South East Wales and The Borders
Click here for details of our walks in the area.
Offa's Dyke
In the late 8th century, King Offa of Mercia decided that an earth wall should be built along the border between Wales and his own realm next door, which may have originally acted as a defensive barrier or just merely to mark a boundary. Never the less, this earth wall is 177 miles long and stretches from the Severn Estuary at Chepstow up to Prestatyn on the North Wales coast. In 1971 it was designated as a long distance footpath Llwybr Clawdd Offa (or Offa's Dyke path as we know it), which meanders around the England and Wales border.
The Wye Valley
The River Wye runs alongside Offa's Dyke path from Chepstow on the South Wales coast up to Monmouth, where it branches off to Hereford. It's an area decidedly English in Flavour, where woodland and hills predominantly lie alongside the river banks.
Chepstow
Chepstow's claim to fame is that it's the first town in Wales immediately after the welsh border. Situated on the western bank of the River Wye, the town is Victorian market town with an elegant five-arch cast-iron bridge, which was built in 1816 and is still used for cross-border traffic today. The town also has one of the first stone castles to be built in Britain and Tintern Abbey near by.
Caerphilly
As the Neanderthal hunters pursued their prey across the grassy plains of Wales, the emergence of the place we now call Caerphilly county borough was over 250,000 years away. In the millennia between the expeditions of those hunter-gatherers and the dawn of today, the remarkable history of Caerphilly county borough would unfold... Caerphilly is hidden away in rolling countryside close to Cardiff, it boasts one of the best castles in the country (Caerphilly Castle) which is at the centre of this historic market town.
Our walks in the area
Caerphilly Castle - Grade A
A relaxing walk in the rolling hills which surround Caerphilly, this walk also takes in Castell Coch where The worst witch was filmed for Television
Photos from this walk are available here.
Chepstow to Tintern Abbey - Grade A
A fantastic walk, offering views over a river valley, and also the opportunity to visit a historic abbey..
Photos from this walk are available here - For a map covering the walk area click here.
Forest of Dean - Grade A
Our last walk of the term takes us just into England with a forest walk offering some fantastic views. If you still haven't made a hike this term, it's your last chance.
Photos from this walk are available here - For a map covering the walk area click here.
Offa's Dyke - Grade B
Walk part of the boundary between England and Wales with great views. This path stretches 150 miles but we'll take in only its best offering, with both ridge walking and the chance to visit the remains of Llanthony Priory on the valley floor.
Photos from this walk are available here - For a map covering the walk area click here.
For a complete list of our hikes planned for this academic year please see our walks programme.
