Description
Walking with Offa -North
Grade 
Take in the extensive views from the rolling green hills above Llangollen and the remote Berwyn mountains and explore the World Heritage site of the Llangollen canal and the breath taking Pontcysyllte aqueduct.
Price: £990
– Single supplement £70
Duration:
7 nights
Next departure:
– Sept 23rd 2024
The historic border town of Llangollen lies in stunningly beautiful countryside on the banks of the River Dee. It is surrounded by hills and overlooked by the distinctive remains of Dinas Bran Castle perched high above the town. The long distance footpaths: Offa’s Dyke, the Dee Valley Way and the North Berwyn Way converge on Llangollen giving plenty of walking opportunities. On this week-long holiday we explore the diverse landscape that Llangollen and the Dee Valley have to offer, from some of the finest limestone escarpments in Britain to the UNESCO world heritage site of Llangollen canal and Thomas Telford’s breathtaking Pontcysyllte aqueduct -worth the trip alone if you haven’t seen it.
Holiday highlights
- Visit the romantic remains of Castell Dinas Bran above Lllangollen to take in spectacular views and see the mediaeval site of Valle Crucis Abbey
- Wonder at the beauty and engineering of Telford’s Pontcysyllte aqueduct on the Llangollen canal high above the River Dee.
- Follow the panorama walk section of the Offa’s Dyke footpath below the limestone escarpment of Trevor rocks -remarkable scenery.
- Explore the surprisingly wild and remote Berwyn mountains.
- Stay at the welcoming Hand Hotel situated on the banks of the River Dee in the historic border town of Llangollen.
Accommodation
Standing above a beautiful stretch of the river Dee close to the centre of the pretty market town of Llangollen, the Hand Hotel with its stunning riverside garden, old world charm, and excellent food is an ideal base for our holiday. Each of the comfortable bedrooms (some with a river view) has an en-suite bathroom, remote control colour TV, radio, tea and coffee making facilities. The central location of the Hand Hotel and the proximity of Llangollen to such lovely countryside means that we can walk directly from the hotel on many days of our holiday.
Single supplements and upgrades
Single room supplement: £70
Sole use of a double room: £175
Included
- En-suite half board accommodation in the lovely Hand hotel.
- A three-course meal served each evening in the hotel restaurant.
- Guided walking with a qualified and professional leader each day.
- All transport to and from walks (except for two days when we drive the short distance to the Horseshoe pass).
Not included
- Lunches -these are available to buy from local shops in Llangollen or can be ordered from the hotel
- Incidental expenses such as drinks.
Day-to-Day Itinerary
The following is the proposed itinerary. However, please bear in mind that in the event of local conditions changing, for example due to weather or other unforeseen circumstances, it may be necessary to change the itinerary.
Day 1
Arrive at the Hand Hotel and check into your room. Meet at 7pm in the lounge for a short briefing about the week ahead before our three-course dinner is served in the hotel’s restaurant.
Meals included: dinner
Day 2: Offa’s Dyke and the Pontcysyllte aqueduct
There is only one way to start this holiday and that is by heading up to the romantic ruins of Castell Dinas Bran that look down on Llangollen from their dramatic vantage point above the town. The views from here across the Dee Valley to the Berwyn mountains and along the Creig iau Eglwyseg rocks, one of the finest limestone escarpments in Britain, are spectacular. We drop down from the Castell to pick up the Offa’s Dyke footpath and follow it south following first the fabulous Panorama Walk and then through Trevor Woods to the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct for lunch. Tea and coffee are available from the shop; there is a pub for a swift half and even toilets! However, whatever else you do, walking over Telford’s fantastically engineered aqueduct is an absolute must. To return, we follow the Llangollen canal, a UNESCO world heritage site. Beautiful views to the Dee Valley below, and Offa’s Dyke and Trevor rocks above accompany us all the way back to Llangollen.
