Offa’s Dyke Path

Walking across the Severn Bridge for about an hour, the full span of road is about two miles to get over the River Severn and the River Wye. The cycling lane is separate from the traffic, so it was relatively pleasant. This got us over to Chepstow, the terminus of both the Offa’s Dyke Path and the Wales Coast Path!

I’ve been interested in the Wales Coast Path for a couple years now. Very cool to be standing on it, if only briefly.

Offa’s Dyke was the best part of this hike for me so far, which was a very nice surprise. I’m very glad we chose this route option.

It felt good to be on a continuous trail and into the swing of things since we’d been out more than two weeks at this point.

 I took a photo of this naval temple built sometime around 1800, because I like how the British flag is flying over top of the defeated French, Spanish, and Dutch flags. I think it’s kind of funny from today’s perspective to quite literally call out three countries you defeated in naval battles.


Fields of rapeseed.

This was White Castle in Wales, with stone construction dating back to the 1100s – and there was a guy doing video with a drone while we were there.

I really loved this next section of Offa’s Dyke Path.

Down to quite possibly the nicest town we’ve been to so far! Hay-on-Wye. 

It’s the Book Town! Home of the Hay Festival, a literary event which Bill Clinton went to in 2001 and called “the Woodstock of the mind.” Jimmy Carter went in 2008. Sister cities with Timbuktu, Mali. And we had beautiful weather!
My dear uncle insisted I read Bryson’s latest book on the trip. It goes well with sunshine, a pot of tea, and a Welsh cake (soft, crumbly, raisins, sugar dusted).

So that was about it for Offa’s Dyke Path – the total trail is 177 miles and we did roughly half of it on our route. Left from the town of Knighton to move northeast to the start of the Pennine Way.