Walking Forum
Main Boards => Long Distance Walks => Topic started by: bricam2096 on 18:09:46, 20/07/19
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I recently walked the Offa's Dyke path, this would be my 15th National Trail and it was one of my favourite ones. There was a bit of rain on the first 2 mornings and then nearly all of the last day but apart from that just a couple of showers meant ideal conditions, warm enough to be in tshirt and shorts at times but not hot enough to feel uncomfortable. The first couple of days seemed to have quite a bit of wet and muddy farmland and fields to go through (and the last) but after that, the scenery and the paths improved and it's certainly a walk I would do again. Below are some of the photos taken on the trail, the rest of my diary can be read at...
http://www.brians-walks.co.uk/offas-dyke-path.html
Day 1 - Sedbury Cliffs (near Chepstow) to Monmouth - 19 miles
(http://www.brians-walks.co.uk/offasdyke/start-sedbury-cliffs.jpg)
The start of Offa's Dyke Walk at Sedbury Hills on a wet day
(http://www.brians-walks.co.uk/offasdyke/bigsweir-bridge.jpg)
Just reaching the bridge at Bigsweir on the riverside path option
(http://www.brians-walks.co.uk/offasdyke/redbrook.jpg)
Looking down towards the River Wye and Redbrook
(http://www.brians-walks.co.uk/offasdyke/round-house-kyrin.jpg)
The Round House on the summit of the Kyrin above Monmouth
(http://www.brians-walks.co.uk/offasdyke/monmouth-from-round-house.jpg)
Looking down over Monmouth from the Round House
Day 2 - Monmouth to Pandy (near Abergavenny) - 17 miles
(http://www.brians-walks.co.uk/offasdyke/monnow-bridge-monmouth.jpg)
The gate tower on the fortified Monnow Bridge in Monmouth
(http://www.brians-walks.co.uk/offasdyke/white-castle-llantilio-cressenny.jpg)
White Castle, near Llantilio Cressenny
(http://www.brians-walks.co.uk/offasdyke/skirrid-fawr.jpg)
Looking towards Skirrid Fawr from near Pandy
Day 3 - Pandy to Hay-On-Wye - 16 miles
(http://www.brians-walks.co.uk/offasdyke/hatterrall-ridge.jpg)
Part of the lovely 10 mile walk along the Hatterrall Ridge
(http://www.brians-walks.co.uk/offasdyke/hay-bluff-trig-point.jpg)
The Welsh Dragon on the Hay Bluff trig point
(http://www.brians-walks.co.uk/offasdyke/view-hay-bluff.jpg)
Part of the fantastic view from Hay Bluff
Day 4 - Hay-On-Wye to Kington - 15 miles
(http://www.brians-walks.co.uk/offasdyke/river-hay-on-wye.jpg)
Crossing the River Wye as I leave Hay-On-Wye
(http://www.brians-walks.co.uk/offasdyke/towards-newchurch.jpg)
Heading down towards the Hamlet of Newchurch
(http://www.brians-walks.co.uk/offasdyke/monkey-trees-hergest-ridge.jpg)
The clump of monkey trees on the Hergest Ridge
(http://www.brians-walks.co.uk/offasdyke/kington-war-memorial.jpg)
The war memorial in Kington Square
Day 5 - Kington to Knighton - 14 miles
(http://www.brians-walks.co.uk/offasdyke/offas-dyke-holywell-valley.jpg)
A stretch of Offa's Dyke looking towards the Holywell Valley
(http://www.brians-walks.co.uk/offasdyke/price-monument-hawthorn-hill.jpg)
The Price Monument on Hawthorn Hill
(http://www.brians-walks.co.uk/offasdyke/knighton-clock-tower.jpg)
The clock tower in the centre of Knighton
Day 6 - Knighton to Montgomery - 20 miles
(http://www.brians-walks.co.uk/offasdyke/trig-point-cwm-sanaham-hill.jpg)
The trig point on Cwm Sanaham Hill looking towards Knucklas
(http://www.brians-walks.co.uk/offasdyke/brynorgan-cottage-llanfair-hill.jpg)
Brynorgan Cottage and the line of the Dyke on Llanfair Hill
(http://www.brians-walks.co.uk/offasdyke/halfway-point-offas-dyke-path.jpg)
The halfway point of the Offa's Dyke Path walk
(http://www.brians-walks.co.uk/offasdyke/DSC00543.jpg)
Looking down towards the Vale of Montgomery
Day 7 - Montgomery to Llanymynech - 21 miles
(http://www.brians-walks.co.uk/offasdyke/beacon-ring-bench.jpg)
The view from the bench at the top of Beacon's Ring
(http://www.brians-walks.co.uk/offasdyke/montgomery-canal-pool-quay.jpg)
Walking along part of the Montgomery Canal near Pool Quay
(http://www.brians-walks.co.uk/offasdyke/breidden-hills-river-severn.jpg)
Looking towards the Breidden Hills as I walked beside the River Severn
(http://www.brians-walks.co.uk/offasdyke/parsons-bridge-montgomery-canal.jpg)
Parsons Bridge on the Montgomery Canal near Four Crosses
Day 8 - Llanymynech to Llangollen - 24 miles
(http://www.brians-walks.co.uk/offasdyke/nantmawr.jpg)
Walking through the lovely hamlet of Nantmawr
(http://www.brians-walks.co.uk/offasdyke/chirk-castle.jpg)
Looking over at Chirk Castle, just off the trail
(http://www.brians-walks.co.uk/offasdyke/pontcysyllte-aqueduct.jpg)
About to walk over the very high and exposed Pontcysyllte Aqueduct
(http://www.brians-walks.co.uk/offasdyke/pontcysyllte-aqueduct-drop.jpg)
It's a long way down from the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct
(http://www.brians-walks.co.uk/offasdyke/llangollen.jpg)
Crossing the bridge over the River Dee into Llangollen
Day 9 - Llangollen to Llanarmon - 15 miles
(http://www.brians-walks.co.uk/offasdyke/path-castle-dinas-bran.jpg)
Heading up the steep path towards Castle Dinas Bran from Llangollen
(http://www.brians-walks.co.uk/offasdyke/castle-dinas-bran-4.jpg)
