and dykes

Asked what Britain’s longest ancient monument is, most people will say Hadrian’s Wall – but they’re 600 years and about 100 miles out. Offa’s Dyke was built to keep the Welsh out of Mercia (the central Anglo-Saxon kingdom) in the eighth century and since 1971 has formed the spine of one of our best National Trails. The 177-mile Offa’s Dyke Path from Sedbury to Prestatyn crosses the Black Mountains, Shropshire Hills, Eglwyseg moors and the Clwydian Range. It’s somewhat grander than a walk along the other great Anglo-Saxon earthwork survival, the Devil’s Dyke in Cambridgeshire – up to 10m trough-to-tip in places, but only seven miles long. WALK HERE: Download

Knighton, Powys and Chirk Castle routes at www.lfto.com/bonusroutes