Offa’s Dyke & Llanfair Hill
1 SO284725 From Offa’s Dyke Centre follow signs down to the River Teme and walk west through trees to cross a footbridge, railway and lane in quick succession. Leave the official Offa’s Dyke Path and walk north up a bridleway through bracken to re-join the main path near Panpunton Hill. Turn left and join the obvious route running next to the line of the earthwork, crossing stiles at fences. Continue north-west to a small forestry plantation on the right of the path, where the land drops steeply to the west. The path, marked with the acorn logo for longdistance paths, drops slightly towards the head of a steep valley and then turns left to the trig point on Cwm-sanaham Hill, with excellent views over the Teme Valley towards Wales. Continue to follow signs; after 400m the path descends the escarpment to an isolated cottage, Brynorgan. Pass through gates and join the track, which soon leads to a stile onto a lane.
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Turn left for 80m and take the stile on the right (the path is always well-signed). The path proceeds over a small ridge, with further evidence of the dyke, and drops to a footbridge in trees before rising to another stile leading onto a narrow lane. The path now passes to the right of Garbett Hall and runs uphill, parallel to the unmistakeable dyke, with larch trees acting as distinctive landmarks. The earthwork was built in the 8th century, probably as a defensive and trading barrier, and in some places was up to 20m wide and almost 2.5m high. The linear mound was cleverly built to provide uninterrupted views into Wales from the old Kingdom of Mercia. Continue to follow signs along the dyke, with the occasional stile, and pass a lonely barn by a patch of forestry. The land continues to rise towards Llanfair Hill; just before a trig point, leave the path to join a track running parallel to the dyke and continue roughly north for almost 1km.
3 SO252791 Take the gate on the left leading onto an indistinct bridleway. This leads south-west across a field and passes through two gates to turn around the head of a valley with scrubby woodland. Keep ahead, with the valley on the right, and after more gates join a track between hedges leading down to a narrow lane by the farm at Bwlch. Turn left and after 700m look for a stile on the right and a little-used path climbing through oak woodland. At the top of the wood join a track downhill and after 450m fork left over stiles to reach the lane and church at Llanfair Waterdine. 4 SO239763 Turn left on the quiet lane for 2km and, by a wide meander in the river, take the path on the right, running south of the farm at Monaughty Poeth. Pass through the last gate onto the lane and turn right for 300m to the B4355. Go straight across and soon enter Knucklas. Turn sharp left at the first junction to walk to the small unmanned railway station. A 6 minute train ride will take you back to Knighton. Check times before the walk – there is usually a late afternoon departure – and remember to stick your hand out as the train approaches!