Glyndŵr's Way National Trail

Glyndŵr’s Way National Trail takes you on a wild, challenging and highly memorable walk of 135 miles (217 km) through unexpectedly remote mid Wales. It crosses the country from Knighton on the English border to Machynlleth in the west, and then crosses back on a more northerly path to the border at Welshpool. It is possible to make it a circle by walking back to Knighton on Offa’s Dyke, which adds another 30 miles. The name of the walk celebrates Welsh folk hero and last Welsh Prince of Wales Owain Glyndŵr, whose ultimately unsuccessful but long-running revolt against English rule was fought out across this landscape. Machynlleth was, in 1404, the site of Glyndŵr’s Welsh parliament; today it makes a pleasant half-way stop on the route.

Setting off from Knighton, the border country of the tranquil Radnorshire hills becomes wilder as you near the foothills of heather-clad Pumlimon, via the shores of the spectacular Clywedog Reservoir. The route reaches its highest point at Foel Fadian (1530ft/510m), with top-of-the-world views of Snowdonia to the north, as you plunge westwards down the breath-taking Dulas valley towards Machynlleth. The path then turns eastwards along the lovely Dyfi valley through sheep pastures and alongside streams. Lake Vrnwy provides another change before arriving at Welshpool. It really is a walk of amazing contrasts for its length.

Glyndŵr’s Way is a comparatively new National Trail in Wales. Unlike Offa’s Dyke and the Pembrokeshire Costal Path, which have been up and running for years, Glyndŵr’s Way was only declared a National Trail in 2002. As a result it is still relatively unknown and therefore unwalked. Those that have walked it can’t stop talking about it! The views, the remoteness, the fantastic and varied scenery and the almost complete lack of other people are the main things they mention, but also the difficulty in finding places to stay!

This web site aims to change that.