This walk starts off  in Hay-on-Wye, alongside the Wye, before passing through the rolling territory of the Powys – Herefordshire border. This area is well known for the diaries written by the Victorian country curate Francis Kilvert who wrote about life in the rural parishes with his observations on country life. The Trail passes through the small village of Newchurch – the church here is always open and welcomes walkers and you can help yourself to a cup of tea for a small donation. The Royal Oak in Gladestry also welcomes walkers and is well worth a stop before the final walk into Kington.  As a finale to the stage the Trail rises to over 400 metres on Hergest Ridge with dramatic 360 degree views. On a clear day Pen y Fan can be seen to the south, the Malverns to the east and the hills of Shropshire to the north. The summit of Hergest Ridge has an old racecourse which is exactly a mile around. This area was also the inspiration for Arthur Conan Doyle’s Hound of the Baskervilles and Mike Oldfield’s second album Hergest Ridge. The day finishes in the border market town of Kington, a very important livestock town being on the drovers route.

14.75 miles (23.3 Km)

As well as superb views from the remote hills today is notable for long stretches of well preserved Dyke before the Trail enters its ‘spiritual home’ – Knighton (Tref-y-Clawdd, meaning the town on the dyke in Welsh).

On leaving Kington the Trail passes over Brandor Hill and its golf course, the highest in England. Soon after, on Rushock Hill, the Trail meets up with Offa’s Dyke again, which it parted company with 56 miles ago after leaving Lower Redbrook in the Wye Valley. From this point to Chirk Castle the Trail and Offa’s Dyke keep each other company for most of the journey. The Trail soon passes over the border again from Herefordshire into Powys, the county with the longest section of the route.

On route to Knighton the Trail passes through the Woodland Trust owned site of Granner Wood, which through careful management is being restored to broadleaf woodland. The Trail soon drops down to the River Lugg at Dolley Old Bridge with its many meanders. It is well worth stopping on the bridge to watch dippers and a glimpse of kingfishers if you are lucky. The next climb brings you up to Furrow and Hawthorn Hill. From here there are stunning views westwards into Radnorshire. One of Owain Glyndwr’s famous battle sites can also be seen from here where he fought the English at the Battle of Pilleth, with the square clump of trees that mark the burial site of the soldiers. The final decent brings you down into Knighton and almost the half way point on your journey and the home of the Offa’s Dyke Centre.

13.5 miles (21.7 Km)