Sarn Helen - Jeeps driving the ancient Roman road in South Wales
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- Опубликовано: 8 сен 2024
- In this video we meet up with our Jeeping friends - the two Toms, who you may recognise from our Elan Valley video.
We visit a green lane called Sarn Helen in South Wales, starting in Neath, south of the Brecon Beacons National Park.
Sarn Helen (TWUID SN7800-0) is a seasonal TRO which means you can only drive it during a few summer months - precisely between the 1st of June and the 21st of August only. We managed to visit last August, not long before the seasonal closure.
To find out if the lanes you want to drive are in fact legal to drive we recommend signing up to GLASS - Green Lane Association and checking out their TW2 map. You can also find out about any restrictions such as seasonal TRO’s or voluntary restraint orders. Some lanes have voluntary restraint orders put out by GLASS with the intention to protect the lanes from getting damaged any further and resulting in permanent closure. Orders such as only using the lane in one direction or avoiding the lane completely. It’s important to respect these orders if we want to be able to continue enjoying the green laning adventures.
Sarn Helen refers to several stretches of Roman road in Wales. The 160 miles long route connects Aberconwy in the North with Cartmarthen in the West. Despite its length, academic debate continues as to the precise course of the Roman road.
Many sections are now used by the modern road network while other parts are still traceable. However, there are sizeable stretches that have been lost and are unidentifiable.
We drove the further section of the Roman road leading north-eastwards from Neath to Banwen at the southern edge of the Brecon Beacons National Park, also known as Sarn Helen. The lane starts in a typical Welsh fashion - with a gate, which is quite tight. We navigate through the spooky woods conquering a few interesting obstacles. Both of our friends are driving Wrangler JKs without lockers. Our Wrangler JL Rubicon makes an easy job of all of the obstacles with its locking differentials front and rear. You might say it’s more fun when the vehicle struggles a bit against the terrain and you really have to exercise your driving skills to push through.
As we get to the highest point of Sarn Helen the views are stunning. We can see all the way to the Welsh coast. We decide to take a lunch break in this spot. As we were preparing our food and drinks we got approached by the local farmer and had a nice, long friendly chat.
The weather can change very quickly in Wales, we could definitely see rainy clouds on the horizon so we decided to push further asap. We go through some very open grassy terrain but soon enter the woods again.
We continue to make our way in and out of the woods and notice a wind turbine in the distance. We get closer and closer. As we emerge from the last bit of the woods the wind turbine is towering above us. We can hear the blades cutting through the air. Also the last obstacle is right before us. It’s quite a descent, very interesting.
The last part of the lane passes by Walters Arena - a major international motorsport complex. Hosting the internationally prestigious Welsh round of the World Rally Championships, The RAC Rally and Wales Rally GB amongst other events. We hope to visit on one of the pay and play days which they also organise.
We finish our day in a little Welsh village - Banwen. Overall Sarn Helen is a very interesting and varied green lane, definitely worth visiting at least once. Just be mindful that your rig might acquire a few new scratches.
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In this video
Tom in the anvil grey JKU
@jeepmanuk
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Tom in the white JKU
@tom3warren
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Probably some of the best photography and music you guys have put out. Well done and as always look forward to more.
Thank you 🙂 Just wish we could do it more often.
Thanks Marcus. More coming your way now we are allowed out 😀
Going to do this in my vitara this weekend looks like a good lane
Really well filmed guys. I enjoyed that. Probably my favourite lane around here too. A few of us took our Discovery 3s and 4s and spent an equally long time driving it! We spent a long time stopping and cutting through a big enough corridor to avoid being scratched beyond repair
Thanks James. Yeah, a great lane. Took us most of the day with filming too 😅
Where near neath does this start please?
@@susek44 top end is in the village of Banwen, bottom entrance is off the B4242 near Aberdulais. Unfortunately the gates are locked from September through to around May so is only legal to drive in the summer months
Scratches add memories and character 🤙
They do indeed haha!
