Marches Way
Encyclopedia
The Marches Way is a partially waymarked long distance footpath in the United Kingdom
. It runs 351 kilometres / 218 miles through the Welsh
–English
borderlands, traditionally known as the Welsh Marches
and links the cities of Chester
in the north and Cardiff
in the south.
and then follows the valley of the River Dee, Wales
southwards before turning east into Malpas, Cheshire
and down to Whitchurch, Shropshire
before roughly following the B5476 road south to Shrewsbury
via Wem
. Once past Shrewsbury, the path scales the Long Mynd
before entering Church Stretton
and the Wenlock Edge
before entering Craven Arms
, where one has excellent views of Flounder's Folly
. The path then passes Stokesay Castle
as it heads towards Ludlow
. From Ludlow the route winds through the Mortimer Forest
as it heads towards Leominster
. From here the path climbs Dinmore Hill
, crossing the A49 road
as it navigates towards Hereford
. The path passes through the town centre of Hereford, picking up the River Wye
before heading towards Abbey Dore
and Abergavenny
where the path skirts the outer edge of the Brecon Beacons
National Park, climbing and running along the ridge of the Skirrid mountain. The way then follows the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal to Pontypool
before heading towards Caerleon
and Newport
via the Llandegfedd Reservoir
. The path then heads towards its end point at Cardiff Central Railway Station
via Caerphilly Common and Castell Coch
at Tongwynlais.
It links many of the most important historic sites on both sides of the border, drawing together the history from Roman
times, passing through two important Roman forts (Isca Augusta
and Burrium
), and the turbulent medieval periods when the border lands were contentious power bases vied over by Marcher Lords
, Welsh princes and the scenes of rebellions, bloodletting and political power-broking by many of the regions historical characters.
The terrain of the footpath varies greatly as it proceeds from Chester to Cardiff, passing through the flat Cheshire Plain
to the steep Shropshire Hills and the mountains of South Wales
. The path passes through many woods, forests, river banks and farmland along its journey.
The route is only waymarked in Cheshire with black and white waymarker discs.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. It runs 351 kilometres / 218 miles through the Welsh
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
–English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
borderlands, traditionally known as the Welsh Marches
Welsh Marches
The Welsh Marches is a term which, in modern usage, denotes an imprecisely defined area along and around the border between England and Wales in the United Kingdom. The precise meaning of the term has varied at different periods...
and links the cities of Chester
Chester
Chester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
in the north and Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
in the south.
The route
The route starts at Chester at Chester railway stationChester railway station
Chester railway station is a railway station in Newtown in the city of Chester, England. It is currently operated by Arriva Trains Wales, although Merseyrail, Northern Rail and Virgin Trains also run services from the station. It is situated to the north-east of the city centre...
and then follows the valley of the River Dee, Wales
River Dee, Wales
The River Dee is a long river in the United Kingdom. It travels through Wales and England and also forms part of the border between the two countries....
southwards before turning east into Malpas, Cheshire
Malpas, Cheshire
Malpas is a large village which used to be a market town, and it is also a civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. The parish lies on the border with Shropshire and Wales...
and down to Whitchurch, Shropshire
Whitchurch, Shropshire
Whitchurch is a market town in Shropshire, England on the border between England and Wales. It is the oldest continuously inhabited town in Shropshire. According to the 2001 Census, the population of the town is 8,673, with a more recent estimate putting the population of the town at 8,934...
before roughly following the B5476 road south to Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury is the county town of Shropshire, in the West Midlands region of England. Lying on the River Severn, it is a civil parish home to some 70,000 inhabitants, and is the primary settlement and headquarters of Shropshire Council...
via Wem
Wem
Wem is a small market town in Shropshire, England. It is the administrative centre for the northern area committee of Shropshire Council, which has its headquarters at Edinburgh House in the centre of Wem. Wem railway station is on the Shrewsbury to Crewe railway line...
