Lonely Planet confirms what we've known for years

 

 

Offa’s Dyke has been named in the Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2013 guide and has also been listed in the Great Wall Walks section by the publisher. Lonely Planet is one of the world’s most successful travel publishers, printing over 100 million books.

 

Built by King Offa in the 8th Century as a show of strength to intimidate his enemies, it takes in some of Wales/England borderlands most stunning and iconic landscapes. It is also the longest scheduled ancient monument in the UK.

“The best way to appreciate the sheer scale of Offa’s Dyke is from the walking route named after it – the Offa’s Dyke Path National Trail,” said Rob Dingle, the national trail officer for the path.

The 177-mile trail goes from Sedbury Cliff in Gloucestershire to Prestatyn on the north Wales coast. Locally, it drops into the Welshpool area at Buttington Bridge and then follows the Montgomeryshire Canal and River Severn to Llanymynech.

Cllr Graham Brown, Powys County Council’s Cabinet Member responsible for Countryside Services, said: “The inclusion of Offa’s Dyke as a must-see site in the 2013 Lonely Planet guide will be a great boost for walking tourism in the area and all those services such as B&Bs, pubs and shops that rely on walkers for their income.”

The Trail is currently working in partnership with many other organisations up and down the border on the Walking with Offa project to increase the profile of the whole Offa’s Dyke corridor for walking tourism.

Mr Dingle will be raising the profile of the Trail and Offa’s Dyke further this week when he attends the 2012 World Trail Conference in South Korea, representing both the Offa’s Dyke Path and the other 15 national trails in England and Wales. He will be joining over 40 delegates at the conference from 18 different countries to discuss trail management and the establishment of a World Trail Network.

Stuart Mackintosh, the council’s Countryside Services Manager, said: “This is a great opportunity and privilege for Rob to attend such a high profile conference representing the trails of England and Wales and as an employee of Powys County Council.”

For more information on Offa’s Dyke Path National Trail visit www.nationaltrail.co.uk/offasdyke

 

You’ve heard of Hadrian. But who on earth was Offa? King of Mercia, that’s who; he ruled most of England in AD 757, but Wales was another matter. Unable to best these feisty dragons, he built a wall to keep them out. Well, not a wall – more a ditch, backed by a mound of mud (more interesting than it sounds). Offa’s Dyke National Trail now traces this ancient impediment’s remains, winding for 177 miles from Sedbury Cliffs to Prestatyn, via the Black Mountains, book-town Hay on Wye, Welshpool and the heather-clad Clwydian Range, traversing a land that still feels like a wild frontier.