Hi everyone,

It's been a long time but I decided to visit the forums again. Nice to see all the regulars are still around.

My health is well on the mend now so I am thinking of doing Offas Dyke in sections (my dodgy knee wouldn't allow all in one go). Please can someone advise which they think is the best Guide to buy and does it include maps and accommodation? I already have two (north & south) National Trail Guide books but they are over 13 years old, so could be well out of date. When I bought them the Foot & Mouth epidemic then put paid to my walk and to be honest doggy and personal health problems have meant it has been a non starter.

I now have better health and a new dog as Teazle, my rottie died last year, so can someone also advise me how I can change my user name from Janice & Rottie as tis a bit upsetting since I won't be getting another.

Thanks.

Welcome back, pleased about your health but sorry about Teazle although "Janice & Rottie" will be as I remember the pair of you on the site. Don't know how to change your user name but no doubt someone will be able to help.

I have been researching walking OD in April and have been using the National Trail guides as they go from South to North which is the way I want to walk. Another guide I looked at was going North to South - can't recall which one now. So even though you may be walking it in bits the choice of guides may be limited. For accommodation the following is really useful for B&B:-

http://www.offasdyke.demon.co.uk/bandb.htm

For camping:-

http://www.offasdyke.demon.co.uk/webcamp.htm

Anyway, one again welcome back and I hope that OD is enjoyable, I will look nearer the time to see what the weather is like and to see if it has dried out a bit!

Hello Janice,
Have just put a post up on the "which direction" thread about my planned route for this year. I started planning using the Trailblazer guide which works in either direction but I found a bit disappointing as the absence of os style map pages and direction narrative is not very comforting and the accommodation advice is a bit out of date.
I opted for the national trail guides north and south which score well on mapping and directions..so much so that I am only taking actual maps for the northernmost sections of the route ( as I had already got them).
Hope you enjoy the walk...may see you around

regards

John

Hi John,

I agree about the Trailblazer Guide...the accommodation info regarding dogs is definitely out of date. I will take my two Nat. Trail books too. I haven't actually got any full maps so I will be relying on the sketch maps which I will take out of the book and my Nat. Trail books, and read them together.

How are you doing it ie. B&B or backpacking?

Hi Janice,
I am B&Bing. Came to walking only a couple of years ago when I eased my way into retirement from my main career. I keep fit by building the odd house now and walking..My fifty- something bones are not in bad order but I do like to have a bed at night!
The route I planned is on the "which direction" thread..may see you around...I am told this walk is rather quiet..but I quite like the idea of a few towns and villages for a change.
May be a good one for you to get back in the swing again.
I planned to use 1:25000 os maps for the hill sections as I do feel a bit naked without them and I got the northernmost two. When I got the national guides; the map sections looked good so I did not bother with os maps for say the Hatterrall Ridge. This walk is not that remote so I think the guidebook maps will suffice.
It is odd but when I did my second C2C last year, I barely had to use a map...remembered most of it.
Are you a backpacker?

Hi John,

My fifty something bones aren't doing too bad either although I have bad osteoarthritis in one knee.

I like quiet walks as I'm an anti-social walker (always walk on my own with my dog) but just love coming across tearooms on a LDP. I have done the C2C so I can imagine how comforting it would be to walk it a second time and recognise the route.

I no longer backpack because I do like my home comforts now and it would be a bit of a pain to have to carry dog food as well !!

I am starting the walk 2nd week in August so will our paths cross?

Just seen your post John, so obviously our paths won't meet. I would really like to know how you get on though.

Sadly not Janice. I don't mind walking alone but it is nice to have a bit of company say 3 days out of 11 or so. hey ho.
I will post a note on how it went when I get back in June.
I am planning a C2C around the time you start in wales ( maybe a week or two later). Here's to some good weather and some good walking

John