. Once past Shrewsbury, the path scales the Long Mynd
Long Mynd
The Long Mynd in Shropshire, England, is a part of the Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It is south of the county town Shrewsbury, and has an area of over 22 square kilometres , most of which takes the form of a heathland plateau. Most of the land on the Long Mynd is owned by...
before entering Church Stretton
Church Stretton
Church Stretton is a small town and civil parish in Shropshire, England. The population of the town was recorded as 2,789 in 2001, whilst the population of the wider parish was recorded as 4,186...
and the Wenlock Edge
Wenlock Edge
Wenlock Edge is a limestone escarpment near Much Wenlock, Shropshire, England. It is long and runs from South West to North East between Craven Arms and Much Wenlock. It is roughly 330 metres high...
before entering Craven Arms
Craven Arms
Craven Arms is a small town and civil parish in Shropshire, England, located on the A49 road and the Welsh Marches railway line, which connect it north and south to the larger towns of Shrewsbury and Ludlow respectively. The Heart of Wales railway line joins the Welsh Marches line at Craven Arms...
, where one has excellent views of Flounder's Folly
Flounder's Folly
Flounders' Folly is a tower, built in 1838, on Callow Hill, between Craven Arms and Ludlow, Shropshire, England. The tower is approximately tall and square and is clearly visible from the Cardiff-Crewe railway line, just north of Craven Arms and also from the busy A49 Shrewsbury to Hereford road...
. The path then passes Stokesay Castle
Stokesay Castle
Stokesay Castle is a fortified manor house in Stokesay, a mile south of the town of Craven Arms, in southern Shropshire. It was built in the late 13th century...
as it heads towards Ludlow
Ludlow
Ludlow is a market town in Shropshire, England close to the Welsh border and in the Welsh Marches. It lies within a bend of the River Teme, on its eastern bank, forming an area of and centred on a small hill. Atop this hill is the site of Ludlow Castle and the market place...
. From Ludlow the route winds through the Mortimer Forest
Mortimer Forest
Mortimer Forest is a forest on the Shropshire/Herefordshire border in England, near the town of Ludlow.-History:Mortimer Forest was an ancient hunting forest, like similar areas including Bircher Common...
as it heads towards Leominster
Leominster
Leominster is a market town in Herefordshire, England, located approximately north of the city of Hereford and south of Ludlow, at...
. From here the path climbs Dinmore Hill
Dinmore Hill
Dinmore Hill rises steeply above the River Lugg in Herefordshire, England and is effectively the prominent eastern ridge of an area of high ground which reaches a height of 236m at Birley Hill some 4 to 5km to the west...
, crossing the A49 road
A49 road
The A49 is a major road in western England, which traverses the Welsh Marches region. It runs north from Ross-on-Wye in Herefordshire via Hereford, Leominster, Ludlow, Shrewsbury and Whitchurch, then continues through central Cheshire to Warrington and Wigan before terminating at its junction with...
as it navigates towards Hereford
Hereford
Hereford is a cathedral city, civil parish and county town of Herefordshire, England. It lies on the River Wye, approximately east of the border with Wales, southwest of Worcester, and northwest of Gloucester...
. The path passes through the town centre of Hereford, picking up the River Wye
River Wye
The River Wye is the fifth-longest river in the UK and for parts of its length forms part of the border between England and Wales. It is important for nature conservation and recreation.-Description:...
before heading towards Abbey Dore
Abbey Dore
Abbey Dore is a village and civil parish in Herefordshire, England, known for Dore Abbey, a 12th century Cistercian abbey, expanded in the 13th century. The village is situated in the Golden Valley, and has a population of 342. Abbey Dore Court has large gardens open to the public in spring and...
and Abergavenny
Abergavenny
Abergavenny , meaning Mouth of the River Gavenny, is a market town in Monmouthshire, Wales. It is located 15 miles west of Monmouth on the A40 and A465 roads, 6 miles from the English border. Originally the site of a Roman fort, Gobannium, it became a medieval walled town within the Welsh Marches...
where the path skirts the outer edge of the Brecon Beacons
Brecon Beacons
The Brecon Beacons is a mountain range in South Wales. In a narrow sense, the name refers to the range of popular peaks south of Brecon, including South Wales' highest mountain, Pen y Fan, and which together form the central section of the Brecon Beacons National Park...
