BROOME station lies just a short distance west of the B4367 Craven Arms road. It is not well signed, but the village's main road takes you straight past it, and the overbridge is a clear marker. There is no formal car park, just an area used for casual parking. Access is an upward slope, and whilst there is a strong handrail to assist wheelchair users, it struck us as being a little high for comfort. The top of the slope has a steel gate with a sprung-bar closer. The platform itself serves trains in both directions. It has a handful of lights and a wooden shelter. This is fairly typical for the line, and is surprisingly good of its kind, with seats, train information, phone and lighting, all in decent condition. A little more frontal protection would make it nigh perfect. Wheels: SSw.

HOPTON HEATH station is under an overbridge just where the roads from Clun and Hopton Castle meet the B4367 Clungunford-Bucknell road in a rather strange junction. What may be the former station building is now a private residence and the only access to the station is down 28 or so wooden steps which look a little precipitous, though they do at least have lights. The platform has only a wooden shelter similar to that at Broome – but this time facing the weather, and you have to hope that the overbridge adds some protection (you'd get rain shelter under the bridge anyway). We did notice a grass path from the far end of the platform, and it's possible that this would allow wheelchair access, but it was quite lengthy and we didn't have time to investigate, so we assume no wheeled access unless someone can correct us on this. No obvious parking, though you might find a safe point on a verge. Wheels: SSw.
The wooden shelters offer more than is visible here. Note the portable steps.

KNIGHTON was originally the southern end of the Knighton Railway from Craven Arms, opened in 1861 (extended later to Llandrindod Wells), which explains the dramatic gabled station architecture and distinctive goods depots used for just a handful of stations and nowhere else. Use of the line declined from the 1960s onwards, but grants from Shropshire and Powys County Councils in 2003 upgraded Knighton to its present condition. As Knighton's station building had been sold off, the Swansea platform now has a standard brick shelter and the Shrewsbury platform has a wooden one. Also on the Shrewsbury platform is a new lengthy but gently-sloped ramp for wheelchair users up to the road. This same road crosses the line and a smooth tarmac pavement drops down to the Swansea side and to a gate straight on to the platform. More agile passengers can use the overbridge which butts right up to the road bridge, but doesn't actually link to it. Note that there is no traveller parking at this station – the original broad forecourt still exists, but has been sold for commercial use. Wheels: SSw.

KNUCKLAS station goes unadvertised from the B4355 or even the local road until you get a distant sighting of its double-arrow totem pole. So follow signs for the Community Centre instead, and that should get you close. The local road ascends a slope, then swings right, and it's at this bend that the station is clearly visible, somewhat higher still. The next thought to cross your mind is “Yes – but how do I get there?” Fortunately, some kind soul with a bit of spare board and an unlikely shade of pale green paint has propped a sign up on the grass verge – probably because they got fed up with people knocking on their door in puzzlement. In fact, the approach is a narrow and slightly rough path close by, but my sympathy is with the locals on this, because you wouldn't spot it if a car happened to be parked there. The path looks passable by prams and wheelchairs. There is a gate to the platform which allows a smooth approach up to one of the standard platform shelters used along this line; alternatively there are long steps that will probably give better grip in slippery conditions. The second track has gone, so the platform serves trains in both directions. No official parking, though you might find room in the street. Wheels: SSw.

LLANGYNLLO station – especially if you approach from the north-east – is in the back of beyond with lovely scenery but not many people. So you either live close, are touring with a good OS map, or you're hopelessly lost. You get a finger sign to it at about 30 yards distance from the platform. Even then, it points to an occupation crossing, and it's only when you walk a short distance along the track to the platform that you find that there is another route between two private buildings where an original station building may have been. One of the tracks has gone, though the former platform is still quietly crumbling. The remaining platform is fine, serves both directions and features one of the standard shelters in case the need arises. If you use the route between the private buildings (opening the side gate to get past the sheep/cattle grid), the platform is easy access. No official parking and hardly any casual. Wheels: SSw.

LLANBISTER ROAD gets its name because it's arguably the nearest station to Llanbister, though that actually lies about 2 miles away. As Llanbister Road (the road itself) is signed, it's not hard to find, and the station is clearly visible from the road (which then crosses an overbridge above it). The station building is a private dwelling and now effectively detached since its related platform has been demolished. One track has gone, so the remaining north side platform now receives trains from both directions and has a standard shelter for protection. Our one concern about this station is the passenger access: the only way down to the platform is a series of long steps with a strong handrail alongside: feasible for prams, but no fun at all for wheelchairs, hence our grading. It did not appear to have any parking spaces. Wheels: SSw.

Llanbister Road is a pleasant place to wait if the weather's good, and the standard shelter (brick variant) has a canopy for protection when it isn't.

DOLAU Suddenly a gem! In many ways Dolau is no different from its sisters along the line: one track gone, no significant buildings – just one standard shelter (timber variant). So what's special? Well, we have to say it's the first such shelter we ever found that had a visitors book. It also had a door fitted to one of the two openings to reduce the draught. Both platforms remain and are filled with flowers, there are extra benches and bits of railway memorabilia from the days when the station was somewhat busier, and inside the shelter are the rewards for all this care and attention. There are best-kept station awards by the bundle – they barely need to paint the walls. Just don't get run over at the gateless level crossing in your haste to see all this. Nice one, Dolau! Wheels: SSw.

PEN-Y-BONT station is actually closer to Crossways than the village it is named for, and is clearly signed off the north side of the A44. One platform and whatever was there before has now been taken over for commercial use. There is, however, a reasonable parking area (dependent upon how much is shared with the occupier), with one space dimly marked out for disabled users. The stub end of the commercial platform has been retained as a station gateway, and you go down the end slope to track level, and use the boarded crossing (using proper caution for any trains that might be coming) to get to the remaining platform, which serves both directions and has one of the standard wooden shelters. Wheels: SSw.

LLANDRINDOD is just west of A483, in the centre of Llandrindod Wells, a spa town intent on attracting visitors. As part of this endeavour, it is rediscovering its Victorian heyday and building on it. While we were there, significant numbers of people were drifting around in period dress to support the Victorian festival, but there were also permanent signs describing the history of the town, including one on the “Victorianisation” of the station.

Happily, Llandrindod has retained both platforms and both sets of station buildings, and we presume the canopy on the Swansea side is railway-original, even if it did make us think of Lord Street in Southport. The approach to the station from the town is down a slope which in some ways facilitates the modern ramp across the line, since it doesn't need steps or ramp on the Swansea side. The other side has both. Llandrindod has the rare benefit (for this line) of a ticket office and (presumably) waiting room – we arrived too late in the afternoon to be sure. We also guessed that a waiting room was available on the Shrewsbury side. Outside there is short term parking on the Swansea side and a bus stop right by the station entrance, and next to those is a larger parking area. There are similar facilities on the Shrewsbury side but much of these spaces will be for general town visitors rather than travellers, and there may be inconvenient limits on how long you can be parked there. Wheels: SSw.