Looking down towards Llangollen through the ruins of Castle Dinas Bran
(http://www.brians-walks.co.uk/offasdyke/scree-path-craig-yr-adar.jpg)
The fantastic level scree walk heading towards Craig Yr Adar
(http://www.brians-walks.co.uk/offasdyke/st-tecla-church-llandegla.jpg)
The St. Tecla Church of Wales in llandegla
Day 10 - Llanarmon to Bodfari - 18 miles
(http://www.brians-walks.co.uk/offasdyke/jubilee-tower-moel-famau.jpg)
Heading towards the Jubilee Tower on top of Moel Famau
(http://www.brians-walks.co.uk/offasdyke/jubilee-tower-moel-famau-2.jpg)
The Jubilee Tower on top of Moel Famau
(http://www.brians-walks.co.uk/offasdyke/DSC00681.jpg)
Part of the ridge walk after Moel Famau
(http://www.brians-walks.co.uk/offasdyke/moel-arthur.jpg)
Heading down to start the climb up Moel Arthur
(http://www.brians-walks.co.uk/offasdyke/DSC00692.jpg)
Heading down lovely paths towards Bodfari
Day 11 (Final Day) - Bodfari to Prestatyn - 12 miles
(http://www.brians-walks.co.uk/offasdyke/towards-a55.jpg)
Heading down towards the busy A55 road on the gloomy last day
(http://www.brians-walks.co.uk/offasdyke/gloomy-prestatyn.jpg)
Looking down into the start of Prestatyn, no sign of the sea.
(http://www.brians-walks.co.uk/offasdyke/nearing-prestatyn-seafront.jpg)
Nearing the end of the Offa's Dyke Path at Prestatyn seafront
(http://www.brians-walks.co.uk/offasdyke/end-offas-dyke-path.jpg)
The sculpture at the end of Offa's Dyke Path in Prestatyn
http://www.brians-walks.co.uk/offas-dyke-path.html
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Nice, brought back memories of my OD trip O0
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A great series of photos, thanks ever so much for sharing. I would really love to do this walk but I don't think I'll get two weeks off until I drop dead unfortunately.
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A grand trail journey, well summarised in the pictures O0
I'll have a read of your full account tomorrow.
The southernmost section near Chepstow I remember as particularly muddy and glutinous in wet weather, of course that's when you got your rain.
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Reaching the half way post was fab; unfortunately I did not know how many more steep ascents and descents there were till I hit the Vale of Montgomery
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Great photos Bri O0
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Thanks Bricam, I enjoyed your report and photo's. It sounded a much more relaxed Offa's Dyke than my fairly recent trip. We first walked the route many years ago taking 11 days including a rest day in Knighton. I remember we fair charged along that track up to Moel Fammau, this time however in the dark of night and fatigued after being on constant move since Llanymynech, that track seemed to go on forever and I'd forgotten how steep it is in places.
I don't know about you but I was disappointed with the number of pubs that were closed, including the one at Buttington, or maybe it was the time of day that I was passing through.I agree a great walk and one Ive been considering for some time about doing North - South.
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I stopped for a pint in Buttington so I guess you were unlucky. There were a couple on the route that were closed and I knew about but I always enjoy a pint, obviously to rehydrate myself if I get the chance.
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We walked from Kington up onto Hergest ridge on my Birthday back in December. Had a cuppa and sandwich in the wind and sleet sat the bench by the trees. Even in the weather we had its still magical.
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I stopped for a pint in Buttington so I guess you were unlucky. There were a couple on the route that were closed and I knew about but I always enjoy a pint, obviously to rehydrate myself if I get the chance.
Agree, I had no issues finding somewhere to 'rehydrate' (must remember that one) when I walked the ODP a few years back O0
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A lovely green land. Particularly like the limestone country north of Llangollen; shame that the walk finishes in a ****hole like Prestatyn. :D
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A lovely green land. Particularly like the limestone country north of Llangollen; shame that the walk finishes in a ****hole like Prestatyn. :D
One reason why we walked it north to south!
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I stopped for a pint in Buttington so I guess you were unlucky. There were a couple on the route that were closed and I knew about but I always enjoy a pint, obviously to rehydrate myself if I get the chance.
We B&B’d in Buttington so we ate at the pub, Green Dragon?
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One reason why we walked it north to south!
Good call.
I walked Swansea to Conwy once, a much nicer place to finish a walk.
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One reason why we walked it north to south!
Yep, me too O0
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A great selection of photos Brian O0