:Offa's Dyke Path

File:Dechrau a Diwedd, Prestatyn.jpg

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.{{cite web|title=Distances|url=https://offasdyke.org.uk/national-trail/distances/|access-date=3 December 2020|publisher=Offa's Dyke Association}} 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.{{Cite book|last=Carter|first=Keith|title=Offa's Dyke Path|publisher=Trailblazer Publications|year=2011|isbn=978-1-905864-35-5}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.ludlow.org.uk/historyofthemarches.html|title=A History of The Welsh Marches|website=ludlow.org.uk|access-date=15 April 2020}} 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 ({{coord |52.3458|-3.0517|type:landmark_region:GB|display=inline,title|name=Offa's Dyke Centre}}).{{cite web|title=The Offa's Dyke Centre|url=https://offasdyke.org.uk/offas-dyke-association/offas-dyke-centre/|access-date=3 December 2020|publisher=Offa's Dyke Association}} There used to be around 600 stiles along the route, but many of these have now been replaced by kissing gates.

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

}}

Places on the route and highlights on or near the trail:

File:Chepstow Castle from Offa's Dyke Path.jpg

• 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

File:Tintern Abbey from Offa's Dyke Path.jpg

• Monmouth: Monnow Bridge
• White Castle
• Llangattock Lingoed: St Cadoc's church
• Pandy
• Hatterrall Ridge is the highest point on the trail at {{convert|703|m|ft|abbr=on|-1}}
• Black Mountains

File:Monnow Bridge over River Monnow at Monmouth.jpg

File:St Cadoc's Church at Llangattock Lingoed.jpg

File:Black Mountain Top.jpg crossed by the Offa's Dyke Path|alt=]]

• Llanthony Priory

• Hay-on-Wye
• Newchurch
• Gladestry
• Hergest Ridge with wild ponies, {{convert|425|m|ft|abbr=on|-1}}
• Kington
• Hawthorn Hill, {{convert|406|m|ft|abbr=on|-1}}

Image:Offa's Dyke near Clun.jpg

• Knighton: Offa's Dyke visitor centre
• Panpunton Hill, {{convert|374|m|ft|abbr=on|-1}}
• Cwm-Sanaham Hill {{convert|406|m|ft|abbr=on|-1}}
• Llanfair Hill, highest point of the dyke at {{convert|430|m|ft|abbr=on|-1}}
• Churchtown and Edenhope Hill

File:Knighton in Powys.jpg

• Montgomery
• Chirbury
• Beacon Ring Iron Age hill fort (Caer Digoll)
• Buttington
• Alongside Montgomery Canal and dyke beside River Severn
• Four Crosses

• Llanymynech
• Moelydd, {{convert|285|m|ft|abbr=on|-1}}
• Trefonen
• Oswestry old racecourse at Racecourse Common
• Craignant
• Chirk Castle
• Llangollen Canal
• Pontcysyllte Aqueduct (World Heritage Site) over the River Dee

File:Offa's Dyke Path through Racecourse Woods.jpg

File:Pontcysyllte Aqueduct carrying Llangollen Canal over RIver Dee.jpg

• Trevor
• Llangollen Castle
• Eglwyseg Crags
• Llandegla Forest (with mountain bike trails)
• Llandegla
• Clwydian Range of hills:
• Around Moel-y-Plas, {{convert|440|m|ft|abbr=on|-1}}, Moel Llanfair, {{convert|447|m|ft|abbr=on|-1}}, Moel Gyw, {{convert|467|m|ft|abbr=on|-1}} and Foel Fenlli, {{convert|511|m|ft|abbr=on|-1}}
• Moel Famau, {{convert|555|m|ft|abbr=on|-1}} and Jubilee Tower at summit
• Around Moel Dywyll, {{convert|472|m|ft|abbr=on|-1}}, Moel Llys-y-Coed, {{convert|465|m|ft|abbr=on|-1}} and Moel Arthur, {{convert|455|m|ft|abbr=on|-1}}
• Penycloddiau hill fort at {{convert|440|m|ft|abbr=on|-1}}
• Bodfari
• Rhuallt
• Prestatyn: Offa's Dyke Monument on the beach

File:Eglwyseg Crags from Offa's Dyke Path.jpg

File:View from Jubilee Tower at Moel Famu summit.jpg{{Offa's Dyke Path}}

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.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/wales/entries/2d59dab0-a1a5-3c80-9d0b-9517b9300704|title=Walking along an ancient border|date=9 November 2011 |publisher=BBC|language=en|access-date=15 April 2020}}

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.{{cite news|title=Rescue fund is launched to protect ancient monument, Heritage groups join forces to prevent 1,200-year-old Offa's Dyke from crumbling away|newspaper=Shropshire Star|date=21 June 2021|page=3|first=Charlotte|last=Bentley}}

On 22 August 2021, the BBC's Countryfile programme celebrated 50 years of the path.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000z3mq|title = Countryfile: Offa's Dyke Path |publisher=BBC One |date= 31 August 2021 |access-date=29 April 2024}}

{{Reflist}}

{{Commons category}}

{{Wikivoyage}}

{{GeoGroupTemplate}}

• [https://offasdyke.org.uk/ The Offa's Dyke Association]
• [http://www.nationaltrail.co.uk/offas-dyke-path Offa's Dyke Path on the National Trail website]
• [https://www.ldwa.org.uk/ldp/members/show_path.php?path_name=Offa%27s+Dyke+Path+National+Trail Offa's Dyke Path National Trail - Long Distance Walkers Association]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20080922031918/http://www.ramblers.org.uk/INFO/paths/offasdyke.html Ramblers' Association: Offa's Dyke Path National Trail]
• [http://www.hikeview.co.uk/OffasDyke/OffasDykePage.html Map of the Offa's Dyke Path in {{convert|2|mi|adj=on}} sections]

{{Long-distance footpaths in Wales}}

{{UK Trails}}

{{Transport in Powys}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Long-distance footpaths in the United Kingdom

Category:Recreational walks in Wales

Category:Footpaths in Shropshire

Category:Footpaths in Herefordshire

Category:Long-distance footpaths in Wales

Category:Footpaths in Powys

Category:Long-distance footpaths in England

Category:England–Wales border