National Park, climbing and running along the ridge of the Skirrid mountain. The way then follows the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal to Pontypool
Pontypool
Pontypool is a town of approximately 36,000 people in the county borough of Torfaen, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire in South Wales....
before heading towards Caerleon
Caerleon
Caerleon is a suburban village and community, situated on the River Usk in the northern outskirts of the city of Newport, South Wales. Caerleon is a site of archaeological importance, being the site of a notable Roman legionary fortress, Isca Augusta, and an Iron Age hill fort...
and Newport
Newport
Newport is a city and unitary authority area in Wales. Standing on the banks of the River Usk, it is located about east of Cardiff and is the largest urban area within the historic county boundaries of Monmouthshire and the preserved county of Gwent...
via the Llandegfedd Reservoir
Llandegfedd Reservoir
Llandegfedd Reservoir is a large 174 hectare water supply reservoir and is eight miles north of Newport in south Wales. The reservoir is very close to Pontypool, Cwmbran and Usk.-History:...
. The path then heads towards its end point at Cardiff Central Railway Station
Cardiff Central railway station
Cardiff Central railway station is a major railway station on the South Wales Main Line in Cardiff, Wales.It is the largest and busiest station in Wales and one of the major stations of the British rail network, the tenth busiest station in the United Kingdom outside of London , based on 2007/08...
via Caerphilly Common and Castell Coch
Castell Coch
Castell Coch is a 19th-century Gothic Revival castle built on the remains of a genuine 13th-century fortification. It is situated on a steep hillside high above the village of Tongwynlais, to the north of Cardiff in Wales, and is a Grade I listed building as of 28 January 1963.Designed by William...
at Tongwynlais.
It links many of the most important historic sites on both sides of the border, drawing together the history from Roman
Roman Britain
Roman Britain was the part of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire from AD 43 until ca. AD 410.The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia...
times, passing through two important Roman forts (Isca Augusta
Isca Augusta
Isca Augusta was a Roman legionary fortress and settlement, the remains of which lie beneath parts of the present-day village of Caerleon on the northern outskirts of the city of Newport in South Wales.-Name:...
and Burrium
Burrium
Burrium was a legionary fortress in the Roman province of Britannia Superior or Roman Britain.Its remains today lie beneath the town of Usk in Monmouthshire....
), and the turbulent medieval periods when the border lands were contentious power bases vied over by Marcher Lords
Marcher Lords
A Marcher Lord was a strong and trusted noble appointed by the King of England to guard the border between England and Wales.A Marcher Lord is the English equivalent of a margrave...
, Welsh princes and the scenes of rebellions, bloodletting and political power-broking by many of the regions historical characters.
The terrain of the footpath varies greatly as it proceeds from Chester to Cardiff, passing through the flat Cheshire Plain
Cheshire Plain
The Cheshire Plain is a relatively flat expanse of lowland situated almost entirely within the county of Cheshire in northwest England. It is bounded by the hills of North Wales to the west, and the Peak District of Derbyshire and North Staffordshire to the east and southeast...
to the steep Shropshire Hills and the mountains of South Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
. The path passes through many woods, forests, river banks and farmland along its journey.
The route is only waymarked in Cheshire with black and white waymarker discs.
