View all the photos from day 13 | View the interactive map for day 13

It was a cold start to our final day on Offa’s Dyke – temperatures had dropped below freezing and ice had formed on the inside of the tent. After braving a warm shower in a freezing barn, we headed over to the local BnB for breakfast, before being picked up by the support team and taken back into Monmouth.

Although we wisely dumped any unrequired personal belongings at the campsite, we still had the ongoing issue of who was going to carry the heaviest part of the tent for the day. As the longest day, we decided to share the burden throughout the day, however we still had to decide who had the heaviest load first… cue yet another coin toss:

COIN TOSS AUDIO

After resupplying at a local supermarket, we headed out of Monmouth and climbed steeply to The Kymin – a naval temple built around 1800 to celebrate recent victories of the British Navy. The views across the Wye valley were pretty spectacular.

For most of the morning we were out of signal following the path through some gorgeous hillside woods.

The day had warmed up considerably as we dropped back down to The Wye valley. and for a pleasant few miles we followed the winding turns of the Wye until we reached Brockweir (passing a group of miserable looking school children who, judging by their t-shirts were planning to walk Offa’s Dyke the other way!)  - where we stopped for lunch and a refreshing pint of cider. There was a chap in the bar who had to cancel his holiday to Spain due to the ash cloud – he could not be happier as it was pouring with rain in Spain, yet conditions in this part of the country were almost summery!

Motivated by the cider,  we climbed back up the hillside to met up with some friends who had walked up from Chepstow to meet us. On this part of the Dyke you really get a feel for how old Offa’s Dyke is, as it is entwined with countless tree roots (albeit from fairly new trees, but the feeling is there!)

After pausing at Devil’s Pulpit to take in the view of Tintern Abbey down in the valley (we were also joined by the support team), we headed towards the coast. The next few hours past pretty quickly as we chatted with our friends, but as we approached the villages of Woodcroft and Tutshill (just North of Sedbury), I was starting to really suffer. We decided to take another break, conveniently at another pub, to give us the strength to carry on to the finish.

The final part of our epic hike was a bit of a disappointment – most of the last few miles is on pavements through housing estates, and with aching feet we plodded along looking quite out of place. However, as we left the final housing estate, we had a final few hundred meters and a gentle climb to the finish!

We were met at the finish by the support team and, as a pleasant surprise, Pete with a bottle of bubbly! We had done it – we had walked the entire 177 mile Offa’s Dyke path in aid of MS Society. We were exhausted, sore and had had enough of walking.

We headed into Chepstow to check into our dog friendly hotel, The Beaufort Hotel. The dog gratefully lay down and went straight to sleep, barely glancing at her dinner, and we had a celebration dinner (and one or two drinks) with a few friends and of course the support team (I saved a bit of steak for the dog who stirred long enough to wolf it down before falling straight to sleep).

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View all the photos from day 12 | View the interactive map for day 12

To be honest we both just wanted to get the second last day out of the way – we were both exhausted and sore (with perhaps a slight hangover from the previous evening’s antics) – so there is not too much to report and we had our heads down to eat up the miles.

Unlike the previous day, the skies were clear and the sun was out, and as we were nearing the end of our adventure, spirits were high.

After a few hours of walking, we reach The White Castle, a medieval castle. The castle is in partial ruin but, lthough we did not have time to explorer, still looked pretty impressive as we climbed up the hill towards it.

At lunchtime, a picnic provided by the support team in a sunny field, we once again bid farewell to the dog. She was again starting to show signs of tiredness, and I was really keen for her to complete the final day with us (she didn’t seem to complain too much about having a rest!)

After lunch, we walked through the centre of some of Bulmer’s cider apple orchards, had a chat with a tree surgeon about the very old (600-700 years) tree they were supporting, and finally headed into Monmouth to find a pub for a resurrecting beer.

That evening we were staying several miles out of town at Rickyard’s bunkhouse (we actually passed it on our way into Monmouth) and the support team very kindly took us out for our final dinner on the Dyke.

Just one day to go!

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View all the photos from day 11 | View the interactive map for day 11

This was the day I had been looking forward to since I first glances at a map of Offa’s Dyke – the majority of the route is along the Hatterrall Ridge, a 10 mile ridge in the Black Mountains with views across to the Beacons on one side and in theory across several English counties on the other, from a height of up to 700m.

