Route 24 Llanymynech to Racecourse Llynclys Common Barley Mow and Brewery, Trefonen

Spectacular landscapes Llynclys Common – green Trefonen once shared coal mining and on Offa and now greener brick making with regular agricultural pursuits. On a former spoil heap you This walk shares some, but by no means Blodwel Rock with its vertiginous will see two interpretive sculptures and all, of its route and signage with Offa’s glimpsed views of the Moelydd and the behind them, a mine shaft head with a Dyke Path. The Welsh and English Tanat Valley lies at the higher end of fascinating safety fence. The landscape landscapes are both spectacular and Llynclys Common Nature Reserve. The around you is replete with lumps and rewardingly rich in history and nature transition between the two is marked by bumps that denote the spoil from whether your interest is general or Jacob’s Ladder – in reality a set of steps! widespread underground workings. specific. Llynclys Hill is a rich limestone Further south on the Way You could well see a peregrine falcon environment on which more than between Gronwen and Sweeney near Llanymynech rocks, in addition, 300 plant species have been recorded Fen, the route of the light railway experience what that falcon sees in including fairy flax, twelve kinds of that transported coal from the south flight, such are the views on offer. You orchid and seven types of St John’s Oswestry coalfields to the limekilns at can physically enter the limestone Wort. You may even catch sight of a Llynclys is easy to spot. landscape by wandering right into green woodpecker pecking ants from the old Welsh limestone quarry above carbuncular anthill formations. Enjoy the specially recorded podcast. Llanymynech, where the engineered terrain has now gone thoroughly native. Though natural, this Shropshire Wildlife Candy Woods – green and Trust reserve needs to be managed. Take a moment to rest on a former spoil Grazing, inevitably involving fences, brown tip where the ‘Border Viewpoint’ will keeps down invasive scrub and bracken If you like a deciduous wooded hill walk give you a toposcopical view of local and allows the springy herb-rich along clear trails then Candy Woods is landmarks near and far. grassland to flourish. your heavenly stairway. It even has a stone carved seat half way along where If you are unsure of the time look down Trefonen – green and miners would rest on their long but at St Agatha’s Church in Llanymynech seasonally beautiful walk to work. and be grateful, as the rock men were once black in 1844, for industrial knitting machine Offa’s Dyke, like the Shropshire Way Miner’s seat in Candy Woods inventor Robert Robert’s gift of an which follows it on and off, passes oversized clock, to let them know when through Trefonen. No coincidence then it was time to go home and to let you that next to the Barley Mow pub (01691 know that it’s time to press on. 656889 for opening hours) is the Offa’s View westward from Jacob’s Ladder Dyke Brewery.

The European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development: Europe investing in rural areas Park Hall B5009

Farm Park Hall Offa’s Dyke Offa’s Baker’s Hill Castell Brogyntyn Discover Shropshire Route 24 Old Oswestry B4579 Racecourse B4580 DIFFICULTY: some steep uphill sections.

Racecourse Wood B5069 Llanforda Circular 8.5 miles / 13.6 kilometres rda

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Riv Bwlch

Llanforda B4579 Wood Candy Wood OSWESTRY Sheep Walk B&B River

Tyn-y-coed

Offa’s Dyke

Summer Hill Morda Weston Colliery B5069 Sculptures

Marsh helleborine at Sweeney Fen

Trefonen Sweeney Gronwen Hall Hotel

Sweeney Mountain A483 Maesbury Tre ach Maesbury Y Marsh Sweeney Fen WA Nantmawr Nature Reserve Quarry

Dolgoch Quarry DISMANTLED RAIL Nature Reserve Nantmawr Whitehaven St Winifred’s Well Llynclys Morton Quarry Llynclys Woolston Llynclys Cambrian B4396 Hill A495 Heritage Porth-y-waen Railway Jacob’s Ladder

O a’ Crickheath Crickheath s Dy Blodwel Hill ke P Rock

at h Pant 01KILOMETRES 2

Llanymynech Offa’s Dyke Hill 0 MILES ½ 1 Lime Route Profile Asterley Kilns Rocks 300m A483 250m 200m 150m 100m Llanymynech Kilometres 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 Heritage Site Miles 1234 56 78

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