Location: England/Wales Border
Length: 285km (177 miles).
Average number of days to complete: 12.
Users: 100% for walkers, 35% available for cyclists and horse riders too.
Highest point: Hatterrall Ridge 700m (2,300 ft).
Start point: The Marker Stone on Offa’s Dyke at Sedbury Cliff.
Finish point: The Marker Stone on Prestatyn seafront.
Start point: The Marker Stone on Offa’s Dyke at Sedbury Cliff.
Finish point: The Marker Stone on Prestatyn seafront.
Landscape: Rural with mountains, hill pasture, river valleys and lowland fields. 31% is within Three Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, 9% is within a National Park. Total 40% within designated areas, Two-thirds of this National Trail is in Wales.
Highlights: Offa’s Dyke, Britain’s longest Ancient Monument. Chepstow Castle, Wye Valley, Tintern Abbey, Monmouth, Black Mountains, Hay-on-Wye (the Town of Books), Knighton, (the Town-on-the-Dyke), Llangollen, Pont-Cysyllte Aqueduct, Moel Famau and the Clwydian Range Hill Forts. Also buzzards, badgers, butterflies and wild flowers galore.
Famous Associations: Kilvert’s Diary, Bruce Chatwin “On the Black Hill”, Malcolm Saville- “The Lone Pine Adventures”, George Borrow - “Wild Wales”, A.E. Housman - “A Shropshire Lad”.
Trail Officer's favourite part: “The South Shropshire Hills. An awful lot of climbs, but fantastic views, exquisite little forgotten valleys and unspoiled old buildings. Also some of the best preserved parts of the Dyke.”
Nearest towns: Bristol is 29 km (18 miles), Chepstow 1.6km (1 mile), Monmouth is on the Trail. Ludlow is 24km (15 miles), Newtown 16km (10 miles), Shrewsbury 26km (16 miles), Hereford 26km (16 miles), Llangollen and Prestatyn are on the Trail, Chester is 32km (20 miles). Other towns on or close by the Trail are Hay-on-Wye, Kington, Knighton, Presteigne, Montgomery, Welshpool, Oswestry and Chirk.
Access: There are railway stations at Chepstow (1.6km (1 mile) from the Trail), Abergavenny (8km (5 miles)), Knighton (on the Trail), Welshpool (2km (1.5 mile)), Chirk (2km (1.5miles)) and at Prestatyn (on the Trail).
Information available: National Trail Guides by Ernie and Kathy Kay - Aurum Press. Two volumes: Offa’s Dyke Path South ISBN 1 85410 671 6, Offa’s Dyke Path North ISBN 1 85410 322 9. Public Transport and “Where to Stay” by the Offa’s Dyke Association, published annually. Circular walk packs, mileage chart, strip maps etc. feature in publications list available from Offa’s Dyke Association. General information and publications available from the Offa’s Dyke Association, Offa’s Dyke Centre, West Street, Knighton, Powys, LD7 1EN Tel. (01 547) 528 753 Fax. (01 547) 529 242 Email. oda@offasdyke.demon.co.uk.
Contact for all information and advice: Trail Officer, Rob Dingle, Powys County Council, St John’s Offices, Fiveways, Llandrindod Wells, Powys. LD1 5ES Tel: 01597 827593, email: rob.dingle@powys.gov.uk
Offa’s Dyke Centre, West Street, Knighton, Powys, LD7 1EN.
Telephone: (01 547) 528 192.
Fax: (01 547) 529 242.
Email: odp@offasdyke.demon.co.uk
Offa’s Dyke Centre, West Street, Knighton, Powys, LD7 1EN.
Telephone: (01 547) 528 192.
Fax: (01 547) 529 242.
Email: odp@offasdyke.demon.co.uk