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About the Offa’s Dyke Path

The Offa’s Dyke Path was the fourth of 15 national trails to be established
in England and Wales, with a further four in Scotland. The first of these
trails, the Pennine Way, was opened in 1965 but it was not until 1971 that
Lord Hunt, of Everest fame, officially opened the Offa’s Dyke Path.

The path was originally the responsibility of the Countryside
Commission, but as the path crosses the English/Welsh border many
times, two-thirds being in Wales and one third in England, the
responsibility for it passed to the Countryside Council for Wales in
1991. It is managed and maintained by the Offa’s Dyke Path
Management Service based in Knighton, with the close co-operation
of the local authorities through whose land it passes.

Strangely, the distance covered by the path is a matter for con-
jecture: you will see various distances given for the length of the path
– 182 miles according to the sign in Chepstow, 177 miles according
to the official National Trail website and 168 miles if you believe
what is written at Sedbury Cliffs.

HOW DIFFICULT IS THE OFFA’S DYKE PATH?

Do not be deceived into thinking this is an easy walk. Although the tourist
brochure in Prestatyn declares, ‘this now famous walk ... meanders up the High
Street and climbs the magnificent Prestatyn Hillside ... then wanders its way
along the spectacular Clwydian Range and from then on down to Chepstow’,
this is like leaving out six of the seven ages of man!

 A level of fitness and walking competence is required for most sections of
the Offa’s Dyke Path. It’s 177 miles end to end and assuming you have two
weeks available this will require an average of nearly 15 miles a day based on
12 days of walking plus a day to get to the start and a day to get home. This will
entail about five to seven hours’ walking every day. On at least three days you
will probably have to walk 17 miles; quite a tall order. Add to this the fact that
there are some 650 stiles to be crossed, an average of over three per mile (con-
siderably more when walking across farmland), and you are going to feel a
certain amount of tiredness at the end of the walking day. Are you up to it?

There are three severe and testing sections, two of which involve exposed
crossings well away from human habitation. The first is the crossing of the
Clwydian Range (see pp88-95) from Bodfari to Clwyd Gate which involves
several climbs and descents as well as some incomparable ridge walking. On a
fine day you will romp it but in bad weather it can be a severe test of endurance.
Luckily there are a number of escape routes which will enable you to arrange a
pick-up, possibly by your B&B host for the night.

The second challenging section is along Hatterrall Ridge in the Black
Mountains (see pp180-9) between Hay-on-Wye and Pandy. It’s a distance of
171⁄2 miles (28km) through exposed country, the highest point being 703m
(2307ft), and can take at least 91⁄2 hours. There is little shelter and few escape
routes although the journey could be broken at Capel-y-ffin or Llanthony. You
will need to think carefully about how you are going to tackle this arduous
crossing. The last of the three – the so-called ‘Switchbacks’ (see north and south
of Knighton, pp144-56) – falls into a different category: while most of the ups
and downs on this section are par for the course, others, particularly north of the
town, will pose a considerable challenge for many Dyke walkers.

That said, anyone possessing basic outdoor competence should find them-
selves coping perfectly well even with these challenging sections but don’t
underestimate any part of the route; it is not a doddle.

 

HOW LONG DO YOU NEED?

This is the great imponderable. Can the path be walked from end to end in a
fortnight’s holiday? The answer is yes, definitely, but a lot will depend on your
travelling time. If you have just 14 days but need two of those for the journey
to and from the trail, you’ll have to get a move on and it won’t leave you much
time to stop and stare. No time to visit Chirk Castle, see Llangollen, go into
Montgomery, call in at the Offa’s Dyke Centre in Knighton, shop for second-
hand books in Hay-on-Wye, have a pint at the Boat Inn at Redbrook or the
Three Tuns in Bishop’s Castle. This is good country and it deserves more than
a hurried glance.

The walk will be much more enjoyable if you can spare a full 14 days walk-
ing, plus a day or two for travelling to and from home, so if your fortnight’s
holiday incorporates three weekends, you’re in luck. If not, you could reason-
ably leave out one or two of the less inspiring sections without losing any of the
essential character of the route. Prestatyn to Bodfari (pp82-8), Castle Mill to
Llanymynech (p116-20) and the section along the Severn plain (pp128-30) are
all contenders for omission if you’re in a hurry, as is the very last section of the
walk, beyond Chepstow (p222). See also suggested itineraries (p36).

If you can’t spare the time to walk from end to end in one go you could
undertake the walk over several shorter trips, gradually accumulating the miles
until the great day comes when you have completed it in its entirety. Another
option is simply to sample the highlights of the route on day walks and weekend
trips; see pp36-7 for a list of recommended sections.