The Offa's Dyke Path

The Offa’s Dyke Path is a 177 mile long-distance footpath – and a recognised National Trail - that runs from the north Wales coast to the Severn Estuary in the south.  Created in 1971, it is one of the longest National Trails in the country and roughly follows the English Welsh border.  It draws its name from the Offa’s Dyke earthworks, reputedly built by order of the Anglo Saxon King Offa (King of Mercia from AD757 to 796), which it passes close to for some length along its route.

The Offa’s Dyke earthworks is said to have followed the entire length of the region between Anglian Mercia and the Welsh Kingdom of Powys although it was probably not a mutually agreed boundary between the two kingdoms. It traverses low ground, hills and rivers with a ditch on the western (Welsh) side and the removed soil piled into a bank on the Mercian side.  To some this design suggests that the Mercians constructed it as some sort of defensive barrier as does the fact that it provides uninterrupted views from Mercia into Wales, achieved by being routed to the west of any areas of high ground that could have blocked the view.  More modern archaeological studies however suggest that the building of the Dyke may have begun much earlier, at the beginning of the fifth century, the period that marked the latter part of Roman rule in Britain, and that it was shorter in length than originally thought.

Offa's Dyke Path

For a while now I have had walking Offa’s Dyke at the back of my mind; it is accessible to me living as I do in the west of England and the archaeology and history of the structure spark my interest.  Also, although I have seen a fair bit of Wales through walking and climbing in the mountains and hills in north, mid and south Wales, and I have cycled the length of the country from Holyhead to the south on a few occasions, the Welsh Marches – that border region between England and Wales known for its beauty and its sometimes bloody history – are a place I have yet to spend time in.  A recent funeral of a relatively young work colleague proved a catalyst; this man had achieved much personally and professionally and I found the service and the stories that were told inspiring.  I realised I needed to ‘seize the day’, make better use of the opportunities I have, and turn more of my plans into action.  Consequently, not long after, I dragged out my walking gear, checked the weather on an eleven day window that presented itself in late September and sorted a train journey to Prestatyn on the north Wales coast from where I would begin my walk.