tea at the Lake cafe with an ever hopeful hungry dog.
Crossley 2023 rally
Plenty of tea and cakes for Malcolm and David.
Crossley 2023 rally
No comment needed.
Crossley 2023 rally
... and finally back to the hotel car park where the 14s all managed to get together. There were actually six present on the rally but two seem to have escaped

Photos - Malcolm Asquith and John Beesley

For the 2023 UK gathering Jackie, John and Richard Naughton had arranged an exploration of the historic county of Radnorshire. We were based at the Metropole Hotel in the spa town of Llandrindod Wells in Powys, Wales.

Thursday 29 June

Thursday was arrival day for many and our reserved section of the hotel car park rapidly filled up.

Friday 30 June

It was damp, and departure was scheduled for 9.45 and most people made it away for a wander around the local lanes to Erwood station.  The journey included several steep hills including one with a very sharp bend at the bottom precluding any chances to take a run at it. The hills tested both gear changing skills and the ability of old car cooling systems to handle long crawls in first - steam could be seen rising from several radiators - but the views from the top were worth it.

Erwood station no longer has trains, or indeed track, but served as a welcome coffee break.

Leaving officially at 11.00am we processed along more narrow roads to cross the River Wye using the very narrow and perilous looking Llanstephan Suspension Bridge and on to Hay-on Wye where we stopped to explore the town and its castle. I was informed that my car had a flat tyre, a puncture.

From Hay there was another scenic route of around 30 miles back to the hotel.

Saturday 1st July

Llandrindod Wells is home to the National Cycle Museum in a building dating from 1911 called the Automobile Place by its founder Tom Newton, a pioneer motorist. (I missed the tour as I was getting my puncture repaired  - thankyou ETB Autocentres).

At 11.15, or thereabouts, we set off for a tour of the Elan valley and our first stop for coffee at the visitor centre.  The Elan Valley has a series of dams to provide water to Birmingham and the third dam, Pen y Garreg, is unusual in having a tunnel running through it to access the central control tower and we had the opportunity to explore this.

The narrow valley roads continued to the top dam, Craig Goch, and on round the reservoir on remote moorland roads leading to Rhayader and back to Llandrindod Wells and the lake tea room where we enjoyed a spectacular afternoon tea making dinner unnecessary. There was also one late arrival whose car had decided it wanted to go via Aberystwyth apparently.

Sunday

Sunday was departure day with the opportunity to have a visit to the Shelsley Walsh hill climb.
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