Offas Dyke
A short introduction to Offas Dyke and a series of circular walks on the Shropshire Border. The series uses both pictures and narration followed by individual maps with detailed routed instructions. To accompany each walk there is a podcast that can be downloaded and played at home or while out walking the route to illustrate various interesting and historical facts.
See
shropshirewalking.co.uk
and
Archdale's Treat (bikemaps.co.uk) - April 2017
Link to activity:
Link to trail map:
The Clwydian Range (Welsh: Bryniau Clwyd) is a series of hills and mountains in north east Wales that runs from Llandegla in the south to Prestatyn in the north, with the highest point being the popular Moel Famau. The range is designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The AONB has been extended to include the Dee Valley around Llangollen including the Horseshoe Pass and Castell Dinas Bran, extending the area to 150 square miles (389 square km). The highest point in the AONB is Moel y Gamelin at 1,893 feet (577 metres).
The summits of the hills in the Clwydian Range provide extensive views across northern Wales, to the high peaks of Snowdonia, eastwards across the Cheshire Plain and the Peak District, and towards Manchester and Liverpool to the northeast. They have heather-clad summits above rolling pastures. The Offa’s Dyke National Trail traverses the range from Chirk to Prestatyn and at the southeastern end of the range is Llandegla Forest, a wooded area with mountain bike trails.
The range includes a number of hills possessing Iron Age hillforts, including (from the north) Y Foel (Moel Hiraddug), Moel-y-gaer, Penycloddiau, Moel Arthur, a second Moel y Gaer and Foel Fenlli. There are, as with many places in the west of Britain, a number of legends associated with King Arthur surrounding these hills. There are a number of tumuli and cairns on the hills.
The Clwydian Range was in 1985 designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, one of only five in Wales. The original area was 167 square kilometres (64 sq mi) but in 2011, the area was extended southwards by a further 229 square kilometres (88 sq mi) to include the Dee Valley, the towns of Llangollen and Corwen, the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, Chirk Castle and Valle Crucis Abbey.
The Offa's Dyke Path follows the Clwydian Range, although Offa's Dyke itself was not constructed on it. The Clwydian Way long distance footpath passes through the Clwydian Range, and the North Wales Path follows the foot of the scarp between Prestatyn and Dyserth.
The MTB Old Boys are just a bunch of knobheads who ride MTB together… #mtboldboys
Blame Sally - Long Time With You (HD) (3 of 5) - Hiking Offa’s Dyke Path (Trail) - Wales & England
Photos and video to the song “Long Time With You” by Blame Sally. Images and video were taken while hiking the Offa’s Dyke Path in Wales and England. Offa’s Dyke Path is one of Britain’s National Trails. This trail follows the English/Welsh border for 177 miles (285 km) alongside a 1200-year-old earthwork. Offa’s Dyke was built by Offa, the powerful Anglo-Saxon King of Mercia (757 to 796 CE) to establish a frontier between his kingdom and the Welsh. The Dyke consisted of a high bank and a wide, deep ditch and can be traced, with some gaps, from the River Severn to the River Dee. It runs from Prestatyn to Sedbury, near Chepstow, and passes through the varied and little-frequented landscapes. Sedbury can also be the starting point if one desires to hike northward.
Cities and towns traveled through included Prestatyn, Bodfari, Clywd Gate, Llangollen, Craignant, Llanymynech, Buttington, Churchstoke, Knighton, Kington, Hay-on-Wye, Pandy, Monmouth, Sedbury Cliffs, and Chepstow.
Walking a Stretch of Offa's Dyke Path with Harriet and Lola
Today I am exploring a small section of Offa's Dyke near Montgomery on the English/Welsh border. Harriet and Lola have joined me. It is a walk we have done before.
Offa's Dyke Path is a long-distance footpath following closely the Wales–England border. Opened in 1971, it is one of Britain's National Trails and draws walkers from throughout the world. Some of the 177-mile route either follows, or keeps close company with, the remnants of Offa's Dyke, an earthwork, most of which was probably constructed in the late 8th century on the orders of Offa of Mercia.
