Overview
Prestatyn, Knighton and Chepstow may be the accepted trinity of rail links for Offa’s Dyke Path (north, middle and south respectively), but a dozen other stations are useful to keep in mind, either for a walk along part of the route or for an emergency exit. Here is the full list, with jump-links to the trail connections for each station.
- Chester — railway junction and bus link for Clwydian range
- Prestatyn — on the route
- Wrexham General — half an hour by bus for Llandegla link
- Ruabon — 4km off-route; 5-10 minutes by bus
- Chirk — 3km off-route
- Gobowen — 8km off-route
- Shrewsbury — railway junction and major town for a break
- Welshpool — 3km off-route; bus links with Four Crosses and Llanymynech
- Craven Arms — 20km off-route
- Knighton — on the route
- Pen-y-bont — bus link for Kington
- Llandrindod — bus link for Kington
- Hereford — bus links for Kington, Hay-on-Wye and Pandy
- Abergavenny — 15 minutes by bus for Pandy link; bus link for Monmouth
- Chepstow — on the route: bus link for Redbrook and Monmouth
Note that each station header below has a link to the station details, and that each bus route number has a link to its timetable.
There is no benefit in buying PlusBus rail tickets (unless for your home station), since the connections are all beyond PlusBus zones.
See also rail/trail links for Glyndŵr’s Way: one may make a triangular walk (266km) using Glyndŵr’s Way, re-linking Welshpool and Knighton on Offa’s Dyke Path.
Stations
Chester
Chester is the main junction for Prestatyn. There is an hourly bus link (T8, not Sundays) with the eastern side of the Clwydian range at Loggerheads and Llanferres.
Take note — the former bus stop at Clwyd Gate has been closed by the Welsh government on safety grounds. Do not attempt to use Clwyd Gate as a transport link-point for Offa’s Dyke Path.
At Llanferres (just over 2km distant from the path north-east of Clwyd Gate), you may be able to make use of the pub, especially if you have just missed a bus! Loggerheads is the access point for Moel Famau.
Chester is also the best option for picking up anything you realise you have forgotten to pack prior to a southbound walk.
Chester bus interchange lies 1km south-west of the railway station via Station Road and Brook Street.
Prestatyn
It does not get any easier than this. 750m along Bastion Road to the beach, then back to the station and head southwards and upwards towards Bodfari (or at the end of a northbound walk). Yes, you really should not skip the trip to the water and back: you cannot paddle at the other end, since you will be on top of a cliff.
Trains to and from Chester serve Prestatyn.
Wrexham General
Wrexham is not on the route itself, but it is only half an hour to/from Llandegla (48km from Prestatyn) at the southern end of the Clwydian range on the X51 service between Wrexham and Denbigh.
Wrexham General station is served by trains between Chester and Shrewsbury, also to and from Bidston (for Liverpool). Note that Wrexham Central station is only for the Bidston line. Wrexham bus station is 650m south-east of the railway station, via Regent Street and King Street.
Ruabon
Five minutes on the T3 bus (which runs between Wrexham and Barmouth and stops at the station entrance) links Ruabon station forecourt with Trevor (Old Station bus stop), at the north end of Pontcysyllte viaduct, and there are more frequent buses on route 5 (between Wrexham and Llangollen) from the bottom of Station Road. These buses run seven days a week. On both routes, linking from Trevor involves a Wrexham-bound bus, while a link to Trevor is in the direction of Llangollen or beyond. A walk between Prestatyn and Ruabon (66km on the route between Prestatyn and Trevor or 70km station-to-station) will give you all the majesty of the Clwydian range and the crags above Llangollen.
Ruabon is served by trains between Chester and Shrewsbury.
Chirk
Chirk station is 3km off-route with a link route across Chirk Castle estate to/from the path at Tyn-y-groes (available between April and October — a better option than the winter route, which makes for Offa’s Dyke Path at Castle Mill via Pont-faen Bridge and Llwybr Maelor, and which does not visit the castle).
A simple day’s outing will allow you to experience Pontcysyllte aqueduct using Chirk and Ruabon as your endpoint stations — a little over 13km station-to-station or 9km between Chirk and the Old Station bus stop in Trevor. This is an ideal introduction to Offa’s Dyke Path for the family: do it northbound so that the excitement of the aqueduct is left till last. There is a low-level alternative to the aqueduct for those without a head for heights.
Chirk is served by trains on the line between Chester and Shrewsbury.
Gobowen
Gobowen station is about 8km away from Oswestry Old Racecourse. Wat’s Dyke Path gives a pedestrian route for the 5km between Gobowen and the centre of Oswestry (there is also an hourly bus service on route 2). The 3km between Oswestry and the racecourse must be walked (or else call a taxi). A trip between Ruabon and Gobowen (19km between the buses at Trevor and Oswestry, or 28km station-to-station) will give you the hilly country between the Dee and Oswestry.
