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Walking
the Boundary of King Offa's Mercia   The Offa’s Dyke path is a walk through history following the course of an ancient earthwork believed to date from the late 8th century. It runs for 117 miles from Chepstow on the Severn Estuary to Prestatyn on the Irish Sea coast of north Wales. The scenery is remarkable, especially over the first 80 miles which our walk covers. The variety of terrain and the remote and sparsely populated countryside allows a wide range of species of birds, butterflies mammals and plants to exist. The dyke takes its name from King Offa who ruled the English kingdom of Mercia from 757 to 796 and to whom its construction is attributed. It is a defensive earthwork of immense proportions criss-crossing the modern border between England & Wales. The dyke is lined with castles and abbeys some dating from just after the Norman conquest of 1066.
Our walk starts in
the town of Chepstow with its castle, which dates from 1067 and is open
throughout the year. From just outside Chepstow the path follows a nearly
un-broken section of the dyke for the whole 81 miles of our 6 day walk.
Along the route you will encounter some of the most spectacular scenery
that this border country has to offer. The walled towns, castles and
remains of fortifications are visually stunning and of great historical
interest. This section of the path oozes history: the ruins of Tintern
Abbey founded in 1131 by Cistercian monks, White Castle with its water
filled moat, through Monmouth with its famous 13th century gatehouse and
past the churches of St Teilo at Llantilio Crossenny and St Cadoc’s at
Llangattocklingoed. At Longtown you will find Longtown Castle, one of the
oldest circular keeps in Britain. Your last day of walking is unarguably
the best as the dyke is your constant companion as you traverse unspoilt
border country to the prosperous market town of Knighton, home of the Offa’s
Dyke Association and their exhibition about King Offa and the Dyke.
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Accommodation
7 nights/8 days - A modernised sixteenth century inn with an award winning restaurant five minutes walk from
Chepstow station is your overnight stop before the walk commences. At
Redbrook we stay in a bed & breakfast, dinner can be obtained from the pubs in the village. A fifteenth century working sheep and cattle farm is our third night’s stop. Whilst in the
Olchon valley we stay in a converted barn that was once the home of film actor Robert Newton. At
Hay-on-Wye we stay in a bed & breakfast specialising in a fully cooked Welsh breakfast. Night six is spent in
Kington, a market town with good facilities for walkers, at a comfortable hotel in the centre. The last night is spent at
Knighton in a sixteenth century former coaching inn with two restaurants and a bar serving snacks.
Sherpa Notes
Waymarks
Several types of waymarking is in use, metal, finger posts, concrete signs, coloured arrows painted or attached to fences and stiles and acorn markers usually attached to the stiles.
Accommodation and Meals
On a bed & breakfast basis in a mixture of hotels, guest-houses and a farmhouse.
Start and End of Tour
There is a frequent rail service from London Paddington to Chepstow. Journey time approx 3 hrs.
There is a train station at Knighton with a service to London taking about
4.5 hours. |
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