The day started fairly sedately with a stroll into Hay, past the amusingly named shop “Phil The Fruit” (I am called Phil), to stop for a tasty (albeit pricey) breakfast. As we left Hay behind us and began to climb towards the ridge, we got a glimpse of what awaited us on top of the ridge – it was completely hidden in cloud!

As we climbed, we were a little confused as to why we kept on getting texts and tweets asking us if it was ash rather than cloud… why on earth would it be ash? It was only much later in the day did we (finally) find out that the volcanoes in Iceland had erupted causing global traffic chaos with the subsequent ash cloud!)

I spotted on the map that there appeared to be two official routes to the top of the ridge – the first is a direct, but steep route, straight to the top, whilst the second casually meandered to the top. We decided to put it to a vote – and, fortunately, the sympathetic responses we had back were unanimously in favor of the easier route!

Sadly the ridge was a little disappointing – by the time we reach the top, all we could see was the barren landscape immediately around us and cloud. After only a few miles on the ridge we had both plugged ourselves into audiobooks and were trudging along. The cloud started to lift just as we approached the end of the ridge and began dropping down to Pandy below us.

By the time we reached the campsite, my feet were in agony and both our bodies were starting to react to the abuse we were giving them over the last 11 days. The campsite was probably our least favorite of the trip – although the site and facilities were pretty good, the welcome in the pub which owns the campsite was cold and unwelcoming. Fortunately we had again been joined by Alex’s friend, who insisted on testing hiker syrum on us (lager mixed with vitamin powders). Needless to say it was an entertaining evening!

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View all the photos from day 10 | View the interactive map for day 10

So far on our challenge, despite the sore feet and tired limbs, it had been an amazing experience hiking Offa’s Dyke. However, in my mind at least, day 10 marked the turning point – the point where it became a struggle and to be frank I just wanted to get the walk finished. In the morning, Alex and I had our first (and only) argument – although I can’t remember what it was about, and by the time we had a cup of tea and bacon sandwich from a cafe in Kington we were friends again! Alex was particularly pleased with his manly mug!

It was a chilly morning, and we headed out of Kington climbing up onto Hergest Ridge the wind picked up. The views from the ridge were pretty good, although it was quite hazy in the distance.

By late morning we had dropped down the ridge, past the only pub on the route (which was shut) and started heading towards the next set of hills. We must have been pretty bored, as we decided to have a competition to see who on Twitter could come up with the most walking-relating song titles! Our favourite was probably “Walk This Way” by Aerosmith.

The competition kept us distracted for most of the rest of the day (we were otherwise just trudging along!). As we joined up with the River Wye we could just about make out the Hatterrall Ridge in the distance, which we would be walking along the next day.

When we finally reached Hay, we dived into the nearest pub to await collection by the support team.

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View all the photos from day 9 | View the interactive map for day 9

The previous day’s hike must have worn us out more than we had thought, as despite camping right next to a railway line, the early morning trains had completely failed to wake us up.

We had a fairly slow start to the morning – we had a bacon butty and mouched around Knighton waiting for the Offa’s Dyke Centre to open. The centre tells the history of the dyke, as well as setting the historical context to it’s construction. For some reason I had always thought it was a show of strength and power, but it was actually built to be defensive. Each Lord in Mercia had to send man-power fully provisioned to last their tour of duty – with basic tools it must have been an amazingly well organised project.

This leg is made up of three fairly gentle hills (certainly compared to the previous day) – the sun has shining and we were in good spirits (Alex even had to buy a hat in Knighton). Our spirits were raised still further when I picked up an email saying we had hit  £3000  in money raised for MS Society.

As we headed downhill to meet the ever dedicated support team for lunch (and more goodies from Hopton House BnB), we encountered a dog walker coming the other way.  We exchange greetings – but the dog walker seemed to want more….. we say hello again….. the dog walker waits expectantly. Suddenly Alex recognises the dog walker as one of his friends who, it turns out, happened to be in the area and tracked us down using our live updating map (which incidentally is now an app anyone can use – see www.socialhiking.org.uk).

We had lunch outside a baptist church who let hikers use the facilities and top up water (they refused to accept any donations as it is part of their ministry) and then headed off with our new companion. As we had found with Pete earlier in the trip, having someone else to talk to really helps eat up the miles, and before we knew it, we were saying goodbye to our visitor, and setting back off on our own for the last few miles.

