|
Offa's Dyke runs from Prestatyn in north Wales to Chepstow in the south (or vice versa if you are heading north). Guidebooks say it is 177 miles long. Offa, King of Mercia from 757 to 796 AD, built the dyke to keep in the English, or maybe the Welsh out.
The path roughly follows the route of the dyke, where it still exists. On 27th May walkers went to the Clywyd Gate Motel near Ruthin, the base for the week and would walk the next 6 days from Prestatyn to Porth-y-waen, a distance of 57 miles.
Day 1: Prestatyn to Tremeirchion – 9.8 miles
It is a tradition when walking Offa's Dyke that a pebble is taken from the beach at the start and then carried to the end and thrown into the sea. However, due to an oversight when they arrived at Prestatyn the tide was in and not a pebble was to be seen. But all found something suitable, anything from a stone to a shell, and set off through the town towards the distant hills. Once leaving Prestatyn there was a steep hill, into the countryside for the first time. This leg took them around Dyserth, through Rhuallt to Tremeirchion where the bus was waiting to take weary walkers back to the hotel.
Day 2: Tremeirchion to Moel Arthur – 7.4 miles
This leg was more strenuous and crossed the Clwydian Range to Moel Arthur.
Day 3: Moel Arthur to Clywyd Gate Motel – 7.0 miles
From Moel Arthur they followed the track to Moel Famau and the Jubilee Tower. After a brief stop in very cold and drizzling weather they continued over Foel Fenlli to the hotel.
Day 4: Clywyd Gate Motel to Pentrefelin – 12.7 miles
The longest day of the week was over Moel Gyw, Moel Llanfair and down to the village of Pen-y-stryt. Then, through the Llandegia Forest on to Eglwyseg Mountain, crossing this high moor. Walking along the scree slopes gave magnificent views of the Horseshoe Pass on the other side of the valley.
Day 5: Pertrefelin to Craignant – 11.1 miles
Continuing where they left off the previous day they soon came to Trevor and the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct that takes the Llangollen Canal over the valley of the River Dee. The aqueduct, built by Thomas Telford and William Jessop, is 1,007 feet long, 11 feet wide and 5 feet 3 inches deep. It consists of a cast iron trough supported 126 feet above the river by 19 hollow masonry piers (pillars). Each span is 53 feet wide.
Once leaving the canal they walked towards Chirk Castle. It was then a couple of miles to the end of the day at Craignant.
Day 6: Craignant to Porth-y-waen – 9.1 miles
Part of this day they actually walked on the dyke. It took them over farmland, through woodland and even past the old Oswestry Racecourse where there was a two headed horse, one facing towards England and the other Wales. The day ended with a steep climb up Moelydd and then down to the end of the week's walking at Porth-y-waen.
The week was very enjoyable for all and the weather improved each passing day, by the end it was almost too hot to walk. And for those who like statistics they walked 57.2 miles, which included 12,000 feet of climbing.
|