Linked footpaths
The route crosses many different trails along its 218 miles including:- The Baker WayBaker WayThe Baker Way is a footpath running from Chester railway station to Delamere railway station within the English county of Cheshire. The total length of the trail is .-The route:...
at Chester Railway Station - The Sandstone TrailSandstone TrailThe Sandstone Trail is a long-distance walkers' path, following sandstone ridges running north–south from Frodsham in central Cheshire to Whitchurch just over the Shropshire border. The path was created in 1974 and extended in the 1990s...
at Tushingham (going past Old St. Chads Chapel) - The Maelor WayMaelor WayMaelor Way is a key long distance footpath, running 38 kilometres / 24 miles from the Offa's Dyke Path National Trail at Bronygarth to the Shropshire Way, Sandstone Trail, Llangollen Canal, South Cheshire Way, and the Marches Way all at Grindley Brook near Whitchurch.- The route :Most of the way is...
and South Cheshire WaySouth Cheshire WayThe South Cheshire Way is a long-distance footpath running east–west mainly through Cheshire, England, though parts lie in Shropshire and Staffordshire. The western section from Grindley Brook, near Whitchurch, runs through farmland; the eastern section from Mow Cop, near Biddulph, runs through...
at Grindley Brook - The Shropshire WayShropshire WayThe Shropshire Way is a waymarked long distance footpath running through the English county of Shropshire. It runs 224 kilometres / 139 miles around the interior of the county in a large loop.- The Waymarked Route :...
at various points in Shropshire - The Mortimer TrailMortimer TrailMortimer Trail is a waymarked long distance footpath and recreational walk in the counties of Shropshire and Herefordshire in England.- The route :...
in the Mortimer Forest, Herefordshire - The Black and White Trail at Leominster.
- The Herefordshire TrailHerefordshire TrailThe Herefordshire Trail is a long distance footpath forming a circular walk in the English county of Herefordshire.- Route & Distance :The Herefordshire Trail runs for 154 miles and forms a circular tour of the county of Herefordshire....
at various points in Herefordshire - The Offa's Dyke PathOffa's Dyke PathOffa's Dyke Path is a long distance footpath along the Welsh-English border. Opened in 1971, it is one of Britain's premier National Trails and draws walkers from throughout the world...
and the Beacons Way at Pandy - The Taff TrailTaff TrailThe Taff Trail is a popular walking and cycle path that runs for between Cardiff Bay and Brecon in Wales. It is named so because it follows the course of the River Taff...
at Tongwynlais, Cardiff
Mapping
The Marches Way was removed from the Ordnance Survey map series in 2004 after only being detailed on these particular maps for approximately 5 years. The Ordnance Survey maps which included the Marches Way between 1999 and 2004 were:- OS Explorer OL13 - Brecon Beacons National Park (East)
- OS Explorer 151 - Cardiff and Bridgend
- OS Explorer 152 - Newport and Pontypool
- OS Explorer 166 - Rhondda and Merthyr Tydfil
- OS Explorer 189 - Hereford and Ross-on-Wye
- OS Explorer 202 - Leominster and Bromyard
- OS Explorer 203 - Ludlow, Tenbury Wells and Cleobury Mortimer
- OS Explorer 217 - The Long Mynd and Wenlock Edge
- OS Explorer 241 - Shrewsbury
- OS Explorer 257 - Crewe and Nantwich
- OS Explorer 266 - Chester and the Wirral
- OS Landranger 117 - Chester and Wrexham
- OS Landranger 126 - Shrewsbury and Oswestry
- OS Landranger 137 - Church Stretton and Ludlow
- OS Landranger 138 - Kidderminster and Wyre Forest
- OS Landranger 148 - Presteigne and Hay-on-Wye
- OS Landranger 149 - Hereford and Leominster
- OS Landranger 161 - The Black Mountains
- OS Landranger 171 - Cardiff and Newport
Misconception about the Length of the Footpath
The Marches Way footpath is often specified as being 204 miles in length. This is not so. The actual distance from start to finish is 218 miles. This error is believed to have been started in the footpath guide by Les Lumsdon where a simple arithmetic error has been made; if one adds up all the distances of each section of the walk, the sum totals to 218 miles. This error has then spread throughout other publications since the walk is not often walked and even more rarely its distance measured accurately. This distance error has also been confirmed by accurate GPS data collected during the walk, showing a total distance of 218 miles.External links
- The Ramblers Association - basic info on the Marches Way
- Photo of the trail near the Old School, Llanhennock, Monmouthshire
- Photo on the bank of the River Dee