A 3 mile walk, with a very steep climb and stiles, following Offa’s Dyke Path National Trail and over the border into Wales.
Llanfair Waterdine
Llanfair Waterdine village and parish is situated on the southern edge of the Clun Forest, a remote and very rural part of Shropshire, which is only partly forested. Historically the village was in Wales, as it lies to the west of Offa’s Dyke, but is now in England. The village is sometimes considered more Welsh in character with its steep wooded interlocking hills. The ancient boundary, Offa’s Dyke winds scenically across the Parish, Llanfair Waterdine being at the same time both part of The Shropshire hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the Welsh Marches. This is very much sheep and cattle country so please bear this in mind if you are taking a dog out walking with you.
Offa’s Dyke
Offa’s Dyke is an ancient linear earthwork that defines much of the border between England and Wales. The monument is named after Offa, the 8th-century king of Mercia, who is traditionally believed to have ordered its construction. Although its precise original purpose is debated, it delineated the border between Anglian Mercia and the Welsh kingdom of Powys. The Offa’s Dyke National Trail follows the route of the Dyke over it’s 176 mile length and there are three sections of the path running through Shropshire, from Knighton through the Shropshire Hills National Landscape to the Kerry Ridgeway near Bishops Castle, a short section, mostly in Shropshire, that passes by the old County Town of Montgomery and from Llanymynech crossing Oswestry Old Racecourse to Chirk Mill. The sections through Shropshire include some of the best preserved and impressive sections of the Offa’s Dyke monument.
Knighton
Knighton is a small historic market town which sits astride the England/Wales border amongst the lush rolling country of the Marches. The Welsh name for the town is “Tref-y-Clawdd” which translates an “Town on the Dyke” due to it lying on the line of Offa’s Dyke. Here you will find the Offa’s Dyke Centre and it is the mid-point of Offa’s Dyke Path National Trail.