OSWALD’S TRAIL A 12.6 mile circular walk around Oswestry 2 Lower B5069 Hengoed Hospital Cross Lanes SHROPSHIRE WAY & OFFA’S DYKE TRAIL Pentre-clawdd Rhosfach Fron Lodge WAT’S DYKE Pentre-pant WAY Park Hall Baker’s Hill Coppice Farm Castell D Brogyntyn A O Wat’s Dyke R A5 N Brogyntyn Y Show W Hall L Old Ground Llawnt L Oswestry Brogyntyn Brogyntyn Park Farm Hillfort B4579 Oldport A495 B4580 Sports Ground Old Oswestry B4580 Racecourse Parc Uchaf Reservoirs School 0 METRES 500m 1000m Racecourse WHITTINGTON ROAD Wood School 0MILES ½ Cwmsychtyn © Crown copyright and database rights 2014 Ordnance Survey 100049049 High Fawr You are not permied to copy, sub-licence, distribute or sell any of this data to third Bwlch parties in any form. Llanforda Offa’s Dyke Uchaf School Candy Plas Waen Wood Llanforda Water Works OSWESTRY SHROPSHIRE Wood WAY & BROOMHALL LANE OFFA’S DYKE TRAIL Cemetery College PENYLAN LANE B4579 Sheep Walk WAT’S DYKE WAY Services A5 Llwynymaen Weston Morda Farm A483 B5069 Morda Bridge Old Oswestry Hillfort The Battle of Maserfield is thought to Introduction have been fought near Oswestry in 642, Oswald’s Trail was conceived by the between the Anglo-Saxon kings Penda Oswestry Group of the Ramblers as a of Mercia and Oswald of Northumbria. permanent mark of the group having been Oswald was killed in this battle and was in existence for 40 years (2013). dismembered; according to legend, one of his arms was carried to an ash tree by The trail is a complete circuit of Oswestry a raven, and miracles were subsequently taking in many of the important historical attributed to the tree (as Oswald was con- points of interest along the way. Whilst sidered a saint). Thus it is believed that the the total route is 12.6 miles in length, we name of the site is derived from a reference have divided it into 5 easily accomplished to ‘Oswald’s Tree’. The spring Oswald’s sections so that the walk can be Well is supposed to have originated where undertaken in stages and so should be the bird dropped the arm from the tree. within the capability of most walkers of Offa’s Dyke runs nearby to the west. average fitness. We gratefully acknowledge the support Oswestry’s story began with the and help of The Ramblers Holidays 3000-year-old settlement of Old Oswestry, Charitable Trust, The Ramblers and one of the most spectacular and best Shropshire Council in achieving the preserved Iron Age hillforts in Britain, fulfilment of this trail. with evidence of construction and occupation between 800 BC and AD 43. Oswestry Group of the Ramblers 3 Oswald’s Trail – East Length of section 2.75 miles This section goes from Oswestry Bus Oswestry from this section by walking Station to Shrewsbury Road via the green along Shrewsbury Road, then Salop Road corridor to the east of the town between – approximately 0.6 miles. the A5 and the town. You can return to 3 2 1 5 4 4 Leave the Bus Station at the eastern the A5 a little way to the left) to pass 1 (bus entrance) end and turn left to pass through the Eaton Fields and pond area. alongside Morrisons Supermarket. Cross Just a short way past the pond the path Oswald Road at the pedestrian lights reaches a gate onto Middleton Road. and then continue along Oswald Road Go through the gate, turn right and towards the traffic lights. Just before 4 go along Middleton Road to the junction the traffic lights turn right into Thomas with Middleton Way (be careful on this Savin Road. Go along Thomas Savin Road section as the road is narrow and cars crossing the Cambrian Railway line and travel quite fast here). At the junction with bear right to enter the medical centre Middleton Way, bear right to continue car park. Continue along the pavement along Middleton Road, until Wilfred Owen to enter the Wilfred Owen Green area. Road on the left. Go along Wilfred Owen Immediately turn left and follow the Road to the junction with Llys Road and gravel path along the edge of the green turn left for a short distance, then take (medical centre car park immediately on Hazel Grove on the right. Continue on your left), after a short distance take the Hazel Grove, crossing Maple Avenue to path as it swings left and goes gently the junction with College Road. uphill behind some factory buildings. Turn left and go down College Road Continue to follow the path as it 5 2 to its junction with Shrewsbury Road heads downhill to reach some bollards (the B4579), now turn right