Offa's Dyke Path (original) (raw)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Footpath in Wales and England

Offa's Dyke Path
Offa's Dyke Path signpost in Denbighshire
Length 177 mi (285 km)
Location English / Welsh border
Established 1971
Designation National Trail
Trailheads Sedbury 51°37′57″N 2°38′54″W / 51.6324°N 2.6482°W / 51.6324; -2.6482 (Offa's Dyke Path, Sedbury trailhead)Prestatyn 53°20′32″N 3°24′45″W / 53.3423°N 3.4126°W / 53.3423; -3.4126 (Offa's Dyke Path, Prestatyn trailhead)
Use Hiking
Elevation gain/loss 9,085 metres (29,806 ft)
Highest point Hatterrall Ridge, 703 m (2,306 ft)
Season All year

Offa's Dyke Path (Welsh: Llwybr Clawdd Offa) is a long-distance footpath loosely following the Wales–England border. Officially opened on 10 July 1971, by Lord Hunt, it is one of Britain's National Trails and draws walkers from throughout the world. About 60 miles (97 km) of the 177-mile (285 km) route either follows, or keeps close company with, the remnants of Offa's Dyke, an earthwork traditionally thought to have been constructed in the late 8th century on the orders of King Offa of Mercia.[1]

Offa's Dyke Path Monument at Prestatyn

Traveling south to north, starting by the Severn Estuary at Sedbury, near Chepstow, and finishing at Prestatyn on the north coast, the walk will take an average walker roughly 12 days to complete.[2] Roughly following the border in parts, and elsewhere the ancient monument of Offa's Dyke, as well as natural features such as the Hatterrall Ridge, the Dyke Path passes through a variety of landscapes. The route traces the eastern edge of the Black Mountains, traverses Clun Forest, the Eglwyseg moors north of Llangollen and the Clwydian Range.

The route passes through the counties of Monmouthshire, Gloucestershire, Powys, Herefordshire, Shropshire, Wrexham, Denbighshire and Flintshire. The Welsh Marches (Marchia Wallie) is a term used to describe this border region between England and Wales, since it was recorded in the Domesday Book in 1086.[3][4] It passes through, or close to, the towns of Chepstow, Monmouth, Hay-on-Wye, Kington, Presteigne, Knighton, Montgomery, Welshpool and Oswestry, then in and around the North Wales towns and villages of Llangollen, Llandegla, Bodfari and Dyserth.

The half-way point of the path is marked by the Offa's Dyke Centre in Knighton (52°20′45″N 3°03′06″W / 52.3458°N 3.0517°W / 52.3458; -3.0517 (Offa's Dyke Centre)).[5] There used to be around 600 stiles along the route, but many of these have now been replaced by kissing gates.

a certain vigorous king called Offa......had a great dyke built between Wales and Mercia from sea to sea.

Places on the route and highlights on or near the trail:[3]

Chepstow Castle from Offa's Dyke Path

Chepstow to Monmouth

[edit]

Tintern Abbey from Offa's Dyke Path

Monmouth to Hay-on-Wye

[edit]

Monnow Bridge at Monmouth

St Cadoc's at Llangattock Lingoed

The summit of the Black Mountain crossed by the Offa's Dyke Path

Hay-on-Wye to Knighton

[edit]

Dyke near Clun

Knighton to Montgomery

[edit]

Knighton in Powys

Montgomery to Llanymynech

[edit]

Llanymynech to Trevor

[edit]

Path through Racecourse Woods

Pontcysyllte Aqueduct

Trevor to Prestatyn

[edit]

Eglwyseg Crags from the Path

View from Jubilee Tower

vteOffa's Dyke Path
Legend
Prestatyn A55 near St Asaph Bodfari Moel Famau A495 near Ruthin Llandegla Forest Llangollen Canal over Pontcysyllte Aqueduct A5 near Llangollen Chirk Castle near Chirk Llanymynech River Severn A458 near Welshpool Montgomery Knighton A44 at Kington Hay-on-Wye Hatterrall Ridge in the Black Mountains Llangattock Lingoed White Castle A40 at Monmouth Tintern Abbey A48 at Chepstow Sedbury Cliffs at River Severn
Sources[6]

Various bodies on either side of the border are collaborating on a sustainable tourism partnership, a principal focus of which is Walking with Offa, both on the trail but also in what has been dubbed Offa's Country i.e. in a corridor along the border.[7]

The path was the focus of an episode of the Channel 4 program Britain's Ancient Tracks with Tony Robinson.

In June 2021, during the footpath's 50th year, an Offa's Dyke Rescue Fund was launched to restore eroded and other damaged parts of the route and to buy parts of the path at risk of sustained damage or negligence from local land owners. The fund is working in consultation with Cadw and English Heritage and the National Trail Unit.[8]

On 22 August 2021, the BBC's Countryfile programme celebrated 50 years of the path.[9]

  1. ^ "Offa's Dyke Path National Trail". Long Distance Walkers Association. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
  2. ^ "Distances". Offa's Dyke Association. Retrieved 3 December 2020.
  3. ^ a b Carter, Keith (2011). Offa's Dyke Path. Trailblazer Publications. ISBN 978-1-905864-35-5.
  4. ^ "A History of The Welsh Marches". ludlow.org.uk. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
  5. ^ "The Offa's Dyke Centre". Offa's Dyke Association. Retrieved 3 December 2020.
  6. ^ "Home page". Offa's Dyke Association. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
  7. ^ "Walking along an ancient border". BBC. 9 November 2011. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
  8. ^ Bentley, Charlotte (21 June 2021). "Rescue fund is launched to protect ancient monument, Heritage groups join forces to prevent 1,200-year-old Offa's Dyke from crumbling away". Shropshire Star. p. 3.
  9. ^ "Countryfile: Offa's Dyke Path". BBC One. 31 August 2021. Retrieved 29 April 2024.