The complete route (Chepstow to Prestatyn):
During my planning of several previous hikes, my mother repeatedly told me of a splendid, adventurous trek she had discovered while reading a British travel magazine. I finally listened to her, read the article about the Offa’s Dyke Path and yes, she was right, it did look interesting. Since I knew little about Wales and didn’t have a clue about Offa or the history of the area, I ordered several hiking guides to see if this was worth additional consideration for a future hike. I learned:
Offa became the king of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom in central Britain known as Mercia in 757AD. A powerful king who effectively worked to increase the size of his kingdom, Offa was twice unsuccessful in conquering the Celtic population across the border in Wales. To protect his British lands from these Welsh antagonists, Offa built a dyke along the British border with Wales. Each farmer living near the border was required to build 20 feet of the dyke, which (more than 1300 years later) remains a visible reminder of the cultural separation between these two countries.
The 182 mile path follows Offa’s Dyke fairly closely, alternately wandering through areas of Wales and England along their border. By the end of our walk, the total of 201.54 miles included a little exploring and off-trail hiking. Our total elevation gain of 29,262′ disproves the common notion that Wales is flat. The following links will carry you through the Path as we experienced it. (My hiking companion for this trip was Sarah Allday, with the Silver Lake Hiking Club.)
(Note: At the end of each day’s blog entry is a link to the beginning of the next day AND a space for your comments.)
Day 2 – Chepstow to St. Brivels
Day 3 – St. Brivels to Abbey Bridge
Day 9 – Knighton to Brompton Cross
Day 10 – Brompton Crossroads to Buttington Bridge
Day 11 – Buttington Bridge to Trefonen
Day 12 – Rest Day at The Pentre
Day 13 – Trefonen to Llangollen
Day 14 – Llangollan to Clywd Gate
Day 15 – Clywd Gate to Bodfari
Now available! “Hiketreks: Trekking in Wales and Ireland” – a hardbacked, 158 page,
full-color volume of my hikes in southern Ireland and of Offa’s Dyke Path, running the length of the Welsh border with the UK. This volume generally contains the images and text presented in these daily pages. To purchase, follow the link: Hiketreks: Happiest when Hiking: Trekking in Ireland and Wales: Wharton, Kathy: 9781950562404: Amazon.com: Books