Offa's Dyke Path
Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use British English Template:Infobox hiking trail Template:National Trails Offa's Dyke Path (Template:Langx) 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 Template:Convert of the Template:Convert 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Walking trail
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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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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 (Template:Coord).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> There used to be around 600 stiles along the route, but many of these have now been replaced by kissing gates.
Route
[edit]Places on the route and highlights on or near the trail:<ref name=":0" />
Chepstow to Monmouth
[edit]- Sedbury Cliffs: Severn Estuary, Severn Bridge
- Chepstow: Chepstow Castle, River Wye
- View of Tintern Abbey from the Devil's Pulpit
- Redbrook: Iron railway bridge
- The Kymin naval temple
Monmouth to Hay-on-Wye
[edit]- Monmouth: Monnow Bridge
- White Castle
- Llangattock Lingoed: St Cadoc's church
- Pandy
- Hatterrall Ridge is the highest point on the trail at Template:Convert
- Black Mountains
Hay-on-Wye to Knighton
[edit]- Hay-on-Wye
- Newchurch
- Gladestry
- Hergest Ridge with wild ponies, Template:Convert
- Kington
- Hawthorn Hill, Template:Convert
Knighton to Montgomery
[edit]- Knighton: Offa's Dyke visitor centre
- Panpunton Hill, Template:Convert
- Cwm-Sanaham Hill Template:Convert
- Llanfair Hill, highest point of the dyke at Template:Convert
- Churchtown and Edenhope Hill
Montgomery to Llanymynech
[edit]- Montgomery
- Chirbury
- Beacon Ring Iron Age hill fort (Caer Digoll)
- Buttington
- Alongside Montgomery Canal and dyke beside River Severn
- Four Crosses
Llanymynech to Trevor
[edit]- Llanymynech
- Moelydd, Template:Convert
- Trefonen
- Oswestry old racecourse at Racecourse Common
- Craignant
- Chirk Castle
- Llangollen Canal
- Pontcysyllte Aqueduct (World Heritage Site) over the River Dee
Trevor to Prestatyn
[edit]- Trevor
- Llangollen Castle
- Eglwyseg Crags
- Llandegla Forest (with mountain bike trails)
- Llandegla
- Clwydian Range of hills:
- Around Moel-y-Plas, Template:Convert, Moel Llanfair, Template:Convert, Moel Gyw, Template:Convert and Foel Fenlli, Template:Convert
- Moel Famau, Template:Convert and Jubilee Tower at summit
- Around Moel Dywyll, Template:Convert, Moel Llys-y-Coed, Template:Convert and Moel Arthur, Template:Convert
- Penycloddiau hill fort at Template:Convert
- Bodfari
- Rhuallt
- Prestatyn: Offa's Dyke Monument on the beach
Promotion and media
[edit]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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
On 22 August 2021, the BBC's Countryfile programme celebrated 50 years of the path.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
References
[edit]External links
[edit]Template:Commons category Template:Wikivoyage Template:GeoGroupTemplate
- The Offa's Dyke Association
- Offa's Dyke Path on the National Trail website
- Offa's Dyke Path National Trail - Long Distance Walkers Association
- Ramblers' Association: Offa's Dyke Path National Trail
- Map of the Offa's Dyke Path in Template:Convert sections
Template:Long-distance footpaths in Wales Template:UK Trails Template:Transport in Powys Template:Authority control