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An Irresistible Offa: Walking in the Wales-England Borderlands
An irresistible Offa: Walking in the Wales-England Border lands
We call it Irresistible Offa, throughout these lush and undulating border lands are stunning views, hidden villages and historic market towns where you can rest, sleep and eat. The area is studded with ancient hill forts, tiny churches, castles, fortresses, some of the UK's first picturesque tourist honeypots and fascinating relics of our industrial and transport heritage. Borders between countries have an aura of intrigue, myth and mystery, and one between England and Wales is no exception, making it just a little different as a place to go walking.
Walking with Offa, a cross-border cooperation project, is working hard to ensure that it stays that way. The project brings together strategic rural development and tourism bodies along the English-Welsh border to promote walking and sustainable tourism and transport along either side of the Offa's Dyke Path National Trail.
The partners, including four protected landscapes, are working together to develop more circular walks and to improve access across the trail, which runs along King Offa's 8th century earthwork border, so that even more visitors can enjoy the wonderful landscapes, heritage and all that it has to offer along the way.
Judy Collins - Since You Asked (HD) (1 of 5) - Hiking Offa’s Dyke Path (Trail) - Wales & England
Photos and video to the song “Since You Asked” by Judy Collins. Images and video were taken while hiking the Offa’s Dyke Path in Wales and England. Offa’s Dyke Path is one of Britain’s National Trails. This trail follows the English/Welsh border for 177 miles (285 km) alongside a 1200-year-old earthwork. Offa’s Dyke was built by Offa, the powerful Anglo-Saxon King of Mercia (757 to 796 CE) to establish a frontier between his kingdom and the Welsh. The Dyke consisted of a high bank and a wide, deep ditch and can be traced, with some gaps, from the River Severn to the River Dee. It runs from Prestatyn to Sedbury, near Chepstow, and passes through the varied and little-frequented landscapes. Sedbury can also be the starting point if one desires to hike northward.
Cities and towns traveled through included Prestatyn, Bodfari, Clywd Gate, Llangollen, Craignant, Llanymynech, Buttington, Churchstoke, Knighton, Kington, Hay-on-Wye, Pandy, Monmouth, Sedbury Cliffs, and Chepstow.
Stereophonics - Maybe Tomorrow (HD) (1 of 5) - Hiking Offa’s Dyke Path-Stonehenge - Wales & England
Photos and video to the song “Maybe Tomorrow” by Stereophonics. Images and video were taken while hiking the Offa’s Dyke Path in Wales and England. Offa’s Dyke Path is one of Britain’s National Trails. This trail follows the English/Welsh border for 177 miles (285 km) alongside a 1200-year-old earthwork. Offa’s Dyke was built by Offa, the powerful Anglo-Saxon King of Mercia (757 to 796 CE) to establish a frontier between his kingdom and the Welsh. The Dyke consisted of a high bank and a wide, deep ditch and can be traced, with some gaps, from the River Severn to the River Dee. It runs from Prestatyn to Sedbury, near Chepstow, and passes through the varied and little-frequented landscapes. Sedbury can also be the starting point if one desires to hike northward.
Cities and towns traveled through included Prestatyn, Bodfari, Clywd Gate, Llangollen, Craignant, Llanymynech, Buttington, Churchstoke, Knighton, Kington, Hay-on-Wye, Pandy, Monmouth, Sedbury Cliffs, and Chepstow.
Once the Offa’s Dyke hike was finished, the trip finished with a visit to Stonehenge. Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument near Amesbury, England. It consists of a ring of standing stones, with each standing stone around 13 ft (4.1 meters) high, 6 ft 11 in (2.1 meters) wide and weighing around 25 tons. The stones are set within earthworks in the middle of the most dense complex of Neolithic and Bronze Age monuments in England, including several hundred burial mounds.
Archaeologists believe it was constructed from 3000 BCE to 2000 BCE. The surrounding circular earth bank and ditch, which constitute the earliest phase of the monument, have been dated to about 3100 BCE. Radiocarbon dating suggests that the first bluestones were raised between 2400 and 2200 BCE, although they may have been at the site as early as 3000 BCE.
