Offa’s Dyke

Leave England on the M4 crossing the Severn toll bridge. The first indication that you are in another country is that all road signs appear in two languages, Welsh first, English second. As you leave the bridge take the first left turnoff signed A466 Monmouth and the Wye Valley. The road winds a course up the steep-sided, wooded valley to Tintern Abbey, a romantic ruin adored by the sentimental Victorians. Drive alongside the ruin to the car park at the rear by the tourist office. Stretch your legs with a quick walk round the ruin or, if you would like to visit the prettiest spot on the 168-mile length of Offa’s Dyke, the tourist office will provide you with a detailed instruction sheet called Offa’s Dyke and the Devil’s Pulpit Viewpoint. Offa’s Dyke was a great earthwork built over 1,200 years ago at the direction of King Offa to divide England and Wales.