14-day Offa's Dyke Path itinerary

1. Day 1 Longest

   Chepstow to Monmouth

   9–10 h 19.4 mi (31.2 km) ↑ 940 m (3,100 ft) ↓ 960 m (3,150 ft)

   The longest day of the plan, and it starts at the cliffs on the Severn estuary, where the tide range is huge and the dyke first appears. The path runs high on a wooded escarpment above the Wye, slow and slippery under the trees after rain. The Devil's Pulpit looks down on Tintern Abbey. Carry lunch, and do not drink from the river.

   Example stay Premier Inn Monmouth hotel (opens in a new tab)

2. Day 2

   Monmouth to Llangattock Lingoed

   6–7 h 13.8 mi (22.3 km) ↑ 500 m (1,650 ft) ↓ 360 m (1,200 ft)

   Farm country all day, with no dyke on this stretch. Orchards and sheep fields roll gently towards the Black Mountains, and White Castle, Norman and later rebuilt, stands in the fields. The Hunters Moon Inn at Llangattock Lingoed sits by the path, so the day ends at its door.

   Example stay The Hunters Moon Inn (opens in a new tab)

3. Day 3

   Llangattock Lingoed to Longtown

   3–4 h 7.4 mi (12.0 km) ↑ 590 m (1,950 ft) ↓ 200 m (650 ft)

   A short day in miles that takes you onto Hatterrall Ridge. Past Pandy the climb is steady and the views open over the Skirrid and the Vale of Ewyas. Longtown is a 2.1 mi (3.4 km) walk down off the ridge on the Olchon side, to the Crown Inn. The pub closes on some weekdays, but residents are fed.

   Example stay The Crown Inn (opens in a new tab)

4. Day 4

   Longtown to Hay-on-Wye

   4–5 h 11.0 mi (17.6 km) ↑ 190 m (600 ft) ↓ 630 m (2,050 ft)

   The morning is the climb back from Longtown onto the ridge. Then the border path runs north, high, firm and well kept, with slabs over the worn ground. There is no shelter, so carry the day's water. Hay Bluff is the last high point before the drop to Hay and its bookshops.

   Example stay The Swan At Hay Hotel (opens in a new tab)

5. Day 5

   Hay-on-Wye to Kington

   7–8 h 15.1 mi (24.3 km) ↑ 690 m (2,250 ft) ↓ 630 m (2,050 ft)

   Lower ground after the mountains, through the rolling border country between Powys and Herefordshire. Tired legs can underestimate the repeated small climbs, so keep something back. The day ends over Hergest Ridge, with Pen y Fan behind you and the Malverns ahead.

   Example stay Castle Hill House Bed and Breakfast Kington

6. Day 6

   Kington to Knighton

   6–7 h 13.5 mi (21.7 km) ↑ 760 m (2,500 ft) ↓ 740 m (2,450 ft)

   The dyke itself takes over from Rushock Hill, a bank and ditch you walk beside for long stretches. The climbs are short and keep coming, and there is little food between the towns, so carry lunch from Kington. Knighton, almost halfway, has a station and the Offa's Dyke Centre.

   Example stay The Plough Hotel

7. Day 7

   Knighton to Cwm

   7–8 h 14.1 mi (22.6 km) ↑ 1,140 m (3,750 ft) ↓ 1,130 m (3,700 ft)

   The switchbacks the trail body calls the toughest section: steep, grassy climb after climb over open hill pasture. Llanfair Hill has long stretches of well-preserved dyke, and the midpoint marker is on the way. Few villages, so take food and water from Knighton. Grass is slippery when wet.

   Example stay Offa's Dyke Cottage Bed and Breakfast (opens in a new tab)

8. Day 8

   Cwm to Buttington

   6–7 h 13.2 mi (21.2 km) ↑ 420 m (1,400 ft) ↓ 540 m (1,750 ft)

   Tired legs get an easier day. From Cwm the path runs fairly level beside the dyke on the true border, where you can stand with a foot in each country. Montgomery, with its ruined castle and Bunners hardware shop, is a short detour for lunch. Moors Farm is a walk of about a kilometre from Buttington Bridge.

   Example stay Moors Farm (opens in a new tab)

9. Day 9

   Buttington to Llanymynech

   4–5 h 10.6 mi (17.1 km) ↑ 30 m (100 ft) ↓ 20 m (50 ft)

   The flattest day of the trail, on the Montgomeryshire Canal towpath and the banks of the Severn, under the Breidden Hills. Parts can flood in very wet weather, so check the warnings the day before. Llanymynech's main street runs along the border between the two countries.

   Example stay The Bradford Arms Hotel (opens in a new tab)

10. Day 10

    Llanymynech to Castle Mill

    6–7 h 14.0 mi (22.5 km) ↑ 790 m (2,600 ft) ↓ 770 m (2,550 ft)

    The day climbs at once to the old limestone quarry on Llanymynech Hill, now grassland grazed by sheep. Moelydd's toposcope gives an all-round view. The rest is working farmland through Candy Woods, with a lot of field exits and lane junctions to read. Brookside Manor is at Bronygarth, a short walk from Castle Mill.

    Example stay Brookside Manor

11. Day 11

    Castle Mill to Llangollen

    3–4 h 8.1 mi (13.0 km) ↑ 430 m (1,400 ft) ↓ 290 m (950 ft)

    A short day for the aqueduct. The Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, Telford's work of 1805 and now a World Heritage Site, carries the canal over the Dee, and there is time to walk out onto it. The night is at Panorama Cottages near Llangollen. Chirk Castle is reached on a permissive path, open in summer only.

    Example stay Panorama Cottages (opens in a new tab)

12. Day 12

    Llangollen to Clwyd Gate

    6–7 h 13.4 mi (21.5 km) ↑ 710 m (2,350 ft) ↓ 610 m (2,000 ft)

    Limestone country under the Eglwyseg crags and Dinas Bran, rough or muddy underfoot in places, then moor and Llandegla Forest, where Wales's largest black grouse population lives. It is a long, varied day, so pace it. The bed is up on the pass at Clwyd Gate.

    Example stay Clwyd Gate Manor (opens in a new tab)

13. Day 13

    Clwyd Gate to Bodfari

    6–7 h 12.4 mi (20.0 km) ↑ 750 m (2,450 ft) ↓ 1,020 m (3,350 ft)

    A day on the heather ridge of the Clwydian Range, up and down over old hillforts, with Moel Famau, around 555 m, the high point. In cloud the tops are slow and need care with the map, and nothing is for sale until Bodfari, where beds are few. Snowdonia fills the view west on a clear day.

    Example stay Bodfari B&B, Lletty Yr Eos Ucha (opens in a new tab)

14. Day 14

    Bodfari to Prestatyn

    6–7 h 12.3 mi (19.8 km) ↑ 640 m (2,100 ft) ↓ 700 m (2,300 ft)

    Smaller hills to the sea, past stone stiles at Marian Cwm that you meet nowhere else on the trail. The grassy descents are slippery after rain. From Prestatyn Hillside the path drops through town to the beach, where walkers finish with a paddle. Prestatyn station is a short walk from the beach.

    Finish Offa's Dyke Path Finish

Cross-check: Offa's Dyke Path trail information on National Trails . The trail body gives about two weeks for the 177 miles (285 km). Distances on the cards are measured along the trail. A walk off the path to a bed is extra.

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