My feet were starting to go by the last few miles, but lovely views and a wonderful weasel / stoat type creature helped distract me and eventually we were dropping down into Kington (although I did have to dunk my feet in the stream at the bottom of the campsite to deal with the pain).

That evening we managed to find a dog-friendly hotel who were happy for us to crash in the corner to eat (and of course drink!) – just four days to go!

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View all the photos from day 8 | View the interactive map for day 8

We had a good night’s rest at Millington Hall – it has such an amazing location, and in the morning it was so peaceful with the sound of a horde of woodpeckers tapping away among the trees. The only concern was that my dog, who had so far thoroughly enjoyed her super-long dog walk, was off her food the night before (probably due to the nasty things she had come in contact with a couple of days before)

As we packed up camp, the support team arrived so that my dad, a doctor, could strap up my feet (and give me pain killers) to hopefully reduce the issues I was having with my metatarsal bridge, and we headed out on what is viewed as the hardest part of Offa’s Dyke – the Switchback across  the Shropshire Hills.

To get an idea of the Switchback, lay your fingers on a table in front of you – now imagine each finger is a hill and then walking from left to right having to go up and down each finger!

Just after leaving the campsite, we got a tweet from @Boidy, asking us to wave at a cottage just down the lane.  As we waved  (don’t ask why we actually did!), a man came out who turned out to be a old friend of @Boidy. After a chat, and a very generous offer of provisions (we declined having stocked up from the support vehicle), we headed out into the hills.

The actual Offa’s Dyke is at it’s best on this leg of the national trail. It was our constant companion as we climbed up and down each hill, and it is not hard to imagine how big a job it must have been to build it. I have to admit to a little secret though, whilst this leg was fairly hard work, it was not as difficult as I had imagined. The drops were quite steep, but the inclines were fairly steady – we could both imagine it being much harder work coming North (which most people do)!

On a technical note, this leg was the first time I struggled with mobile signal . Previously I had a surprisingly good connection most of the time with T-Mobile, but the Shropshire Hills meant a good few hours “in the dark”. Fortunately Viewranger, the software we were using for our live routes, has a facility to save your location and update when the signal reappears, although I did miss our constant Twitter companions  (I should perhaps add that both Alex and the support team had terrible signal for most of the challenge – they were both on O2!)

At lunchtime we met up with the support team, who had been busy buying a new water pouch (mine had burst the day before) and a proper metatarsal bridge support. They also delivered  a care package from @HoptonHouseBnB, where they were staying for the next few days – some absolutely legendary home baked goods! Karen, who runs Hopton House,  had been a supporter of us since the very start, and I understand her breakfast’s are to die for!

Whilst munching on a delicious muffin, I sadly had to make the decision to leave my dog with the support team for the rest of the day. She was not in pain or slowing us down, but I could tell she was tired, and considering she had not eaten the day before, I felt it was for the best. After all, she has no concept of what the challenge is about, and it seemed unfair if she was not completely enjoying herself.

Whilst I missed my dog for the rest of the day, I have to admit to enjoying not having the constant pulling on my arms (and my feet). In no time at all we had climbed and descended the last few hills into Knighton.

We were camping at Panpwnton Camp Site, literally just off Offa’s Dyke before entering Knighton. I was reunited with my dog, who was a bundle of energy after her afternoon off (I am pleased to report that she also wolfed down her dinner!). After a hard, but enjoyable day, we put up the tent, and then headed into town for a pub dinner and a few pints!

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View all the photos from day 7 | View the interactive map for day 7

We had spent the previous night camping in the Powis Arms beer garden, and fortunately their BnB rooms were vacant, so we were able to grab a proper shower (with proper towels!), followed by a full breakfast! My feet appeared to have once again recovered so, after Alex finally won the coin toss, we followed Offa’s Dyke South towards Buttington Bridge.

Whilst it was interesting to see the route of the original Offa’s Dyke compared to the since eroded meandering bends of the River Severn, this flat stretch quickly lost it’s excitement, and we were quite glad when we reached the quite steep hill up to Long Mountain. Climbing the hill really showed us how much fitter we both were from the last 6 days hiking!

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Halfway up the hill we encountered this stile which amused us!

There was a crooked man
who walked a crooked mile
he found a crooked sixpence
upon a crooked stile

At the top of Long Mountain, the Offa’s Dyke path follows the ramparts of the Beacon Ring, a pre-Roman Iron Age fort, with stunning views into the Severn Valley.

