Overview

This route combines a walk through the pretty streets of Knighton with walking a section of Offa’s Dyke Path above the town. It also takes you past the Offa’s Dyke Visitors Centre where you can find out more the history of the Dyke and the path whilst having refreshments or browsing the bookshop.

Description

On leaving Knighton Station (which is on the England/Wales border), turn left (into Wales!) over the river Teme and walk for approximately 5 minutes, past the Horse and Jockey pub on your right and to the High Street. You’ll see the war memorial on your left. Cross over to the Knighton Hotel, head left and turn first right onto Larkey Lane. Go past Bradford’s Garden Centre and keep on the lane which ascends towards the A488.

Cross the main road and head across to Ffrydd Terrace, where you should see a wooden footpath post pointing right. Bear right briefly and head between, then behind, the houses towards the garages at the back, where you’ll see another footpath sign on the lamp post. Turn right in front of the garages onto a lane and immediately bear left into the woods behind, following the waymark post. You are on Offa’s Dyke path and will see some stone markers along the route as well as the usual footpath signage and acorn symbol of a National Trail.

Not long after you will cross over a tarmac track, just continue up and into the woods, following the path signs. Keep ascending the path through the woodland, which will take you through a gate and bring you to the boundary of Knighton Golf Course which has some lovely mature trees. Follow the boundary along the woods and soon the views will begin to open up.

From this point on continue straight through several fields and 4 gates and enjoy the views. When you reach a field which has a lovely selection of old hedgerow trees trees along the fence you’ll notice that the path veers right and the gate takes you onto the other side of the boundary where you’ll have a wide strip of trees in a sunken path on your left. Keep walking along the boundary, go through one more gate and past another one where the fence has been taken out.

Go through four more gates, keeping straight ahead. The final gate brings you out onto a road where you turn right. Continue on and take the first turning right where the ‘horse warning’ sign is, and keep walking along this quiet lane back in the direction of Knighton.

Just before an ‘S bend’ in the road you’ll see a gate and a footpath sign on the right, taking you into the field. Turn left in the field and keep walking along the boundary and ignore the gate taking you back out onto the road. Keep going until you come to a clearing with a fenced reservoir on your right, where you simply cross over into the next field. Continue along to the left boundary through the field until you come to a footpath post and gate in the corner where you need to go onto the lane.

Turn right onto the lane and keep walking downhill past Upper Woodhouse Farm and past a footpath sign on your right. At the next bend in the road you will see a footpath sign and a gate into a field. Follow this sign and walk downhill following the left boundary as best you can until you come to a gate back onto the lane by the bungalow.

Turn right down the lane to the main road. Cross over opposite the garage and head down Penybont Road. Turn first right onto Mill Road which will take you along the river back into Knighton. You will pass the old timber clad mill and see a signpost for Glyndwr’s Way, a second National Trail which starts in the town. When you come to a fork in the road, take the upper one on the left past the white cottages. You’ll also pass a terrace of red brick cottages before coming to a signpost on a lamppost where you turn left up an alley with a handrail down the middle. At the top of the alley turn left uphill, past the fire station and you will emerge by a pub called The Plough on your left, with the Catholic Church opposite you. Cross over to the church, turn right and follow the terrace of cottages down to the next junction. Turn left down Norton St and at the bottom you’ll see Offa’s Dyke Visitors Centre across the road.

Once you’ve spent some time in the Visitors Centre, you can head back into town by turning left out of the main door and following West St which merges with the High St at the clock tower. To return to the station you continue down Broad St and turn left opposite the Knighton Hotel and walk back the way you came to the station.