Gobowen is served by trains on the line between Chester and Shrewsbury. The bus stop named Rowan Close is just to the north of the railway station on Old Whittington Road,
Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury is a key railway junction, and is the main link with Birmingham. There are sporadic direct bus services to and from Llanymynech (74/74a, not Sundays), Four Crosses (74/74a, not Sundays), and Montgomery (558, not Sundays), but the main reason for including Shrewsbury as a “useful station” is as a change-point for all the other listed stations on this list between Wrexham and Abergavenny.
Shrewsbury bus station lies just south-west of the railway station.
Shrewsbury may be a good option for a rest-point in the middle of a full-length walk: kit may be repaired or replaced at a range of shops, and all facilities are available (including, in the suburbs, dry-cleaning and launderettes).
Welshpool
Welshpool lies in the Severn plain 3km west of Offa’s Dyke Path at Buttington. The link route between Welshpool and Buttington makes use of the canal towpath, and is part of the Severn Way. There are bus connections with Four Crosses and Llanymynech (T12, not Sundays). It is approximately 50km between Welshpool and Chirk, with the middling hills of North Shropshire your partners throughout. It is also about 50km between Welshpool and Knighton, taking you up and down the switchback of hills along the border.
Welshpool is the northern terminus of Glyndŵr’s Way; the other terminus is Knighton (220km).
The station is on the line between Shrewsbury and Aberystwyth; Welshpool bus station is 650m from the railway station via Severn Road.
Craven Arms
Craven Arms is 20km from Newcastle on Clun, but it is useful to know that it may act as an emergency exit from the Clun valley (most likely by taxi, and probably from Clun, 6km east of the path). Craven Arms is served by trains on the line between Shrewsbury and Cardiff, and on the Heart of Wales line between Shrewsbury and Swansea.
Knighton
Knighton is the central hub of the Offa’s Dyke Path, and many walkers use the station on a week’s walk along half of the route. The town (Tref-y-Clawdd, the town on the Dyke) has all facilities for stopovers (including a launderette): it is also the headquarters of Offa’s Dyke Association.
Knighton is the southern terminus of Glyndŵr’s Way; the other terminus is Welshpool (220km).
Knighton is on the Heart of Wales line between Shrewsbury and Swansea, with a connection for Hereford and Newport at Craven Arms.
Pen-y-bont
There is a bus link (461/462, daily) with Kington, allowing a day out tackling the section between Knighton and Kington (22km). Note that, in most cases, you will need to walk between the station and either Crossgates or Pen-y-bont village for the bus/train link — Llandrindod may provide an easier interchange.
Pen-y-bont is on the Heart of Wales line between Shrewsbury and Swansea.
Llandrindod
There is a bus link at the railway station (461/462, daily) with Kington, allowing a day out tackling the section between Knighton and Kington (22km).
Llandrindod is on the Heart of Wales line between Shrewsbury and Swansea.
Hereford
Hereford is some distance from the route, but has bus links at the railway station with Kington (461/462, daily), Hay-on-Wye (T14, but 39a on Sundays), and Pandy (X3, not Sundays), allowing a start or finish in the middle of the southern half of the route. The walk between Knighton and these places is over the rolling border hills (46km between Knighton and Hay; the 72km between Knighton and Pandy includes the long Black Mountains section). Combining the Pandy and Hay options (preferably in that order) would give a fit Hereford-based walker the chance to tackle the formidable Black Mountains traverse without having to carry a fully loaded rucksack.
Hereford is served by trains between Shrewsbury and Cardiff, and to/from Worcester, Birmingham, and — via Oxford — London.
Abergavenny
Abergavenny, on the line between Hereford and Newport, has bus links with Pandy (X3, not Sundays) and with Monmouth (68, not Sundays), or you may walk the 12km of the Beacons Way. The route between Pandy and Chepstow (58km) will give the tranquillity of the fields north of Monmouth, and the route above the River Wye to the south.
Abergavenny is served by trains between Shrewsbury and Cardiff: the bus station is 550m north of the end of Station Road (or follow the Beacons Way into town).
Chepstow
The southern rail terminus for the route is on the other side of the River Wye from Sedbury Cliff, the actual terminus of Offa’s Dyke Path. Walk into the town over the bridge and decide — train home or the Wales Coast Path (1327km) back to Prestatyn?
Between Buttington Tump and Chepstow, there is a C4 bus every two hours, but not on Sundays: unless you are very lucky with timing, just keep on walking — it is not much more than 2km. The route between Chepstow and Hay-on-Wye (84km) gives the serenity of woodland and field walking to Pandy, contrasted with the open moorland of the Black Mountains. There are buses between Chepstow and Monmouth (routes 65 and 69, the latter also serving Brockweir, Bigsweir and Redbrook).
Trains between Birmingham and Cardiff via Gloucester call at Chepstow: change at Newport or Gloucester for London and other express services. Chepstow bus station is 650m west of the railway station in Thomas Street, off High Street.
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