and go along and the access to a road (Queen Elizabeth Shrewsbury road to the junction with Drive). Turn left and follow Queen Maesbury Road on the left. Elizabeth Drive to the junction with Unicorn Road. Now cross diagonally left Wilfred Owen Green over Unicorn Road to enter Windsor Road and continue along until just before the end; then bear then bear left through the wildlife area to come out on Harlech Road. Cross diagonally left over Harlech Road to enter a tarmac pedestrian way (with a green metal fence on the left hand side). At the end of the pedestrian way, turn 3 right onto a hard surfaced track running through a wooded area (the buffer zone between the houses and the A5) and continue along the path to a football practice area, where the path once again becomes a tarmac-surfaced path. Take the path alongside the football practice area and past a children’s play area and then take a short set of steps down into a grassed area. Continue along the path passing along the backs of houses (with 5 Oswald’s Trail – South Length of section 1.85 miles This section goes from Shrewsbury Road walking out on Salop Road to Maesbury to Trefonen Road. The section can be Road. Return to Oswestry via Trefonen joined from the centre of Oswestry by Road – approximately 1 mile. 1 3 2 Cross Shrewsbury Road into kissing gate into a green lane and turn 1 Maesbury Road and after a few metres, at left. Continue along the lane to a kissing the fingerpost, turn right into the Travis gate onto a country road (Weston Lane). Perkins Builders Merchants. Go straight Cross the road diagonally right across to and go over the stile ahead, 2 and take the stile into the field. Now go cross the railway (currently disused) and along the field heading diagonally left to through the gate on the other side to intersect the hedge line ahead close to enter a field. Now head diagonally left to the river Morda. Go through the hedge a kissing gate about 50 metres from the line and then head diagonally right to a far right hand corner of the field (note the kissing gate to the right of some houses. field can be boggy in wet weather and it Go through the gate onto a rough lane may be better to skirt the RH edge of the and turn right. Continue up the lane to field in these conditions). Go through the 6 Penylan Mill the B5069 (Morda Bank). Cross straight over and through the kissing gate; now continue straight ahead on a good track past a house on the right, then over a grass field to a kissing gate. Go through the gate and turn left into Love Lane. At the end of Love lane turn left 3 at the fingerpost onto a tarmac lane (Croeswylan Lane) and continue for about 50 metres. Where the lane turns sharp left, cross the stile on the right and continue straight up the field to a stile at the top. Go over the stile into Penylan Lane and turn left, continue on the lane for about 100 metres and just past the house on the right take the stile up the bank on the right. Now head slightly diagonally left towards a wooden gate that will become visible once you reach the top of the slope. Go through the gate and head across the field to a stile (that should be visible). Cross the stile onto Trefonen Road. Looking down Love Lane 7 Oswald’s Trail – West Length of section 2.5 miles This section goes from Trefonen Road Oswestry. There is currently a bus service to the B4580 (Oswestry Racecourse (the 78 to Llansilin) on Wednesday and common). The section can be joined Friday that goes past the Racecourse from the centre of Oswestry by walking Common – check Shropshire Council web out on the Trefonen Road. The return site – http://shropshire.gov.uk/bustimes to Oswestry is via the B4580; it is for details and location of bus stop. There approximately 2 miles to return to is a car park at the Racecourse. 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 8 Llanforda parkland At the exit onto Trefonen Road cross 1 An internet search tells us that Llanforda over, turn left and in just a few metres turn Hall, was a home of the Williams-Wynn right (road signposted to Racecourse). family but burned down in 1780. It was Go along this road for 350 metres passing rebuilt in the 19th century but fell to ruin a road signposted for Candy on the left. and was auctioned for demolition in 1948. Approximately 60 metres after the road The ruins of the walled gardens are all that for Candy go over the stile on the left now remain.