Offa's Dyke Association

The Offa's Dyke Centre in Knighton, Powys

King Offa himself will greet you as you enter the Centre from West Street, just 200 yards from Knighton Town Centre.

The picture above shows the centre of Knighton, home of the Offa's Dyke Association.

The Centre, opened in 1999, forms the focus for activities based on the 8th Century earthwork built by Offa, the King of Mercia. The dyke follows the Welsh English border from the hills above Prestatyn to the Severn Estuary near Chepstow. With its free exhibition and car park, the Centre caters for the needs of a wide range of visitors, from those taking toddlers to play in the surrounding park and play area, to those exploring the border area by car, cycle or on foot, to education groups studying the history of the area, and particularly that of Offa's Dyke. There is something here for everyone.

The attractive interactive exhibition allows visitors to explore the Dyke, its associated long distance footpath, and the border area in general, through interactive displays and graphic display panels. Exhibits cover:

The construction of Offa's Dyke
The Welsh Princes of the Anglo-Saxon period
The flora and fauna of the area
Environmental considerations
The history of Knighton
The activities required to maintain the Dyke and the Long Distance Footpath

The Centre is managed by Offa's Dyke Association, a charity originally set up to provide help for walkers on the Long Distance Path, and this still forms an important part of their activity but now is widened to serve the needs of all visitors. The Centre incorporates the Knighton Tourist Information Centre and a shop. Facilities are available for school visits, small conferences, and exhibitions.

As a centre for walking activities, Offa's Dyke Centre is positioned at about the halfway point of the Offa's Dyke Path National Trail and at the start of the Glyndwr's Way National Trail. The Wye Valley Walk crosses the Offa's Dyke Path at Hay-on-Wye as does the Severn Way at Pool Quay, and a wide range of shorter walks radiate from Knighton. An attractive leaflet on the Centre and details of other activities is available from:-

The Offa's Dyke Centre
Knighton
Powys
LD7 1EN
Telephone: +44 (0)1547 - 528753
E-Mail : oda@offasdyke.demon.co.uk

Knighton Tourist Information Centre
Telephone: +44 (0)1547 - 529424

Opening hours: (October 2007 to March 16th 2008)
9:30am to 12:30pm Monday and Wednesday
2:00pm to 5:00pm Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.
Closed Saturday and Sunday (but open by special arrangement for weddings etc.)

Opening hours: (March 17th 2008 to end of October)
Saturday, Sunday and Monday 10am to 5pm
Tuesday to Friday inclusive 12am to 5pm
Autumn opening hours will be announced in July.

Knighton is 17 miles west of Ludlow and 35 miles south west of Shrewsbury. It is served by rail services on the Shrewsbury to Swansea - Heart of Wales Line

Back to the Offa's Dyke Association home page.

Please email Simon Rayner if you have any comments about this web site.