Self-guided Offa’s Dyke Path: Mid

Arrive in Hay-On-Wye, ready to check into your beautiful traditional inn. Hay-On-Wye is a picturesque market town made famous by its numerous second hand books and bookshops. Take a walk around the streets, perhaps picking up an interesting title to read during your trip.

Enjoy a hearty breakfast before you set off from Hay-on-Wye for your first big day of hiking. Start by following the River Wye before crossing through valleys and farmland, through the centre of an old Victorian racecourse on the Hergest Ridge. From high up here the views are incredible. On a clear day you’ll be able to see the highest peak in Bannau Brycheiniog national park Pen y Fan, the Malverns to the east and the hills of Shropshire, the inspiration for Arthur Conan Doyle’s Hound of Baskervilles.

This evening you’ll be resting your legs in a lovely pub at the heart of this lively market town situated on the English side of the Welsh-English border.

You’ll begin today's walk trailing through Granner Wood, a Woodland Trust site currently being restored to broadleaf woodland. Along the way, take in the impressive views at Hawthorn Hill, which includes views of Owain Glyndwr’s Battle of Pilleth.

In 1402, the Welsh rebel Owain Glyndwr and his followers met an English army led by Sir Edmund Mortimer at Pilleth, near the border town of Presteigne. The English forces outnumbered the Welsh but the result of the battle was an overwhelming Welsh victory.

Today is a big day with plenty of hills to work those thighs! You’ll be glad of a rest when you reach your destination, the halfway point of the full route and spiritual home of Offa’s Dyke Path, Knighton.

Ready for a challenge? Today’s section of the Offa’s Dyke Path is often thought of as the toughest, but also one of the most rewarding.

Explore the Shropshire Hills AONB. Centuries of farming have shaped the landscape. Over half of the AONB is grazing land, and below the moorland and rough grass hilltops and commons lies a patchwork of fields rich in hedgerows and veteran trees. Ancient woodlands, wildflower meadows and orchards also survive, each habitat with its characteristic wildlife plants and invertebrates. Red Grouse and Skylark are among the great variety of birds you might spot along the way.

Cross Llanfair Hill, a mountain summit in the Llangurig to Clun Valley region of mid Wales. The path winds scenically across the Parish, Llanfair Waterdine being at the same time both part of The Shropshire hills AONB and the Welsh Marches. This section through Shropshire includes some of the best preserved and most impressive sections of the Offa’s Dyke monument.

Arrive at your family-run B&B after another epic day on Offa’s Dyke Path and enjoy a well-earned good night’s sleep!

After breakfast it’s time to stretch those achy legs as you tackle the next section of Offa’s Dyke Path. wind your way through the Shropshire countryside to reach Beacons Ring, the site of an Iron Age hillfort with incredible views into the Severn Valley. The interior of the site was planted with trees to mark the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.

Arriving at your family-run B&B situated on the Montgomery Canal, it’s time to put your feet up, take a long hot shower and relax.

Head back out onto Offa’s Dyke Path after a hearty breakfast. After a few big days on the trail, your final day will be a walk in the park! With just 20m of elevation across a modest 17km, enjoy a relaxed pace through open farmland. The trail sets out along the Montgomery Canal before leading you along stretches of the River Severn as you make your way to the small village of Llanymynech. Llanymynech high street sits right on the Welsh-English border, dividing this small town between two nations.

Celebrate your epic achievement with some Welsh beers at your family-run pub with rooms - you’ve earned it!

After breakfast it’s time to depart, having completed the middle section of the iconic Offa’s Dyke Path national trail.
If you require assistance with onward travel or accommodation to extend your time in Wales, or if you’d like to head straight into the final stage of the Offa’s Dyke Path, please let us know when you enquire about dates. We’ll be happy to help with any additional arrangements you need.