Hillwalking in Shropshire. John Gillham
Bridge over the Teme at Lloyney
Turn left here then right to cross the bridge over the River Teme and return to Lloyney.
WALK 2
Knighton, Cwm-sanaham Hill and Offa’s Dyke
| Start/Finish | Offa’s Dyke Centre car park, West St, Knighton (SO 284 725) |
| Distance | 7½ miles (12km) |
| Total ascent | 1280ft (390m) |
| Grade | Moderate |
| Time | 4hr |
| Terrain | Pastured ridges, field and riverside paths |
| Map | OS Explorer 201 – Knighton & Presteigne |
| Refreshments | Cafés and inns in Knighton |
The second walk over Offa’s Dyke begins in the lovely market town of Knighton. It starts in easy fashion by the banks of the Teme, then makes a steep ascent up Panpunton Hill. But once on top by the Dyke there’s a seat to give you the chance of a rest and to admire the wonderful retrospective view of Knighton and the Teme Valley winding through green pastured hills. Your eyes will be drawn to the village of Knucklas (Cnwclas, where a thirteen-arched viaduct built in 1865 to convey the Central Wales Railway (now the Heart of Wales Line) spans King’s Brook. To the right the small wooded hill you’ll be able to see is the site of Cnwclas Castle, where it is said that King Arthur married Guinevere.
In the final stages of the walk there’s a memorable but easy descent back into the Teme Valley, and you’ll just make out Ludlow in the shadows of the distant afforested Mortimer Hills.
KNIGHTON
The small Welsh Borders market town is positioned strategically on the low shoulder of Garth Hill overlooking the Teme Valley. The Welsh name for Knighton (‘town of horsemen or knights’) is Tref-y-clawdd, which means ‘town on the dyke’. The old town is situated at the top of the hill, where 17th-century shops crowd around a more modern Gothic clock tower dating from 1872.
Being a border town, Knighton has known turbulent times. Initially the borders between Wales and England were the mountains themselves, but continuous skirmishes between warlords convinced the eighth-century Mercian King Offa to define them, and so he built his border dyke from the English Channel to the Irish Sea. The dyke passed right through Knighton, which would have been a small settlement at that time. In the Middle Ages the town came under the control of the powerful Marcher Lords of the Mortimer family.
The town was largely destroyed by the troops of Owain Glyndŵr in 1402. It was rebuilt and prospered once more on the proceeds of the wool trade and from its strategic position on the crossroads of two cattle drovers’ routes – one from Montgomery to Hereford; the other from Aberystwyth to the markets of London and southern England.
The coming of the railway was more a result of industrial Swansea’s need for transport links with the Midlands than of Knighton’s importance, but it added greater prosperity well into the 20th century.
From the car park behind Knighton’s Offa’s Dyke Centre take the marked footpath across grassland. Fork right on the signed Offa’s Dyke route then go down some steps to the banks of the River Teme. Follow the riverside path through woods at first then across meadowland. Cross the river on a footbridge next to a railway bridge, then turn left to cross the railway with care.
Knucklas seen from Panpunton Hill
Through a gate on the far side the signed Offa’s Dyke path veers away from the river to a lane-side gate. Through another gate across the road the path begins its steep ascent of Panpunton Hill. Take the sunken right fork or the paths along its rim, ignoring confusing little paths to the left.
Once out of the woods the path becomes grassy, flanked by bracken and with Kinsley Wood to the right. As you approach trees near the top of the hill turn left, still following Offa’s Dyke path waymarkers. The clear path traverses the high slopes of the hillside with the Offa’s Dyke earthworks lying the other side of the fence. Beyond a gate the path comes to a viewpoint on the high shoulder of Panpunton Hill. There’s a conveniently sited seat dedicated to Frank Noble and a small cairn dedicated to Roy Waters. Both men were highly instrumental in bringing the Offa’s Dyke project to fruition.
The path continues alongside the line of the dyke and across high fields. After crossing a stony track, an undulating path by pine woods rounds the deep hollow of Cwm Sanaham to reach a four-way path junction. You will return to this spot, but first the route tackles its high point of the day, Cwm-sanaham Hill. The Offa’s Dyke path wanted is the narrow one arcing left as it climbs to reach the summit trig point. From here you can trace Offa’s Dyke over Llanfair Hill and look back over local hills to those of the Radnor Forest and the Black Mountains.
Return to the path junction and turn left (north) on an ascending unsurfaced vehicle track. After 120m double back right, passing some outbuildings. Follow a field path with a fence to the right across three fields. In the third field there is no path on the ground but by keeping straight ahead you will come to a bridleway coming in from the right. This is hidden by trees until the last few metres. Turn left through a gate.
The way is enclosed at first but as it squeezes between two conifer copses it veers slightly left away from a fence on the right (an arrow highlights this deviation) and descends fields as a faint track.
A waymarker post at the bottom of the field marks the start of another enclosed grassy path, which comes to the busy A488 at Five Turnings. Across the road follow a stony track to the right of Five Turnings Farm. After about a mile leave the track for a marked path through a gate on the right. After 60m go left through a kissing gate, following a hedge on the left – the fields may well have crops in them.
Beyond a deep hollow on the right (the one with Lurkenhope Farm at the bottom) the path goes over a stile on the left and angles south-east across fields. At the bottom of the first large field a faint grooved track comes in from the left and leads through a waymarked gate. Through this turn right past sheepfolds and go straight ahead through the farm gate at the end of the folds (not the one on the right). The path now follows the hedge-line on the right and the route soon becomes an easy-to-follow track with stunning views of the Teme Valley down to Ludlow.
On the path descending to Stowe and the Teme Valley
Where the stony track forks right go straight on along a grass track, but before you reach the tiny hamlet of Stowe turn right through the left of two farm gates at SO 309 735. The stony track you’ve just left descends to the same point. The signed bridleway follows the left-hand field-edges as it descends gently back to the A488.
Go over a stile on the far side of the busy road. A little footbridge ahead sets the direction of the path, which comes to another stile into Kinsley Wood, not far from the main road on the left. Some steps take the route to a forestry track. Turn left along this towards the road but then fork right on a very pleasant forestry path, which meets the A488 road by Knighton railway station.
Following the pavement that takes you safely into the town, turn left beyond the station and cross the bridge over the River Teme, then turn right at the T-junction with Broad Street in the town centre. Broad Street