There are concerns that motorbikes and 4x4s are churning up and ruining a historic Welsh track and walking route which dates back hundreds of years.
Monks Trod is a byway in mid Wales which is currently open to all traffic. It is a historic route built by monks so they could travel and transfer goods between two twelfth century monasteries based at Strata Florida in Ceredigion and Cwm-Hir in Powys. To get the latest WalesOnline newsletters e-mailed to you directly for free, click here.
Monks developed the track as a means of travelling across the Cambrian Mountains, and it is a route which continues to attract and fascinate people centuries later. However, as well as walkers and people with a keen eye for Welsh history, the spot is also very popular with people driving certain vehicles, namely 4x4s and in particular motorbikes, with the uneven and often wet terrain making it the perfect spot for riding and racing.
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But there are calls now for the ancient area to be protected against the damage that can be caused by these vehicles. A part of the track has been designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and has previously been subject to a vehicle ban. In 1990, four-wheel vehicles were stopped from using the track, while in 2002 all motor vehicles, including motorbikes, were forbidden from using it.
That ban was lifted in 2021 so it is now once again legal for people to ride motorcycles through the area. Even during the ban, however, it was still common to see motorbikes being ridden through the remote patch of mid Wales countryside.
That ban should be reinstated and more needs to be done to stop the track being torn up, according to people who want to see the area protected from further damage. Alun Davies, who served in the army for years and is now retired and living in Cardiff, walked the route last year and was appalled at what he found.
“Last summer I decided to walk the route, which is almost 40 miles long in total,” he said. “As I was walking it became apparent that the paving stones had been smashed and broken up, because it was not built for traffic, and parts of it were extremely hard to even walk on.
“This is a site of specific interest and the route crosses a National Nature Reserve as well as the water catchment areas of Dwr Cymru in the Elan Valley, so people really shouldn’t be riding across it. The destruction of the environment up there is immense, and Natural Resources Wales and Powys County Council should ban vehicles from this area.”
The Cambrian Mountains Society has also spoken previously about the importance of preserving the track. When Monks Trod was reopened to motorcycles, the society said it represented a “huge step backwards in its protection”. It added: “This ancient road should never have been designated as a BOAT (Byway open to all traffic) and to allow the return of motorised vehicles along it is an extremely retrograde move.”
It seems that, for now at least, nothing is being done and the landscape at this stunning spot in mid Wales is in danger of being damaged further. Mr Davies added: “This is a historic route in Wales and nobody is doing anything about it. It’s in the desert of mid Wales really but that is why people on motorbikes like it.
"If nothing is done then more and more damage will happen and there are sections already where you can’t even get through due to the deep mud, and I noticed that in summer when it’s meant to be dry. As a Welshman I’m proud of our countryside and we all these days have an environmental conscience. It seems terrible to me that these vehicles are allowed to travel along this route.”
Graham Taylor, a member Powys Ramblers, a division of Ramblers Cymru, said: “Last year Powys Ramblers warned the council not to lift the ban that had been in place for around 20 years on motorcycles using a fragile section of the historic Monks Trod. They didn’t accept that advice and the ban was lifted in October last year. This has resulted in motorcycles causing significant damage to this section of the route and the surrounding fragile environment.
"Powys Ramblers have been sending photos of this damage ever since and pleaded with the council to reverse its decision. That has fallen on deaf ears. Very recently however it looked as though the council and NRW had agreed to reimpose a temporary ban which would give time to find a more permanent solution. However, despite constant urging to get this done, it still, hasn’t happened and it is distressing to see the route continue to deteriorate with the public authorities, by their inaction, letting this happen.”
NRW was asked about the concerns raised, but said that Powys Council is best placed to comment as it is responsible for designating rights of way in the area. Powys Council has been asked to comment on what is being done to protect the route, and whether a vehicle ban is something that is likely to be reinstated, but has not responded thus far.
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