Aqueduct a feature of three walks
A GROUP of 54 East Cheshire Ramblers enjoyed a coach excursion to Oswestry.
Three walks were on offer, starting from different points and all finishing in the town.
The long walk was led by Colin Park.
It started out from the village of Chirk and initially followed the Ceiriog Valley before ascending to join the Offa’s Dyke Path to reach Oswestry Racecourse Common then descending on pleasant paths through the Llanforda Estate to reach the town.
The medium-length walk, led by Steve Hull, started out from the historic village of Selattyn and followed a short section of the Shropshire Way over Selattyn Hill to join the Offa’s Dyke Path and then followed the same route as the long walk.
Meanwhile, the short walk which was led by Rob Stevenson, took a more direct low-level route from Chirk and crossed the spectacular Chirk Aqueduct and followed the towpath of the Llangollen Canal before joining the Wat’s Dyke Path with a diversion to the fine hill fort at Old Oswestry prior to entering the town.
Several points of interest were visited on all three walks which included the Chirk Aqueduct which spans the Ceiriog Valley and is 710 feet long.
For a while, it was the tallest navigable waterway ever built.
Much older is Offa’s Dyke, which was constructed late in the eighth century as a bank and ditch dividing the Kingdoms of Mercia and Powys.
This embankment was followed for several miles on the long and mediumlength walks and visited the former Oswestry Racecourse which lies on a hill top to the west of the town.
The racecourse formed a figure of eight measuring some two miles long and race meetings were once a big event and lasting up to three days.
With the coming of the railways, race goers were eventually attracted to courses easier to get to.
Today, remains of the grandstand are still visible.
The long and medium walks descended on paths through Llanforda Estate which once had a grand house surrounded by fine gardens but today, only the remains of the walled garden are visible.
One of the highlights of the short walk was a visit to Old Oswestry Hill fort, which is said to be one of the finest in the country. All the group had time for afternoon tea in one of the several cafes in the town before boarding the coach back home.