Once again, the lanes around East Radnorshire thrummed with the sound of vintage engines at the weekend as the annual Welsh Trial, organised by the Vintage Sports Car Club, returned to the area.

Based in Presteigne, the Welsh Trial has been a fixture of the region since 1939, drawing enthusiasts and competitors for a weekend of motoring tradition. The event still uses its familiar venues around Llangunllo, Heyope, Monaughty, Whitton, and Kinnerton, keeping alive a long-standing connection with the local countryside.

The Trial caters exclusively for pre-1930 cars, with entries featuring a mix of classic Fords, Morris models, and a host of the ever-popular Austin 7s in various body styles. Competitors test their driving skills over a series of challenging sections, each designed to push both car and driver. The routes feature twists and turns, steep climbs, and tricky descents across a mixture of grass and mud surfaces. Each section is carefully graded, with points allocated from 0 to 25, allowing drivers to demonstrate precision, control, and speed in their vehicles.

Competitors came from all across the country, as well as locally, including Noel Hughes and several members of the Price family who are from Rhayader. As usual, the main spectator points were at Cwmwhitton and Badlands, where the twists, climbs, and descents offered the best views of the action.

At Badlands, the home of Ralph’s Cider, the trial coincided with a vintage open day, offering spectators a taste of traditional rural life. Highlights included a threshing demonstration and cider-pressing displays, alongside a line-up of specialist Land Rovers, vintage tractors, and a variety of old implements brought by local vintage enthusiasts. A free tractor-and-trailer shuttle ran from the farm to the car sections, provided by the Leominster Vintage Club, who were collecting donations for the Air Ambulance.