View source for Offa's Dyke Path

{{Short description|Footpath in Wales and England}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2016}}
{{Use British English|date=December 2016}}
{{Infobox hiking trail
| name = Offa's Dyke Path
| photo = Offa's Dyke Path signpost. - geograph.org.uk - 501938.jpg
| caption = Offa's Dyke Path signpost in [[Denbighshire]]
| location = [[England|English]] / [[Wales|Welsh]] border
| designation = [[National Trail]]
| length_mi = 177
| trailheads = [[Sedbury]] {{coord|51.6324|-2.6482|type:landmark_region:GB|display=inline|name=Offa's Dyke Path, Sedbury trailhead}}<br>[[Prestatyn]] {{coord |53.3423|-3.4126|type:landmark_region:GB|display=inline|name=Offa's Dyke Path, Prestatyn trailhead}}
| use = [[Hiking]]
| lowest = 
| difficulty = 
| season = All year
| sights = 
|elev_gain_and_loss={{Convert|9085|m|0}}|established=1971|highest_m=703|highest_name=[[Hatterrall Ridge]]|route_state=}}
{{National Trails}}
'''Offa's Dyke Path''' ({{langx|cy|Llwybr Clawdd Offa}})  is a [[long-distance footpath]] loosely following the [[Wales–England border]]. Officially opened on 10 July 1971, by [[John Hunt, Baron Hunt|Lord Hunt]], it is one of Britain's [[National Trail]]s and draws [[hillwalking|walkers]] from throughout the world. About {{convert|60|mi|km|adj=off|abbr=}} of the {{convert|177|mi|km|adj=on}} route either follows, or keeps close company with, the remnants of [[Offa's Dyke]], an [[Earthworks (engineering)|earthwork]] traditionally thought to have been constructed in the late 8th century on the orders of [[Offa of Mercia|King Offa of Mercia]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ldwa.org.uk/ldp/members/show_path.php?path_name=Offa%27s+Dyke+Path+National+Trail |title=Offa's Dyke Path National Trail |publisher=Long Distance Walkers Association |language=en-GB |access-date=29 April 2024}}</ref>

== Walking trail ==
[[File:Dechrau a Diwedd, Prestatyn.jpg|thumb|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.<ref>{{cite web|title=Distances|url=https://offasdyke.org.uk/national-trail/distances/|access-date=3 December 2020|publisher=Offa's Dyke Association}}</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, Wales|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 County Borough|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">{{Cite book|last=Carter|first=Keith|title=Offa's Dyke Path|publisher=Trailblazer Publications|year=2011|isbn=978-1-905864-35-5}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> It passes through, or close to, the towns of [[Chepstow]], [[Monmouth]], [[Hay-on-Wye]], [[Kington, Herefordshire|Kington]], [[Presteigne]], [[Knighton, Powys|Knighton]], [[Montgomery, Wales|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, Powys|Knighton]] ({{coord |52.3458|-3.0517|type:landmark_region:GB|display=inline,title|name=Offa's Dyke Centre}}).<ref>{{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}}</ref>  There used to be around 600 [[stile]]s along the route, but many of these have now been replaced by [[kissing gate]]s.

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

== Route ==
Places on the route and highlights on or near the trail:<ref name=":0" />

[[File:Chepstow Castle from Offa's Dyke Path.jpg|thumb|Chepstow Castle from Offa's Dyke Path|alt=]]

=== Chepstow to Monmouth ===
*[[Sedbury]] Cliffs: [[Severn Estuary]], [[Severn Bridge]]
*[[Chepstow]]: [[Chepstow Castle]], [[River Wye]]
* View of [[Tintern Abbey]] from the [[Devil's Pulpit, Gloucestershire|Devil's Pulpit]]
*[[Redbrook]]: Iron railway bridge
*[[The Kymin]] naval temple
[[File:Tintern Abbey from Offa's Dyke Path.jpg|thumb|Tintern Abbey from Offa's Dyke Path|alt=]]

=== Monmouth to Hay-on-Wye ===
*[[Monmouth]]: [[Monnow Bridge]]
*[[White Castle, Monmouthshire|White Castle]]
*[[Llangattock Lingoed]]: [[St Cadoc's Church, Llangattock Lingoed|St Cadoc's church]]
*[[Pandy, Monmouthshire|Pandy]]
*[[Hatterrall Ridge]] is the highest point on the trail at {{convert|703|m|ft|abbr=on|-1}}
*[[Black Mountains, Wales|Black Mountains]]
[[File:Monnow Bridge over River Monnow at Monmouth.jpg|thumb|Monnow Bridge at Monmouth]]
[[File:St Cadoc's Church at Llangattock Lingoed.jpg|thumb|St Cadoc's at Llangattock Lingoed]]
[[File:Black Mountain Top.jpg|thumb|The summit of the [[Black Mountain (hill)|Black Mountain]] crossed by the Offa's Dyke Path|alt=]]
*[[Llanthony Priory]]

=== Hay-on-Wye to Knighton ===
*[[Hay-on-Wye]]
*[[Newchurch, Monmouthshire|Newchurch]]
*[[Gladestry]]
*[[Hergest Ridge]] with wild ponies, {{convert|425|m|ft|abbr=on|-1}}
*[[Kington, Herefordshire|Kington]]
* Hawthorn Hill, {{convert|406|m|ft|abbr=on|-1}}
[[Image:Offa's Dyke near Clun.jpg|thumb|Dyke near Clun]]

=== Knighton to Montgomery ===
*[[Knighton, Powys|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|thumb|Knighton in Powys]]

=== Montgomery to Llanymynech ===
*[[Montgomery, Powys|Montgomery]]
*[[Chirbury]]
*[[Long Mountain (Powys)|Beacon Ring]] [[Iron Age]] hill fort (Caer Digoll)
*[[Buttington]]
* Alongside [[Montgomery Canal]] and dyke beside [[River Severn]]
*[[Four Crosses, Llandysilio|Four Crosses]]

=== Llanymynech to Trevor ===
*[[Llanymynech]]
* Moelydd, {{convert|285|m|ft|abbr=on|-1}}
*[[Trefonen]]
* [[Oswestry Race Course|Oswestry old racecourse]] at Racecourse Common
* Craignant
*[[Chirk Castle]]
*[[Llangollen Canal]]
*[[Pontcysyllte Aqueduct]] ([[World Heritage Site]]) over the [[River Dee, Wales|River Dee]]
[[File:Offa's Dyke Path through Racecourse Woods.jpg|thumb|Path through Racecourse Woods]]
[[File:Pontcysyllte Aqueduct carrying Llangollen Canal over RIver Dee.jpg|thumb|Pontcysyllte Aqueduct]]

=== Trevor to Prestatyn ===
*[[Trevor, Wrexham|Trevor]]
*Llangollen Castle
*[[Eglwyseg|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|thumb|Eglwyseg Crags from the Path]]
[[File:View from Jubilee Tower at Moel Famu summit.jpg|thumb|View from Jubilee Tower]]{{Offa's Dyke Path}}

==Promotion and media==
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>{{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}}</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 Trails|National Trail Unit]].<ref>{{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}}</ref>

On 22 August 2021, the BBC's ''[[Countryfile]]'' programme celebrated 50 years of the path.<ref>{{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}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{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]]