16 km (10 miles) ascent/descent 420 m
Meals included: breakfast and dinner
Day 3: The North Berwyn Way
Today we venture into the Berwyn mountains, a range of hills (not really mountains!) on the edge of Llangollen. Walking from the hotel, we follow the North Berwyn Way to climb up onto Vivod mountain. Once up we stay on this ridge to take in far reaching views across the Dee Valley and the Clwydian hills to the north, Snowdonia to the west, and the Shropshire hills to the south and east, before descending to the village of Carrog with its ancient stone bridge, once an important crossing on the river Dee.
There may be time for a drink in the village pub, the Grouse Inn, before getting the bus back to Llangollen.
16 km (10 miles) ascent/descent 620 m
Meals included: breakfast and dinner
Day 4: Llantysilio Mountain
This exhilarating walk explores the hills above the Dee Valley. We drive a short distance to park at the Ponderosa café at the top of the horseshoe pass. The route we take from there gives beautiful panoramic views down into the valley below and across to the peaks of Wales from a series of mini peaks that collectively make up Llantysilio Mountain. We climb first onto Moel y Faen and then follow a hillside path to skirt Moel y Gamelin, a ridge path to contour above the valley to Moel y Gaer with its Iron Age Hill fort, and finally continue onto Moel Morfydd. We then pick up the Morwynion valley to return to the Ponderosa café.
13 km (8.5 miles) ascent/descent 480 m
Meals included: breakfast and dinner
Day 5: Free day
Today you have free to explore the local area. You may choose to go for a trip on the Llangollen railway which runs for seven and a half miles along the River Dee, take a horse-drawn boat along the Llangollen canal or a narrow boat from Trevor Basin over Pontcysyllte aqueduct.
The beach towns of Barmouth and Aberdovey or historic Chester, Ruthin, and Shrewsbury are an hour’s drive from Llangollen.
The National trust properties Chirk castle and Erddig are close by and Plas Newydd, once the home of the fascinating Ladies of Llangollen is in the town itself.
If you would prefer to stretch your legs, you could take a stroll along the River Dee to the Horseshoe Falls for coffee or, if you really want to go for it, Llangollen based Whitewater rafting can take you rafting, kayaking, gorge walking, climbing, or abseiling.
Meals included: breakfast and dinner
Day 6: The source of the Llangollen canal, the Horseshoe falls.
Walking from the hotel, we follow the river Dee out of town before climbing a little for views over the river and Llangollen and back to Dinas Bran. We wind through woodland to descend and cross the Dee on the Chainbridge where we will stop for elevenses. After a little time to explore the source of the Llangollen canal and the horseshoe falls, we follow the Dee Valley way to the Britannia Inn and then pick up the Clwydian Way to pass the remains of Valle Crucis, a mediaeval Abbey founded in 1201 by Prince Madog. From here we return to the Llangollen hotel and follow it back into town.
17 km (10.5 miles) ascent/descent 550 m
Meals included: breakfast and dinner
Day 7: Above World’s End
From the hotel we drive the short distance to Trevor rocks to follow Offa’s dyke path north as it passes below the dramatic limestone escarpments that are so visible from the town of Llangollen to the aptly named World’s End. Once at the head of the valley we climb the short distance onto the hills above and follow the ridge line taking in the spectacular view around us as we make our way back to our parking spot at Trevor rocks.
15 km (9.5 miles) ascent/descent 600 m
Meals included: breakfast and dinner
Day 8
The holiday finishes after breakfast. It’s goodbye -until next time!
Meals included: breakfast
Kit list
For walking each day:
- Good walking boots or shoes
- Waterproof jacket and trousers
- Lightweight, quick drying trousers
- Base layer
- Mid-layer such as a fleece jacket and an additional ‘spare’ layer depending on the forecast
- Walking socks
- Warm hat and gloves -just in case the weather turns
- Sun hat, sunglasses, lip salve and high SPF sun block
- Day sack (25 litre capacity is a good size) to comfortably carry your kit, lunch and water
- Dry bag or rucksack cover to keep the contents of your daypack dry
- Water bottle
- Basic first aid kit (plasters, blister treatment, antiseptic etc)
- Some snacks to keep you going
- Walking/trekking poles (if you use them)
Maps
OS Explorer maps 256 Wrexham and Llangollen, 255 Llangollen and Berwyn.
Group size
This guided holiday will have a maximum group size of 14.