From this point on, the rest of the day was a bit of a blur – to be honest I am surprised Alex did not strangle me. The pain in my feet kicked in earlier than on previous days, and after finding the only pub on our route did not do food, my spirits were pretty low. We had only just crossed the half way point of our challenge, and I struggled to imagine how I would be able to finish it.

Needless to say, I was very grateful when we finally reached Mellington Hall – predominately a hotel, static caravan and tourers park, although due to their location (Offa’s Dyke cuts through the grounds) they do have a small flat camping field for hikers.

It this point I had to call in medical advice for my feet – my dad, part of the support team, happens to also be a doctor! The diagnosis… damage to my metatarsal bridge. The treatment… rest! Obviously, on a hiking challenge (with a tight timescale) this was out of the question, so as a short-term measure my dad strapped up the feet with supports to ease the pain.

Mellington Hall is a real nice place to stay. The site is hidden amongst the trees which echo to the sound of woodpeckers and campers have use of the hotel bar (something else I was very grateful for!). The toilet block, although a slight trek from the camping field, has hot power showers – the best I have ever found on a campsite!

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View all the photos from day 6 | View the interactive map for day 6

After the wonderful evening the night before with Jude and her family, a fantastic cooked breakfast (the best black pudding ever!), and a leisurely start to the morning, Alex and I were in high spirits ready for the day ahead. It looked to be another warm and sunny day, my feet seemed much better, and Alex was even quite happy despite losing the coin toss (again)!

The first part of the day was mainly sheep fields and tiny country lanes, but we were eventually rewarded(?) with a steep climb up to the top of Llanymynech Hill. The hill has a golf course on its flat top, and we followed Offa’s Dyke around the edge watching the golfers.

The hill was the site of a battleground for Caractacus in AD 50, in his quest to rid the country of Romans, and the gold course straddles the English-Welsh border [Source - Wikipedia]. The south side of the hill has some picturesque cliffs, caused by lime mining in the area, where we met the support team who had bravely climbed part of the hill to escort us down to Llanyomynech village and lunch!

This stretch of Offa’s Dyke is renowned for being “the dull bit” – to be fair it is probably a nice little stretch in it’s own right, following the Montgomery Canal and the River Severn, but it is definitely the least interesting part of Offa’s Dyke path overall. The problems with my feet had also started to reappear, and without anything interesting to take my mind off the pain, every step became a struggle.

During the afternoon, we encountered several obstacles. The first obstacle was crossing a, fortunately not that busy, lorry park – the footpath, which cut straight through the park, was bordered by yellow lines which really did not leave you feeling very protected from the lorries all around you.

Almost immediately we hit the second obstacle as we tried to pass the edge of a cow farm – at first the ground seemed to just be dried mud, but when the dog sunk to her waist we realised in horror that it was actually deep moist cow excrement that had crusted over! The dog was completely covered in the stuff! We just about managed to negotiate the obstacle by jumping across floating hay bails, scaling walls and clambering on gates to keep off the ground.

To add insult to injury, once we had struggled through the excrement, we discovered that the Offa’s Dyke path had (sensibly) been routed around the farm – obvious if you were coming from the South, but impossible to see from the North! The dog was thrown into the next available river to clean off (but not before licking some equally unpleasant liquid being injected into a field we were crossing).

The remainder of the day was spent walking the Severn embankment, a flood defense built on top of Offa’s Dyke – it really wasn’t the same, and my aching feet made the last few miles pass very slowly.

It was with great relief when we finally made it to The Powis Arms in Pool Quay, where Alex’s mum was waiting for us – it took several beers and a huge plate of food before my feet started feeling slightly better! The food was great, and the owners of the pub are quite happy to let walkers on Offa’s Dyke camp in the beer garden (although they also have some bnb rooms for the less adventurous)!

Day 6 was tough – but nothing would prepare me for my struggles on Day 7… to be continued…

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View all the photos from Day 5 | View the interactive map for Day 5

After a light breakfast we climbed back up the hill to rejoin the official route. Alex summarised our morning routine (quite accurately!): “Settled into morning routine,get up,wash,dress,breakfast,lose the coin toss,carry the heavy bag.Set off.”

This leg consists of a significant amount of tarmac, initially following the picturesque high road above Llangollen before dropping down to Telford’s Pont Cysyllte canal aqueduct. The weather was cloudy but warm, and it was safe to say neither of us felt particularly inspired – we just kept on trudging to eat up the miles!

