Llwybr Cenedlaethol Clawdd Offa
Chepstow to Prestatyn
283km/177 miles CHALLENGING
Signed
A route through the border country of England and Wales, from the Severn estuary to the Irish Sea via Knighton, Welshpool and Llangollen. Around 100km/60 miles of the route is alongside the 8th century earthwork of Offa's Dyke itself. There are a variety of beautiful landscapes including the limestone cliffs of the lower Wye valley, rolling farmlands, the Black Mountains, Shropshire Hills, Clywdian Hills and moorlands.
Although the Trail is not as challenging as more mountainous routes, there are some remote sections with rough and boggy paths, and many descents and climbs, especially on the 24km/15-mile "switchback" section between Knighton and Brompton Crossroads. Much of the land is used for grazing livestock and there are many stiles.
The route appeared on the initial list of suggestions for national trails in 1949, and was finally opened in 1971, thanks mainly to the efforts of volunteers from the Offa's Dyke Association. The Trail is maintained by local authorities coordinated by the Countryside Council for Wales (including the sections in England), and the Association remain active in maintaining and promoting the route and running the Offa's Dyke Information Centre (see below).
Monnow Valley Walk - Llwybr Dyffryn Mynwy. A 65.5km/40-mile pastoral route through attractive farmland and woodland along the Monnow Valley on the border between England and Wales between Monmouth and Hay Bluff, joining Offa's Dyke Path for the final short stretch to Hay on Wye. Between these points it offers a lower-level eastern alternative to Offa's Dyke Path (and also an alternative to the Wye Valley Walk further east).
Public Transport
- Rail. Stations at Chepstow (Cardiff, Newport, Gloucester); Abergavenny (Cardiff, Newport, Hereford, Shrewsbury, Crewe; off the route but with bus connection to Pandy, not Sundays); Knighton (on the attractive Heart of Wales line to Shrewsbury, Llanelli, Swansea); Welshpool (Shrewsbury, Aberystwyth); Gobowen and Chirk (Birmingham, Shrewsbury); and Prestatyn (Chester, Bangor)
- Coaches serve Chepstow, Monmouth, Abergavenny, Knighton, Welshpool, Oswestry, Chirk, Llangollen and Prestatyn
- Buses link Monmouth with Abergavenny, Chepstow and St Briavels; Abergavenny with Pandy; Hay with Brecon, Hereford (for rail services) and Kington; Kington with Knighton; Blue Bell Inn, Montgomery, Fordern and Kingswood with Welshpool; Llanymynech and Chirk with Oswestry; Llandegla to Llangollen and Wrexham; Bodfari to Mold and Denbigh and numerous other points along the Trail. Buses may be infrequent and there may be no Sunday service: check with enquiry services.
Further details of public transport, including an extensive list of bus services, can be found in the Where to Stay guidelisted below.
More public transport information: Wales | National enquiry lines
Publications
Available from the Ramblers' Association:
- Offa's Dyke Path South Chepstow to Knighton by Ernie & Kathy Kay and Mark Richards
ISBN 185410 9871
Order here! £12.99
Official National Trail Guide with OS 1:25 000 map extracts, background information, route description, photos, practical information. - Offa's Dyke Path North Knighton to Prestatyn by Ernie & Kathy Kay and Mark Richards
ISBN 1854109766
Order here! £12.99
Official National Trail Guide as above. - Offa's Dyke Path and Glyndŵr's Way Where to Stay by Offa's Dyke Association
Order here! £4.25
Accommodation and practical information. Accommodation information is also available on the Path's website (see below). - Offa's Dyke Harvey Strip Maps North & South - see sidebar for more information
Also available:
- Camping and Backpacker's List for the Offa's Dyke Path by Offa's Dyke Association (see below), £1.30 + p&p. See also path website.
- Offa's Dyke Path Prestatyn to Chepstow by Keith Carter, ISBN 1 873756 59 3. Trailblazer Publications £9.99.
Detailed compact publication with route description, extensive background notes, clear sketch maps, accommodation suggestions, public transport information. Describes route in opposite direction to official guides, and in a single volume. [2004] - Offa's Dyke South to North and Offa's Dyke North to South, route descriptions, to be used in conjunction with a map, from Offa's Dyke Association (see below), £2 + 50p p&p each
- Beyond the Offa's Dyke Path, leaflet pack with 8 circular walks of between 4 miles/6.5km and 8.5 miles/14km, based on the path in Denbighshire. Bilingual English/Welsh, free with 41p SAE to Denbighshire Countryside Service [2002]
- Offa's Dyke Circular Walks: Volume 1, Southern Section, ISBN 1 85058 725 6, £6.95, and Volume 2, Northern Section, ISBN 1 85058 726 4, £7.95, both by Ian Coulthard, Sigma.
25 energetic and challenging circular walks based on the Path. - Circular walks on the Offa's Dyke Path: Volume 1, Prestatyn to Welshpool, ISBN 1 902512 01 4, £4.99 and Volume 2, Welshpool to Hay-on-Wye, ISBN 1 902512 07 3, £5.99, both by Jeff Lomax, Mara.
Varied circular walks including sections of the Path. - Langton's Guide to the Offa's Dyke by Andrew Durham, ISBN 1 899242 02 3. Langtons £12.99 [1996]
- Walking Offa's Dyke by David Hunter, ISBN 1 852841 60 5. Cicerone £8.99 [1994]
- The Monnow Valley Walk by Eira and Harry Steggles, ISBN 0 9543539 0 0. H&E Steggles £4.95.
- Outdoor Handbuch Wales: Offa's Dyke Path by Ingrid Retterath, ISBN 3 89392 198 2. Conrad Stein, EUR9.80.
German-language pocket guide to the Path in 12 stages with accommodation listings and simple maps.
Contacts
Regions
Local authorities
Connecting routes
Parks and countryside
Maps
- Explorer OL13, OL14, 201, 216, 240, 256, 265
- Landranger 116, 117, 126, 137, 148, 161, 162
Route is shown on maps.
- Strip maps - Available from the Ramblers Association:
Offa's Dyke Path South - Chepstow to Knighton ISBN 1851378566
Order here! Offa's Dyke Path North - Knighton to Prestatyn
ISBN 1851374515
Order here! Both £9.95
Water-resistant maps of whole route with additional route information.
Also available:
- Strip maps by Ian Dormer from Offa's Dyke Association (see below), £5 + 50p p&p
Explorer digital map on CD-ROM. memory-map £99.95
More about maps
Visitor information
Accommodation
Bed and breakfast listings
YHA Hostels:
Booking and luggage transfer
Holiday operators