UK Day Walk 4: Wye Valley - South of Trericket Mill (2D)
A UK day walk along the Wye Valley South of Trericket Mill. 19/07/14
Places to see in ( Knighton - UK )
Places to see in ( Knighton - UK )
Knighton is a small market town in Powys, Wales, on the River Teme and the English-Welsh border. Knighton railway station, as well as a small part of the town, is in Shropshire, England. The name derives from the Old English for A settlement of servants. This Anglo-Saxon settlement later became a Norman fortified town. Tref-y-clawdd, its Welsh name, means town on the dyke (i.e. Offa's Dyke) and was first recorded in 1262.
The name Knighton probably derives from the Old English words cniht and tūn meaning, respectively, ... a soldier, personal follower, young man, servant, thane, freeman and ... farm, settlement, homestead. This implies that the settlement was perhaps founded as the result of a grant of land to freemen.
Knighton is known for a well-preserved section of Offa's Dyke. Intriguingly, Wat's Dyke also runs parallel to Offa's Dyke and a few miles to the east. An earthwork that runs north-south along the English/Welsh border from Basingwerk near Holywell to Oswestry. The dykes aside, two Norman castles, constructed in the 12th century, are the oldest survivors in modern Knighton.
Knighton first prospered as a centre of the wool trade in the 15th century and was later an important point on the two drover routes from Montgomery to Hereford, and from London to Aberystwyth. Otherwise, Knighton was remote from the centres of commerce. It seemed likely that the railway revolution would also fail to reach the town; the 1840s and 1850s saw considerable railway building right across Great Britain but Radnorshire had a small population and little industry.
On the last Saturday in August the town holds its annual Carnival and Show, which attracts thousands of visitors to the town from all over the world. It features two parades, one at midday, and another at around 8 pm; these consist of various themed carnival floats and people dressed in fancy dress. The show takes place at the town's showground at Bryn-y-Castell; also home to Knighton Town F.C., Knighton Cricket Club and Knighton Hockey Club.
Knighton Community Centre is the towns largest venue and plays host to many events such as discos, performances, wrestling, bands, artists along with local clubs and organisations. Just outside Knighton and visible for many miles, is an observatory with a telescope, Europe's largest camera obscura and a planetarium.
Knighton is at the centre or the start of two National Trails; Glyndŵr's Way and Offa's Dyke Path. The Offa's Dyke Association has a visitors' centre in the town alongside the site of the ceremony at which John Hunt, Baron Hunt of Llanfair Waterdine inaugurated the long distance footpath in 1971.
Knighton is 137 miles (220 km) from the UK capital city, London; 86 miles (138 km) from the Welsh capital of Cardiff; and, 19 miles (31 km) from the county town, Llandrindod Wells. For the smaller part of Knighton that is in Shropshire, the district administrative centre of Ludlow is 16 miles (26 km) distant and the county town of Shrewsbury is 34 miles (55 km) away. The town is remote but is connected with the following towns and villages.
( Knighton - UK ) is well know as a tourist destination because of the variety of places you can enjoy while you are visiting Knighton . Through a series of videos we will try to show you recommended places to visit in Knighton - UK
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Ali's goes on a long walk
Ali has a wild idea to walk from Lands End to John O'Groats in 2009. 600 miles along the South West Coastal Path, Offa's Dyke and The Pennine Way.
Building Bridges - Rights of Way Volunteers
As we open up the paths, nature closes them behind us. This is a familiar story for many rights of way across the UK. In Powys, there are over 6000 miles of footpaths, bridleways and other routes with public access across the largest county in England and Wales.
There are two national trails in Powys, the Offas Dyke and Glyndwrs Way, both world class walking trails. But off the beaten trail, there are a number of stunning paths and trails that see less footfall, managing these paths to remain clear and open is a big undertaking.
Across Powys, there are a number of volunteers supporting Powys' Rights of Way Officers. They are clearing paths and building bridges to make the whole experience of walking in this great county a pleasurable one.
In this film, Phil Stallard, Countryside Access Volunteer Co-ordinator, explains the importance of volunteers, and what volunteers will be doing in the future.
Three Peaks, July 2009: Snowdon
Snowdon: the first peak in the challenge. This is a 3-D flythrough of the GPS track recorded on 17 July 2009 by the Red Team. Video created using Memory-Map software.
