Offa's Dyke Path ( cy, 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 of the 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.

Walking trail

Traveling south to north, starting by the Severn Estuary at Sedbury, near Chepstow, and finishing at

Prestatyn Prestatyn is a seaside town and community in Denbighshire, Wales. Historically a part of Flintshire, it is located on the Irish Sea coast, to the east of Rhyl. Prestatyn has a population of 19,085, History Prehistory There is evidence that the ...

on the north coast, the walk will take an average walker roughly 12 days to complete. 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 Clun Forest is a remote, rural area of open pastures, moorland and mixed deciduous/coniferous woodland in the southwest part of the English county of Shropshire and also just over the border into Powys, Wales. It was once a Royal hunting forest ...

, the Eglwyseg moors north of Llangollen and the Clwydian Range. The route passes through the counties of

Monmouthshire Monmouthshire ( cy, Sir Fynwy) is a county in the south-east of Wales. The name derives from the historic county of the same name; the modern county covers the eastern three-fifths of the historic county. The largest town is Abergavenny, with ...

Gloucestershire Gloucestershire ( abbreviated Glos) is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn and the entire Forest of Dean. The county town is the city of Gl ...

, Powys,

Herefordshire Herefordshire () is a county in the West Midlands of England, governed by Herefordshire Council. It is bordered by Shropshire to the north, Worcestershire to the east, Gloucestershire to the south-east, and the Welsh counties of Monmouthshire ...

Shropshire Shropshire (; alternatively Salop; abbreviated in print only as Shrops; demonym Salopian ) is a landlocked historic county in the West Midlands region of England. It is bordered by Wales to the west and the English counties of Cheshire to th ...

Wrexham Wrexham ( ; cy, Wrecsam; ) is a city and the administrative centre of Wrexham County Borough in Wales. It is located between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley, near the border with Cheshire in England. Historically in the count ...

Denbighshire Denbighshire ( ; cy, Sir Ddinbych; ) is a county in the north-east of Wales. Its borders differ from the historic county of the same name. This part of Wales contains the country's oldest known evidence of habitation – Pontnewydd (Bontnewy ...

and Flintshire. The

Welsh Marches The Welsh Marches ( cy, Y Mers) is an imprecisely defined area along the border between England and Wales in the United Kingdom. The precise meaning of the term has varied at different periods. The English term Welsh March (in Medieval Latin ...

(Marchia Wallie) is a term used to describe this border region between England and Wales, since it was recorded in the

Domesday Book Domesday Book () – the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book" – is a manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William I, known as William the Conqueror. The manusc ...

in 1086. It passes through, or close to, the towns of Chepstow,

Monmouth Monmouth ( , ; cy, Trefynwy meaning "town on the Monnow") is a town and community in Wales. It is situated where the River Monnow joins the River Wye, from the Wales–England border. Monmouth is northeast of Cardiff, and west of London. I ...

, Hay-on-Wye, Kington, Presteigne, Knighton, Montgomery, Welshpool and

Oswestry Oswestry ( ; ) is a market town, civil parish and historic railway town in Shropshire, England, close to the Welsh border. It is at the junction of the A5, A483 and A495 roads. The town was the administrative headquarters of the Borough of ...

, then in and around the

North Wales , area_land_km2 = 6,172 , postal_code_type = Postcode , postal_code = LL, CH, SY , image_map1 = Wales North Wales locator map.svg , map_caption1 = Six principal areas of Wales common ...

towns and villages of Llangollen, Llandegla, Bodfari and

Dyserth Dyserth ( cy, Diserth) is a village, community and electoral ward in Denbighshire, Wales. Its population at the 2011 United Kingdom census was 2,269 and was estimated by the Office for National Statistics as 2,271 in 2019. It lies within the h ...

. The half-way point of the path is marked by the Offa's Dyke Centre in Knighton (). There used to be around 600 stiles along the route, but many of these have now been replaced by kissing gates.

Route

Places on the route and highlights on or near the trail: Chepstow Castle from Offa's Dyke Path

Chepstow to Monmouth

* Sedbury Cliffs: Severn Estuary,

Severn Bridge The Severn Bridge ( cy, Pont Hafren) is a motorway suspension bridge that spans the River Severn between South Gloucestershire in England and Monmouthshire in South East Wales. It is the original Severn road crossing between England and Wale ...

* Chepstow:

Chepstow Castle Chepstow Castle ( cy, Castell Cas-gwent) at Chepstow, Monmouthshire, Wales is the oldest surviving post-Roman stone fortification in Britain. Located above cliffs on the River Wye, construction began in 1067 under the instruction of the Norman L ...

