Offa's Dyke National Trail

Location: Gloucestershire; Herefordshire; Worcestershire; Shropshire; Wales.

OS Maps: Outdoor Leisure: 14, 13; Explorer: 201, 216, 240, 256, 265

The Trail takes it's name from the 8th. century king Offa, who built an earthwork to define the English Welsh border and keep out the Celts. The trail follows this archaeological route for about 100km of it's length. The first part of the route follows the beautiful, wooded Wye Valley and then crosses the pastoral landscape of the Monmouthshire lowlands. The route then climbs into the Black Mountains where there is a demanding hill walk along Hatterall Ridge, which definitely requires compass navigation in poor visibility. Do not attempt this walk without OS 1:25,000 maps and a guide book and having researched escape possibilities.

After Hay-on Wye the route crosses the sparsely populated beautiful Radnorshire Hills, where constant climbs once again make for strenuous walking. After Clun Forest the trail descends to the Vale of Montgomery, follows the eastern edge of the Berwyn Hills and then descends to the river Dee near Llangollen. From here the long final section crosses the high open hills of the Clwydian Range before descending to the coast.

	Guide Books: [Click for further information or to purchase]
	Offa's Dyke National Trail Guide - South by Ernie & Kathie Kay & Mark Richards This is the official Countryside Agency guide to the southern half of the Trail which includes OS mapping at 1:25,000. All the information you need is provided including route finding, background and practical details. The guide is fully illustrated in colour and incudes some additional short circular routes.
	Offa's Dyke - Circular Walks south by Ian Coulthard This guide describes 25 challenging circular routes based on Offa's Dyke National Trail. they vary from 5 to 13 miles and include many of the best hill walking locations in the southern section of the National Trail. Detailed but concise instructions with sketch maps and summaries of terrain and ground conditions.