This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Offa’s Dyke National Trail and to celebrate we thought that today’s walk of the week should take in part of the route. We say thank you to Powys Ramblers for the provision of the route.

Offa’s Dyke is a massive earthwork that roughly follows part of the border between England and Wales. In places it is up to 20m wide and 2.5m high. In the 8th century it was used as a delineation between the Anglian kingdom of Mercia and the Welsh kingdom of Powys.

The Offa’s Dyke National Trail opened in 1971 and has become one of the premier long distance trails in Great Britain, following the English / Welsh border for 177 miles (283km). Most walkers follow the route from south to north and it can take the average walker around 12 days to complete the entire route (depending on ability and the conditions at the time).

Offa's Dyke is an earthwork following part of the border between Wales and England. This section is between Spoad Hill and Llanfair Hill (OS grid reference: SO2580)

This walk was submitted to Powys Ramblers by Neville & Mary Roberts.

Distance: 4.5 miles (7km)
Time: allow 2 hours
Parking:Mynd Road, Norton - opposite Norton Church off B4355 (OS Grid reference: SO304672).
Map: OS Explorer Map 201 – Knighton & Presteigne / Tref-y-clawdd a Llanandras
Starting point:Norton Church (a medieval church that was extensively refurbished in Victorian times) – OS grid reference SO304672

1. Go up Mynd Lane, opposite Church, that soon becomes a track. At the top of the rise keep ahead when the road divides and the track becomes a metalled farm road.
2. Continue up, over a cattle grid, to Old Impton Farm. At the gate in front of the farm follow the signs (right and then left) through a gate, and then follow more signs ahead, then right to a gate.
3. Follow the track for 100m. Cross a track leading to the barns following the same line upwards to go through a field gate in top right corner. Continue uphill for 100m, then fork left and continue through gate to enter a wood.
4. Leave the wood at stile/gate onto pasture and the Offa’sDyke signpost and stile is visible on the skyline. If you’re blessed with a clear day the view from the small hill to your right includes the Black Mountains, Brecon Beacons, the Clee Hills and nearer, Litton Hill and Radnor Forest. Cross the stile and proceed along Offa’s Dyke that, at first, is rather insignificant but soon becomes an obvious earthwork. Always try to avoid eroding the earthwork by  not walking actually on it. Immediately after crossing a stile in a gap between two small plantations, leave Offa’s Dyke Path and turn right.
5. Pass to the right of a small monument on a grassy mound – the inscription is in memory of Sir Richard Green-Price MP. Go through the gate near the end of the road junction.
6. Turn right along the tarmac land. Where this turns sharply left, downhill, continue ahead on grassy lane (be careful though as this can get muddy). Go through the gate into the plantation staying on the forestry road until you reach point 2 above where you first started from. Turn left and retrace your steps back to Norton Church and your starting point.

Have you walked the Offa’s Dyke National Path? If so – what were your highlights of walking it?

Photography: Geograph

One Response to “Walk of the Week – Offa's Dyke”

1. Ordnance Survey feature a walk submitted by Powys Ramblers | powysramblers.org.uk says:

   16, May, 2011 at 10:44 pm

   [...] In honour of the 40th anniversary of the Offa’s Dyke Path National Trail, Ordnance Survey have featured a route from Powys Ramblers on their blog. The walk is Walk 9 from the “Walks You Will Enjoy “ series. The Offa’s Dyke National Trail opened in 1971 and has become one of the premier long distance trails in Great Britain, to read more about the walk and the Offa’s Dyke Path National Trail click here [...]

   Reply