As we approached the aquaduct we decided to take the alternative route which takes us over the aquaduct, fortuitously this also meant we came across a tea shop – which meant a relaxing break in the sunshine drinking tea.

The aquaduct is the longest and highest one in Britain – a grade I listed building and a World Heritage Site (source – Wikpedia). To be honest I am not sure we thought about crossing it all the way through – there we were with big rucksacks (in my case with a big roll mat sticking out) and a dog which looks scary to children and is overly “friendly” to other dogs, trying to walk down a metre wide tow path (water one side and a big drop the other) filled with tourists, children and their dogs. We made it to the other side, but it was possibly the most stressful experience of my life!

After a few more miles of trudging along canal tow path (interestingly at one point we were 50m from a layby we broke down in the year before on the way to a training weekend in Snowdonia) we came upon Pete (@Pete_Knight on Twitter) who was walking with us for the rest of the day. Pete is a veteran of Offa’s Dyke, having walked the path the previous year. We found Pete very knowledgeable and personable – and we were very grateful to have him along on what had so far been a day of trudging.

Another motivational pick me up was our first encounter with the actual Offa’s Dyke (thus far we had been following the Offa’s Dyke route with no sign of the Dyke!). It does not look like much at this point – but it put us back in touch with the history of the route we are following!

After several more miles of hard earth and tarmac, we took the permissive route to Chirk Castle to meet up with the support team. At this point I was starting to really suffer from sore and painful feet – so a break was much needed.

Chirk Castle, now managed by The National Trust, was built in1295 as part of King Edward I’s chain of fortresses across the North of Wales (source: Wikipedia). A permissive route on Offa’s Dyke is open April to September which takes you through the grounds and right past the castle itself.

From Chirk Castle, and a fairly steep climb, the route rejoins Offa’s Dyke which it follows for several miles.

To be honest the rest of the day was a bit of blur – my feet were absolutely agony and all I could do was focus on keeping going. There was a lot more roads and the remains of the Oswestry Racecourse. By the time we reached the pub in Trefonen (which is also the location of the Offa’s Dyke brewery) I could barely walk and my feet felt like they were on fire. After a quick pint, we bid farewell to Pete – I was very grateful for his company, as his conversation kept me distracted from the pain in my feet!

We had struggled to find a campsite anywhere near Trefonen, but thanks to the wonders of Twitter, we had arranged to camp in the garden of Jude (@JabberingJude) who lived nearby. I came across Jude after doing a local search and asked her for recommendations of local campsites – without hesitation she had offered us space in her garden!

Alex and I had a thoroughly top evening with Jude, her husband Gary, and their lovely children – and we were spoiled rotten: home cooked dinner, fresh flapjack, beer, and a cooked breakfast in the morning (with possibly the best black pudding we have ever had). We had a lot of fun – and it was definitely our latest night to bed of the whole trip!

Jude is a fantastic artist, and you can see some of her work on her website: http://www.artbyjude.co.uk/

Gary runs his own business GWR Fasteners – http://www.gwr-fasteners.co.uk/

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In April 2010, Alex and I (and my dog) undertook an epic adventure to walk the Offa’s Dyke National Trail in aid of  MS Society. This is my account of leg 1, The Clywdian Range – Prestatyn to Llangollen (5th April to 8th April 2010).

Day 1 – Prestatyn to Rhuallt (9 miles)

View all the photos from day 1 | View the interactive map for day 1

Prestatyn has few positive reviews from other walkers of Offa’s Dyke, so we made the decision to travel up (from Northampton) and make a start on our adventure on the first afternoon to get us out of town and into the Welsh countryside.

My dog, who could tell something exciting was happening, was very grateful when my parents, who were acting as our support team for the whole trip, turned up at 7.30am – the car was quickly loaded, and we were off! By 12.30pm, we were at the start and ready to go – the dog, whose excitement had reached mega-levels, was to be honest a bit of a nightmare with all the other dogs around, so, after a few quick photos, we headed off (sadly neglecting to wade into the sea or collect any pebbles).

The first few miles are straight through the fairly dull town center, but being fresh and eager we quickly left the town behind us and climbed up to the Prestatyn Hillside Nature Reserve. We past a couple of people just finishing Offa’s Dyke who, quite alarmingly, looked exhausted!

