All walks › Llandrindod & Radnorshire
Llandrindod & RadnorshireKnighton and the Dyke
One of the best-preserved stretches of Offa’s Dyke climbs straight out of Knighton. You can put your hand on an eighth-century earthwork ten minutes from a railway platform.
- Distance
- 3.1 mi / 5 km
- Time
- 1 hr 45
- Ascent
- 180 m
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Shape
- Circular
Where it is
The circle shows the general area, not the exact start. Use the directions link below to get to the car park itself. Contours and paths shown are OpenTopoMap, drawn from OpenStreetMap data.
The route
Pick up the national trail behind the Offa’s Dyke Centre and climb north-west onto the ridge, following the acorn waymarks with the earthwork beside you. Drop back to town on the lanes and field paths to the east to make a circuit, or simply turn round when you have had enough.
Worth knowing
- The bank and ditch are clearest in winter when the bracken has died back.
- Knighton is the midpoint of the national trail, and the centre is worth twenty minutes before you set off.
- The train from Shrewsbury or Llandrindod puts you two minutes from the start, which makes this one of the few genuinely car-free walks in the county.
What you’ll see
The dyke itself, deep and unmistakable through the woods, and a long view east into Shropshire.
Background
Knighton is Tref-y-clawdd in Welsh, the town on the dyke. Offa of Mercia had it dug in the late 700s, and after twelve centuries it is still the most legible thing on the hillside.