Offa’s Dyke Path – Day 9Â Buttington to Trefenon
To end our previous day, we had dropped down about 300m from Beacon Hill (about the centre of this photo) into the village of Buttington. Once telephone contact had been accomplished, our hosts drove the 1/2 hour or so down to Buttington to pick us up. To get back to our starting point therefore, required that our hosts drive us back to Buttington, retracing this 1/2 hour or so drive. This driving time plus a breakfast that started later than what we were accustomed to, meant that we got going on the path again about an hour later than we would normally have started.
The Offa’s Dyke Path from Buttington followed the Severn River Valley and for the most part was refreshingly flat. At one point, we left the Severn River and walked on the tow path beside the Montgomery Canal. The canal was an important waterway in this area’s past agricultural development as its intended purpose was to bring lime in to improve yields in the farm areas of the Severn River. The canal ceased to be in operation about 60 years ago but recent local interest has resulted in restoration of a portion of this canal for primarily recreational purposes. Approximately 11 miles of the canal has been restored in the Welshpool area. This photo is a reflection on a part of that restored section.
One of a number of big, fluffy cygnets that we encountered as we walked along the tow path bordering the restored section of the Montgomery Canal
Today the path was quite flat for the first part following, as it did the Montgomery Canal tow path and then the embankment of the Severn River valley
In the bordering hills along this section of the Severn River, the Breiddon Hills is being quarried for road stones.
By this point, I was now into the rhythm of the walk along Offa’s Dyke Path and I was completely under the spell of the acorn markers! As I entered this field, I could discern a gate in the middle of the field and it looked like it had an acorn marker on one of its posts (which it did). It wasn’t until I got to about this point in the field that I realized that there was a gate but no fence. had to stop and take this photo and then I had to fight back the urge to go through the gate :-).
As I entered this field, I could discern a gate in the middle of the field and it looked like it had an acorn marker on one of its posts (which it did). It wasn’t until I got to about this point in the field that I realized that there was a gate but no fence. had to stop and take this photo and then I had to fight back the urge to go through the gate :-). 
The Pentre: This was our B&B accommodation for two nights on the Offa’s Dyke Path. Its location provides an excellent panoramic view of the Breiddon Hills and Long Mountain and the valley below. On the second night of our stay, Friday night, we were driven to a local pub where locals were preparing for a charity dart tournament. Lots of local flavour at an event like that. We ordered from the pub’s ‘nightly specials’ and benefited from ‘happy hour’ pricing on beverages so a full course meal, beverages and entertainment (if you like watching people throwing darts at a dart board) for just 10 pounds made it probably our best deal on the Path IMO – sorry can’t remember the name of the pub.
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