Traveling south to north, starting by the
Severn Estuary at
Sedbury, near
Chepstow, and finishing at
Prestatyn on the north coast, the walk will take an average walker roughly 12 days to complete. Roughly following the border in parts, and elsewhere the ancient monument of Offa's Dyke, as well as natural features such as the
Hatterrall Ridge, the Dyke Path passes through a variety of landscapes. The route traces the eastern edge of the
Black Mountains, traverses
Clun Forest, the
Eglwyseg moors north of
Llangollen and the
Clwydian Range. The route passes through the counties of
Monmouthshire,
Gloucestershire,
Powys,
Herefordshire,
Shropshire,
Wrexham,
Denbighshire and
Flintshire. The
Welsh Marches (Marchia Wallie) is a term used to describe this border region between England and Wales, since it was recorded in the
Domesday Book in 1086. It passes through, or close to, the towns of
Chepstow,
Monmouth,
Hay-on-Wye,
Kington,
Presteigne,
Knighton,
Montgomery,
Welshpool and
Oswestry, then in and around the
North Wales towns and villages of
Llangollen,
Llandegla,
Bodfari and
Dyserth. The half-way point of the path is marked by the Offa's Dyke Centre in
Knighton (). There used to be around 600
stiles along the route, but many of these have now been replaced by
kissing gates. == Route ==