Planning to hike this at the end of the month 😁
Great video guys! Sorry I couldn’t make it, but I will come up your way for a trail in the summer 🙌🏻
Yeah shame, but there's always the next time 🙂👍
Next time Ur in Wales, if U not already tried it,, go try Dunlop hill,,, that should give U sbit more of a challenge 😉👍
I do enjoy your vids . Very very well made. In 30 yrs of laning ive never been up sarn helen. Defo need a long week end in south wales. 🤘👍🤘👍
New subscriber... love it... even if its a jeep.. 👍
😂 We love lots of different vehicles. Jeeps are more our thing though.
Great vlog great lane not too far from us either. Think I would cry scratching the syncro after its just been painted lol
Stay safe guys 👍🏴👍 just subbed 👍
Thanks, you too!
Like your vids 👍👌
Thank you 😊👍
Excellent Video guys really good channel. Even though I'm a Land Rover man, I can totally get behind the sentiments on this channel. I did Sarn Helen last year in my Disco 4 with a few other lads, it was absolutely drizzling to heck. There are some really hairy bits, at least they seemed extra hairy in the rain, and the fog... wow. it was SO foggy. I'd love to go back though, maybe next year I can do a trip.
Thanks for the kind words Mike. Yeah it's a great lane, and I think even better with some moody weather haha.
Great video as usual guys. 😊 Amazing views (its Wales 🏴so goes without saying) and great filming and music .
What engine is your Ruby?
Thank you 🙂And yes, Wales is always impressive. We have the diesel multijet.
Nice video. But the sound track is to fluffy for mean 4x4 green lane jeeps
Not sure how I missed this one before, but glad I found it now. Nice one. How much more of Sarn Helen can you drive, or is that it?
PS It was obvious who had lockers and who didn't around 7 minutes coming up the muddy slope.
We just drove a small section. It's a Roman road that stretches unto North Wales and even across part of Europe I think. Parts are missing or built upto, obviously. We didn't need to use our lockers, you can actually see left tyre turning more at one point. I think the huge tyres help haha.
How many miles would your uvsay the section is you did guys? Heading up tomorrow.
Hi We did just shy of 10 miles according to our Wikiloc recording. Have a good day.
Ive driven this lane in a standard mk1 Rav4 on A/Ts
Aaaaah coming in from symonds yacht n monmouth, up over the back of the skiryd and overlooking from bleanafon. I do that in my metro, you need to get some bf goodrich mudpluggers and an sj410, a mans jeep, not one of them plastic yank things ;) lol
Can anyone go 4x4 riding this path ?
Hi Chris. You can drive this in any fully road legal vehicle (it is technically a road), but it is only open for a short time each year during the summer. It was open between June 1st and August 21st last year. I'm not sure if the dates change but this gives you some idea. We went on July 24th and there was quite a lot of water, so I guess in the winter it's completely water logged. Driving it just in the summer helps preserve this ancient roman road.
This is unfair and should be banned lol I don’t have the same opportunity 4 wheeling here in Scotland! Last reminding open gate and 4wheeling road was close by estate owner and locked.
Haha - oh no that's not good. How far is it for you to Northumberland? Or the Lake District? Some good wheeling there.
@@ModifiedJeepsUK I am from Deeside area so lots of miles to cover with my grand Cherokee wk2 ( yes it can 4wheeling lol ). Nice ride you have there and very good quality of movies.
@@abazdarhon Thank you - we would like to do much more though. We don't have enough free time. Wow that's really far up north. Wks are very capable off road
Smashed the video guys! 🙂 this lane looks epic and so long! Want to try it now. Is it open all year round? Best! J&K
@@JKoverland Thanks guys 🙂 It's a great lane! Unfortunately it's only open between June 1st and August 21st
What is it with these british so called jeepers / 4x4ers, talking about non scratchy lanes, your 4x4ing ffs if you don’t want scratches niks n dents then get a sports car and stick to the roads. 😂😂😂 plastic jeepers,