It was cloudy and windy, but the sun was straining through, and there was no sign of rain. There were amazing views across the valley to Snowdonia – and the snowy peaks of Snowdon were just about visible! The last few miles were through farm land, with fields filled with lots of baby lambs. Just as we had got into our stride, we left Offa’s Dyke to head to our campsite – Penisar Mynydd Caravan Park.

The campsite was the most expensive of our entire trip – partially this was due to an incorrect booking on my part, but even with the £5 donation they gave towards The MS Society (they couldn’t do a refund), it was still expensive. The facilities were pretty good, but compared to cheaper better campsites later in the trip, it was a disappointment.

After a dinner of Wayfarers Chicken Tikka and flavoured rice, we settled down for the night. We were sleeping in a 3 man Vango Banshee 300 tent (review to follow) – we could just about fit both of us, the dog (who had the most space of course!) and our two backpacks, but it was certainly cosy (although comfortable). It’s a good job we are good friends!

Day 2 – Rhuallt to Bodfari (9 miles)

View all the photos from day 2 | View the interactive map for day 2

Sleeping in a tent with my dog is a pain. At the end of a day’s walking, she will curl up and fall asleep straight after her tea – but this lulls you into a false sense of security. Her recovery time seems much quicker than ours, and once it gets light (any time after about 4am), she interprets any movement as a sign that something exciting is about to happen. This involves her leaping to her feet and trying to lick the face of the person who stirred (she has long ago perfected the art of getting her snout into the tiny opening of a sleeping bag) – the other person has the pleasure (?) of her big hairy tail whipping them in her excitement! On the morning of Day 2 we both agreed that the dog needs to be more tired!

Whilst Alex was in the shower I recorded an Audioboo – I had hoped to do this everyday, but to be honest I hate the sound of my own voice (and apparently sound unexcited), so this was the only daily update I did. Here it is:

We had quite a relaxed start, and left the campsite about 10am – in the evening we had arranged to camp in the garden of Elizabeth (@gwenoldy) who had walked Offa’s Dyke in 2009, so again we had quite a short day ahead of us.

The terrain was fairly hilly, but with some amazing views showing The Clywdian Range in the distance – we would be walking them properly the following day! The weather was mainly dull (occasionally the sun shone through) – but the rain seemed to be keeping away!

The “highlight” of the day was relating to snacks. At our first stop, Alex pulls out a solitary Crème Egg – I was a little disappointed that there was only one, so I unveiled a solitary Pepparami Hot – which I deem a far superior snack. A brief debate followed on Twitter as to which was the best snack, which Alex won (although subsequent discussions have shown that the people are with me on this!)

For the last few miles we could see the hilltop radio mast which marks our finish for the day. As we dropped down to Bodfari, we met another Offa’s Dyker – he was on his last day, and had to put up with snow, heavy rain and lots of mud during his walk, but had thoroughly enjoyed it. We both hoped the environmental conditions would fair better for us!

Sadly the pub was shut in Bodfari (so there goes our plan for a pub lunch), however we discovered the local shop did some excellent homemade pies, so we stocked up ready for the following day. As we trudged up the hill from Bodfari, the rain began (fortunately quite light) and we were met by Elizabeth – who escorted us to her lovely sixteenth century farmhouse on the hillside with stunning views across the valley. To see how wonderful it is, have a look at her blog: http://welshhillsagain.blogspot.com (they also have a holiday cottage available for hire).

There are several fantastic advantages to camping in people’s gardens: firstly, it is wonderful to meet people who you have been chatting with during the months of preparations (especially someone who has walked Offa’s Dyke before!), secondly, you have somewhere to dry out, and thirdly (and possibly the most important)….. tea and cake after a day of walking. Elizabeth had baked some fantastic lemon drizzle cake which we devoured for a few mugs of tea!

In the evening, Elizabeth’s husband drove us to the local pub, where we sheltered from the now quite heavy rain, had a lovely dinner and a few pints of “Wainwright” – indeed it is beer worth walking for! The pub, despite a no dog policy, very kindly let us come in with my dog as long as she was quiet and well behaved!

Day 3 – Bodfari to Gweryd Lakes (14 miles)

View all the photos from day 3 | View the interactive map for day 3

It rained throughout the night (the only time on the whole trip), but by morning the rain had stopped to be replaced by a bit of drizzle and a mist that clung to the hills around us.