River Wye The River Wye (; cy, Afon Gwy ) is the Longest rivers of the United Kingdom, fourth-longest river in the UK, stretching some from its source on Plynlimon in mid Wales to the Severn estuary. For much of its length the river forms part of Wal ...

* View of Tintern Abbey from the Devil's Pulpit *

Redbrook Redbrook is a village in Gloucestershire, England, adjoining the border with Monmouthshire, Wales. It is located on the River Wye and is within the Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. History Both Upper and Lower Redbrook were ment ...

: Iron railway bridge *

The Kymin The Kymin, ( cy, Cae-y-Maen), is a hill overlooking Monmouth, in Monmouthshire, Wales. It is located approximately one mile east of Monmouth, on the eastern side of the River Wye and adjacent to the border with the Forest of Dean and England. ...

naval temple Tintern Abbey from Offa's Dyke Path

Monmouth to Hay-on-Wye

Monnow Bridge Monnow Bridge ( cy, Pont Trefynwy ), in Monmouth, Wales, is the only remaining medieval fortification, fortified river bridge in Great Britain with its gate tower standing on the bridge. Such bridge towers were common across Europe from Middl ...

* White Castle *

Llangattock Lingoed Llangattock Lingoed ( cy, Llangatwg Lingoed) is a small rural village in Monmouthshire, south east Wales. It is located approximately five miles north of Abergavenny, between Abergavenny and Grosmont, a few miles south of the Wales-Eng ...

: St Cadoc's church * Pandy * Hatterrall Ridge is the highest point on the trail at * Black Mountains Monnow Bridge over River Monnow at Monmouth

St Cadoc's Church at Llangattock Lingoed

Llanthony Priory Llanthony Priory ( cy, Priordy Llanddewi Nant Hodni) is a partly ruined former Augustinian priory in the secluded Vale of Ewyas, a steep-sided once-glaciated valley within the Black Mountains area of the Brecon Beacons National Park in Monmou ...

Hay-on-Wye to Knighton

* Hay-on-Wye * Newchurch *

Gladestry Gladestry ( cy, Llanfair Llythynwg) is a small village and community in Radnorshire, Powys, mid-Wales, close to the border with England at the end of the Hergest Ridge and south of the large moorland area of Radnor Forest. People living in Gl ...

Hergest Ridge Hergest Ridge is a large elongated hill which traverses the border between England and Wales in the United Kingdom, between the town of Kington in Herefordshire and the village of Gladestry in Powys. Its highest point, which is in England, ...

with wild ponies, * Kington * Hawthorn Hill,

Knighton to Montgomery

* Knighton: Offa's Dyke visitor centre * Panpunton Hill, * Cwm-Sanaham Hill * Llanfair Hill, highest point of the dyke at * Churchtown and Edenhope Hill Knighton in Powys

Montgomery to Llanymynech

* Montgomery *

Chirbury Chirbury () is a village in west Shropshire, England. It is situated in the Vale of Montgomery, close to the Wales–England border ( at its nearest), which is to its north, west and south. The A490 and B4386 routes cross at Chirbury. It is th ...

* Beacon Ring

Iron Age The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age (Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age (Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostly appl ...

hill fort (Caer Digoll) * Buttington * Alongside

Montgomery Canal The Montgomery Canal ( cy, Camlas Trefaldwyn), known colloquially as "The Monty", is a partially restored canal in eastern Powys and northwest Shropshire. The canal runs from the Llangollen Canal at Frankton Junction to Newtown via Llanymy ...

and dyke beside

River Severn , name_etymology = , image = SevernFromCastleCB.JPG , image_size = 288 , image_caption = The river seen from Shrewsbury Castle , map = RiverSevernMap.jpg , map_size = 288 , map_c ...

* Four Crosses

Llanymynech to Trevor

Llanymynech Llanymynech is a village straddling the border between Montgomeryshire/Powys, Wales, and Shropshire, England, about 9 miles (14 km) north of the Welsh town of Welshpool. The name is Welsh for "Church of the Monks". The village is on the ba ...

* Moelydd, *

Trefonen Trefonen is a small village located approximately south-west of Oswestry, and three miles east of the England-Wales border, in Shropshire, England. The name translates into "village of the ash trees" in English. In 2001, the total population ...

* Oswestry old racecourse at Racecourse Common * Craignant *

Chirk Castle Chirk Castle ( cy, Castell y Waun) is a Grade I listed castle located in Chirk, Wrexham County Borough, Wales. History The castle was built in 1295 by Roger Mortimer de Chirk, uncle of Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March as part of King Edward ...

