National Cycle Route 888

11 km road cycling route65 m climbing46 minGPX

Corntown, Vale of Glamorgan, United Kingdom · Road

A rolling 11 km road cycling route from Corntown, Vale of Glamorgan through Tair Croes, Llampha and Colwinston, with 65 m of climbing.

Signed route The waymarked National Cycle Network Route (National Cycle Network 888), traced from OpenStreetMap and measured against the terrain model; no member has recorded it yet. Ridden it? Add your recording and photos.

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At a glance

Best for: Rolling day rides
Distance: 10.8 km; Point to point
Elevation gain: 65 m; 6 m per km
Riding time: 46 min; moving time, estimated
Difficulty: Easy
Bike: Road bike; from the mapped surface
Surface: Paved; 99% paved · 1% unpaved
Traffic: Mostly minor roads; 2.9 km where the limit is 80 km/h or more
Food & water: Regular; 4 cafés and restaurants · 2 bike shops
Best months: Jun to Sep; Corntown climate, 10 years
Navigation: GPX download; free, no sign-in
Start → finish: Corntown

The Blacksmiths arms Llanmaes — Photo: cowbridgeguide.co.uk · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Elevation profile

Total ascent: 65 m
Distance: 11 km

Route description

Corntown
Tair Croeskm 1
Llamphakm 2
Colwinstonkm 3
Llandowkm 5
Sigingstonekm 9

The ride starts near Corntown at 92 m elevation and heads through Tair Croes, Llampha, Colwinston, and Llandow before reaching Llanmaes at 10.8 km. The first half contains most of the 65 m total ascent, with a slight dip from 92 m down to 40 m at 2.9 km, then climbing again. The main climb begins around 4.6 km and lasts for 2.1 km, gaining 44 m at an average gradient of 2.1%, max 3%, reaching 90 m.

The route is almost entirely on paved minor roads (99% paved, 98% minor road) with a small 1% unpaved section. There is a 2.9 km stretch on roads with speed limits of 80 km/h or more. After Corntown, there is no café, shop, or water for 6.9 km until a café 58 m off route just after that point. There are repair stands at the start and end around Corntown and Llanmaes. A bailout station is 1.34 km off route at 10.7 km.

The ride features 58% flat terrain, 19% climbing, and 22% descending, with the steepest 500 m section at 7.5% right near the start, and the longest descent is 1.6 km dropping 42 m near the end. At the finish in Llanmaes is the Blacksmith's Arms pub.

Highlights

Ascent of 44 m over 2.1 km with max 3% gradient
Longest descent of 1.6 km dropping 42 m from km 9.2
Route passes through Colwinston and Llandow
Blacksmith's Arms pub at Llanmaes finish

Along the route

Measured from the route line, the Copernicus elevation model and OpenStreetMap.

Places passed

Colwinston 3.3 km
Llandow 4.9 km
Sigingstone 8.7 km

Climbs

Climbs in ride order: where each starts, what this ride climbs, and the full named ascent
Climb	Starts at	On this ride	Top on this ride
Unnamed climb	4.6 km	2.1 km · 44 m · 2.1 % · max 3 %	90 m

High point 92 m at 0.6 km; low point 40 m.

Traffic, surface and gradient

Measured from OpenStreetMap along the track and the elevation profile.

Mostly minor roads and streets on the map.

Roads: 98% minor road · 2% other roads and tracks
Fast roads: 2.9 km on roads with a limit of 80 km/h or more
Surface: Paved: 99% of the route is mapped as paved, 1% as unpaved.
Gradient: 19% climbing · 22% descending · 58% flat

Food, water and services

Within a few hundred metres of the track, from OpenStreetMap. Opening hours change — treat this as where to look, not a promise.

No stretch is longer than 15 km without a café, shop or water. Along the route: 4 cafés and restaurants and 2 bike shops.

Food, water and shops in ride order

0 kmRepair stand · 410 m off route
6.9 kmTopstak Gallery Café · café · 60 m off route
10.8 kmRepair stand · on the route

Need to bail out?

10.7 km — Llantwit Major (station), 1.3 km off route

Whether bikes are carried depends on the service — check before relying on it.

Stay after this ride

The Curriers · guest house · 1.7 km from the finish
The West House · hotel · 1.8 km from the finish
Llandow Touring Caravan Site · campsite · 2.9 km from the finish
Acorn Holiday Park · campsite · 2.2 km from the finish

Start and access

Starts at Corntown. Mapped within a short walk of the start and finish, from OpenStreetMap.

At the finish

Food and coffee: Blacksmith's Arms (110 m)

Know before you go

6.9 km without café, shop or water from start
2.9 km on roads with 80 km/h or more speed limit

Routes are for inspiration. Roads, surfaces and conditions change — check locally and ride within your limits.

2 photographs from the road

Photo: Alan Hughes · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons · Photo: cowbridgeguide.co.uk · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

About this route

Route line: Traced from the waymarked route’s relation in OpenStreetMap.
Elevation: Recalculated from the Copernicus GLO-90 terrain model every 50 m, not the device’s barometer.
Roads, surface, services: Measured along the line from OpenStreetMap extracts.
Best months: Ten years of ERA5 weather for Corntown (Open-Meteo).
GPX: Generated from the route line: track points only, no timestamps or personal data.
Page added: Friday 4th September 2026
Page last updated: Sunday 13th September 2026

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National Cycle Route 888