Mary Chapin Carpenter - We Traveled So Far (HD) (2 of 5) - Hiking Offa’s Dyke Path - Wales & England
Photos and video to the song “We Traveled So Far” by Mary Chapin Carpenter. Images and video were taken while hiking the Offa’s Dyke Path in Wales and England. Offa’s Dyke Path is one of Britain’s National Trails. This trail follows the English/Welsh border for 177 miles (285 km) alongside a 1200-year-old earthwork. Offa’s Dyke was built by Offa, the powerful Anglo-Saxon King of Mercia (757 to 796 CE) to establish a frontier between his kingdom and the Welsh. The Dyke consisted of a high bank and a wide, deep ditch and can be traced, with some gaps, from the River Severn to the River Dee. It runs from Prestatyn to Sedbury, near Chepstow, and passes through the varied and little-frequented landscapes. Sedbury can also be the starting point if one desires to hike northward.
Cities and towns traveled through included Prestatyn, Bodfari, Clywd Gate, Llangollen, Craignant, Llanymynech, Buttington, Churchstoke, Knighton, Kington, Hay-on-Wye, Pandy, Monmouth, Sedbury Cliffs, and Chepstow.
Offa's Dyke.
Offa's dyke build by the king of mercia OFFA.757 to 796 AD not sure if it was ment to keep the welsh out or the english in??
waterfall country adventure.
Description
sugarloaf mountain trek
a trek up sugarloaf mountain in the black mountains of wales.
this is in preperation for a walk in northern spain.
Bruce Springsteen - Waitin’ On A Sunny Day (HD) (4 of 5) - Hiking Offa’s Dyke Path - Wales & England
Photos and video to the song “Waitin’ On A Sunny Day” by Bruce Springsteen. Images and video were taken while hiking the Offa’s Dyke Path in Wales and England. Offa’s Dyke Path is one of Britain’s National Trails. This trail follows the English/Welsh border for 177 miles (285 km) alongside a 1200-year-old earthwork. Offa’s Dyke was built by Offa, the powerful Anglo-Saxon King of Mercia (757 to 796 CE) to establish a frontier between his kingdom and the Welsh. The Dyke consisted of a high bank and a wide, deep ditch and can be traced, with some gaps, from the River Severn to the River Dee. It runs from Prestatyn to Sedbury, near Chepstow, and passes through the varied and little-frequented landscapes. Sedbury can also be the starting point if one desires to hike northward.
Cities and towns traveled through included Prestatyn, Bodfari, Clywd Gate, Llangollen, Craignant, Llanymynech, Buttington, Churchstoke, Knighton, Kington, Hay-on-Wye, Pandy, Monmouth, Sedbury Cliffs, and Chepstow.
South Clwydian Hike
A short video of Helen and I walking a small section of the Offas Dyke Path from Graig Fechan and Moel y Plas, stopping off for a brew and enjoying the scenery.
Walking Land's End to John o' Groats (view in 1080p).
My journey from Land's End to John o' Groats via the National Three Peaks of England, Scotland & Wales - Snowdon, Scafell Pike & Ben Nevis. 1,450 miles in 98 days, in aid of Velindre Cancer Centre.
The national trails I used: The South West Coastal Path, Tarka Trail, The Offa's Dyke, Glyndwr's Way, Cumbria Way, Hadrian's Wall, The Pennine Way, The John Muir Way, The West Highland Way, The Great Glen Way, John o' Groats Trail.
Feel free to click the link below to see a follow up of my hike & how much was raised for Velindre. Thanks for watching!
Aberdare
Walking Land's End to John o'Groats - Impressions
This is a short film of just some of the highlights of my walk from Land's End to John o'Groats, May to July, 2017.
Rough route: Hayle - Land's End - Lizard Point - Helford - Truro - Dartmoor - Taunton - Cheddar - Chepstow - Offa's Dyke up to Chirk - Congleton - Peak District - Pennine Way - Edinburgh - Forth and Clyde canals - West Highland Way - Great Glen Way - Inverness - Wick - John o'Groats - Dunnet Head.