* Llangollen Canal * Pontcysyllte Aqueduct (

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

) over the River Dee Offa's Dyke Path through Racecourse Woods

Pontcysyllte Aqueduct carrying Llangollen Canal over RIver Dee

Trevor to Prestatyn

Trevor Trevor (Trefor (disambiguation), Trefor in the Welsh language) is a common given name or surname of Welsh language, Welsh origin. It is an habitational name, deriving from the Welsh ''tre(f)'', meaning "homestead", or "settlement" and ''fawr'', ...

*Llangollen Castle * Eglwyseg Crags *

Llandegla Forest Llandegla Forest ( cy, Coed Llandegla) is a forest of planted conifers covering 2.5 sq miles (6.5 km2) in Denbighshire, north-east Wales. It is situated to the south-east of the village of Llandegla at the north-western edge of Ruabon Moors. ...

(with mountain bike trails) * Llandegla * Clwydian Range of hills: **Around Moel-y-Plas, , Moel Llanfair, ,

Moel Gyw Moel Gyw is a hill in Denbighshire, North Wales and forms part of the Clwydian Range. It is situated just to the south of Moel Famau and Foel Fenlli Foel Fenlli or Moel Fenlli is a hill in Denbighshire, North Wales. With a summit at an eleva ...

, and

Foel Fenlli Foel Fenlli or Moel Fenlli is a hill in Denbighshire, North Wales. With a summit at an elevation of , it is the second highest peak of the Clwydian Range. A popular ascent leads south from the car park at Bwlch Penbarras, which is also a popul ...

, ** Moel Famau, and

Jubilee Tower The octagonal Jubilee Tower (officially called Darwen Tower) at grid reference SD678215 on Darwen Hill overlooking the town of Darwen in Lancashire, England, was completed in 1898 to commemorate Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee and also to celeb ...

at summit **Around Moel Dywyll, , Moel Llys-y-Coed, and Moel Arthur, **

Penycloddiau Penycloddiau is a hill in Flintshire, Wales, and one of five Marilyns in the Clwydian Range. The hill, like Foel Fenlli and Moel Arthur to the south, has an Iron Age hillfort at its summit. It covers making it one of the largest hillforts ...

hill fort at * Bodfari *

Rhuallt Rhuallt is a village in Denbighshire, Wales. The village is situated approximately south of Prestatyn and east of St Asaph on the B5429 road, adjacent to the A55, and has a caravan site. There is one public house, The White House. Another pu ...

: Offa's Dyke Monument on the beach Eglwyseg Crags from Offa's Dyke Path

View from Jubilee Tower at Moel Famu summit

Promotion and media

Various bodies on either side of the border are collaborating on a

sustainable tourism Sustainable tourism is a concept that covers the complete tourism experience, including concern for economic, social and environmental issues as well as attention to improving tourists' experiences and addressing the needs of host communities. Su ...

partnership, a principal focus of which is ''Walking with Offa'', both on the trail but also in what has been dubbed

Offa's Country Offa's Country is a sustainable tourism project developed under the 2009 Welsh-English Border Strategic Regeneration Programme. The programme is funded by the Welsh Government, Natural England and Advantage West Midlands. Partnerships have bee ...

i.e. in a corridor along the border. The path was the focus of an episode of the

Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned enterprise, state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a four ...

program ''

Britain's Ancient Tracks with Tony Robinson ''Britain's Ancient Tracks with Tony Robinson'' is a television documentary series presented by Sir Tony Robinson. The first series, consisting of three episodes, was broadcast in 2016 by Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air publi ...

''. 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 (, a Welsh verbal noun meaning "keeping/preserving") is the historic environment service of the Welsh Government and part of the Tourism and Culture group. works to protect the historic buildings and structures, the landscapes and heritage s ...

and

English Heritage English Heritage (officially the English Heritage Trust) is a charity that manages over 400 historic monuments, buildings and places. These include prehistoric sites, medieval castles, Roman forts and country houses. The charity states that i ...

and the National Trail Unit. On 22 August 2021 BBC's '' Countryfile'' programme celebrated 50 years of the path.

References

External links

The Offa's Dyke AssociationOffa's Dyke Path on the National Trail websiteOffa's Dyke Path National Trail - Long Distance Walkers Association
{{Authority control Long-distance footpaths in the United Kingdom Recreational walks in Wales Footpaths in Shropshire Footpaths in Herefordshire Long-distance footpaths in Wales Footpaths in Powys Long-distance footpaths in England England–Wales border