If you want to see the whole of Wales, from cosmopolitan Cardiff in the south to the historic Victorian resorts of the north, there’s one road that will take you all the way: the A470. This route, which traverses the country from end to end, winds its way through post-industrial valleys, agricultural landscapes and stunning mountains – and it offers a chance to see Wales for what it is in the twenty-first century, in all its diversity.

In the company of Gwendoline, his trusty but ancient scooter, travel writer Marc P. Jones follows the long unwinding road of the A470 on a quest to discover what makes his homeland tick. Taking in the splendour, beauty and history of the communities he travels through, Marc explores what unites and divides the different regions of this varied nation, and how can they learn to understand each other better. And one question, above all others, remains to be answered: will Gwendoline make it to the end of the road in one piece?