WW1 Centenary Walks – Walk 2 – North & East of Trefonen

Walk directions

1. Step 1

   From the playing field car park, face away from the Oswestry Road and exit the field through the gate to the right of the slide and swings.

2. Step 2

   Cross School Lane, following the footpath signs past the garages, through gates with the hedge on your left, and across the bridge.

3. Step 3

   Once through the next gate, bear slightly left on a broad uphill path.

4. Step 4

   Follow the waymarks through the wood, over a brow and turn left on the tarmacked track from Pentre Farm. The track takes you past the farm of Woodhill (21 Charles Dumville Lees). The house can be seen through the iron gates on the right. The house can be seen better by taking a short diversion via the wooded path 50 metres further on the right, over the drive, to the field, and turning immediately right- all on public paths.

5. Step 5

   Then return to the tarmac track. Follow the tarmac to a junction at Woodhill Lodge (29 William Salter).

6. Step 6

   Turn left onto the lane, past Brook House Residential Home, and over the brook. After about 150 metres, cross the stile on your left.

7. Step 7

   Follow this waymarked path over stiles and fields to a small footbridge.

8. Step 8

   Immediately after the bridge, the path bears right, then left, past a pond to emerge at the house called ‘Gwerni’.

9. Step 9

   At this point ignore the path leading left across the driveway, and also the path straight ahead along the fence to the road. Take the faint path bearing right which emerges onto the road by Coed-y-Go cottages.

10. Step 10

    Turn right on the road for 150 metres then, after the houses, take the path on the left.

11. Step 11

    Follow the waymarks as it bears right at a stile. A delightful stream will soon be on your right, with Coed–y–Go Farm (16 Thomas Hughes) beyond it. Use the stile by the stone bridge to emerge onto Chain Lane and turn left. (The entrance to Coed-y-Go Farmhouse is on the main road).

12. Step 12

    Follow the lane for about 800m with views over the Morda valley to your right. Take great care crossing the potentially busy Oswestry to Trefonen road and over the stile which is almost opposite.

13. Step 13

    Once over the stile, the grassy path is followed, behind what was the Ashfield Hotel, to reach a stony private track which is also a public footpath with no waymarks.

14. Step 14

    Turn left on the track, down and over a bridge, then bear left past several houses. The path continues across gravel in front of, and surprisingly close to, a house.

15. Step 15

    Immediately after the house a large green arrow painted on a wooden tree house guides us to the right and uphill. The potentially slippy path then leads quite steeply through native woods and rhododendrons to a lane by a sign for Llanforda Estates.

16. Step 16

    Turn left on the lane. After about 400 metres the Offa’s Dyke path leads right along a track. ‘Riverside’ (formerly called Glanrafon, 5 Richard Davies) is 100m further up the track before the path enters the woods. Do not enter the woods, but return to the lane.

17. Step 17

    Turn right to cross the infant River Morda, then immediately left, past what was The Old Mill Inn, and up the steep lane to the Llansilin road.

18. Step 18

    Follow the Offa’s Dyke footpath signs over the stile on the opposite side of the road and continue along the dyke which is well defined.

19. Step 19

    Follow the path through fields and over stiles to cross a lane with stiles either side and continue on Offa’s Dyke footpath as it goes downhill, then turns right by a wooden gate to emerge through a gate onto Chapel Lane.

20. Step 20

    Turn left along Chapel Lane for about 200 metres. Just after the houses on your left, a kissing gate on the left leads to a path across a field, to another kissing gate on the Oswestry Road. The playing field is directly in front of you. Take care when crossing the road!