After a wonderful breakfast – Elizabeth’s homemade damson jam was particularly delicious – we were given a lift back to where we left Offa’s Dyke the day before. It was a miserable morning – the stunning views from the hills we had hoped to see were replaced by an ere gloom. As our first proper day, we were keen to not push ourselves too much, so the plan was to get as far as Gweryd Lakes camp site, just North of Llandegla – about 14 miles of going up and down hills! Our muscles were feeling a little tight but, fueled by the breakfast, we headed into the mist.

It took a few hours, but eventually the mist began to clear, the sun appeared (admittedly accompanied by the wind) and the views around us started opening up – and wow…. the views were truly amazing. To the West we could see right across the plain to the peaks of Snowdonia in the distance – we could even make out the snow still on top of Snowdon!

After munching down our left over pies from the previous day, and a slice of Elizabeth’s left over lemon drizzle cake each, we headed up to the Jubilee Tower. The Jubilee Tower was built to commemorate the golden jubilee of George III in 1810. The tower was never finished, and a storm in 1862 blew the incomplete tower down. To make it safe, the tower was demolished down to the unsheltered base. See more on Wikipedia about Jubilee Tower and Moel Famau.

From the Jubilee Tower we followed the gently descending path down the hill – this was definitely the busiest part of the entire Offa’s Dyke, especially in half term with parents dragging their kids up to see the tower. As we descended, we met the support team, who accompanied us down to the car park to resupply us with water and flapjack – we have met them everyday so far to resupply dog food, but this was the first time they joined us for part of the walk.

For the rest of the day, the weather continued to improve – we actually even had a chance to sunbath during a break just off the A494 – there was supposed to be a restaurant, but sadly it wasn’t due to open for another two weeks (again our plans for a pint lay in tatters).

After a few more miles of sauntering along the edge of hills with wonderful views back the way we had come (even as far as the coast), we once again left Offa’s Dyke to drop down to Gweryd Lakes (review to follow), a campsite on the edge of a fishing lake tucked away in the middle of nowhere. By early evening the temperature started to drop quite suddenly, so after our boil in the bag dinner, we headed to bed.

Day 4 – Gweryd Lakes to Llangollen (13 miles)

View all the photos from day 4 | View the interactive map for day 4

Both Alex and I are in agreement that Day 4 was definitely the best day of the whole of Offa’s Dyke. Throughout the day there was such an amazing variety of landscapes, the weather was amazing, the distance just right and there was not too much climbing to do.

After a full cooked breakfast at the campsite cafe, we headed back to rejoin the Dyke. The first few miles were painful – my body had obviously started rejecting the punishment I was giving it, and my hips were bruised and my calfs were very stiff. A few miles in through, and all the aches and pains faded away!

To start the day, the terrain was moorland as we left the last of The Clywdian Range, but we quickly dropped down into lush farmland, following the course of the River Alun – the path weaving around trees and tributaries. As the temperature rose, I put the “fetch the pebble” trick to good use to encourage the dog to go for a swim to cool down.

At Llandegla (148 miles to go) we treated ourselves to an ice cream and a bottle of Lucozade, before heading up the hill towards Llandegla Forest – a wall of trees in front of us! Although just a conifer plantation, there was something very pleasant about the few miles spent in the Forest (forests always remind me of The Forest of Fangorn from Lord of The Rings). There was plenty of sunlight coming down through the trees, and the track gently meandered through the trees.

Suddenly, quite unexpectedly, we were out of the forest and in moorland following board walks over the bogs. Looking behind us, there was this amazing line of trees where the forest just stops.

We followed the path through the moorland, before meeting up with a single track road that drops down to Worlds End – here we met the support team who escorted us to the car park, their car, and more flapjack!

The final part of the day was truly stunning – from World’s End until we dropped down to our campsite on the outskirts of Llangollen, we were walking halfway up the hillside through the scree – there were wonderful views to the West, and imposing rocky crags above us.

As we approached Llangollen, we began to see the remains of, the presumably easily defendable, castle Dinas Bran (which means Castle of the City of Crows), towering over Llangollen. A castle has stood on the site since an iron age hill fort was built there in around 600BC. The visible remains are of the castle built in 1260 – it was destroyed by the Welsh in order to stop the English capturing it. Read more about Dinas Bran on Wikipedia.

After setting up camp at Tower Farm (review to follow), we headed down into the town for dinner and beers, at the very dog friendly Bridge End, to celebrate an awesome day!