Walking with Offa
Walking with Offa is a cross border cooperation project between Welsh and English Local Action Groups, three Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, a National Park and local authorities whose territories include the border area along the Offa’s Dyke Path National Trail. The project commenced late 2011 and completed in late 2014.This project concentrated not just on the National Trail itself but the wider area called Offa’s Country.
The projects aim was to improve the economy and sustainability of the Welsh-English border area by developing and promoting the sustainable tourism experience, based on the high quality natural and cultural assets of Offa’s Country.
Powys County Council developed a series of ‘Walking with Offa’ digital trails to enhance the walking offer within Powys, and to provide users with an interactive and exciting opportunity to use new digital medias whilst exploring the countryside. The trails are all free to download for smart phones from both apple and android stores and are featured amongst others at www.trailsmidwales.co.uk
Infrastructure works were undertaken through the project to enhance and benefit areas that were highlighted along the corridor, to provide interpretation and comfort to visitors to the trails. Particular successes that have been well received by recipients have been the interpretive picnic benches that have an engraved map of the Offas Dyke Path carved into them, the benches were made locally from sustainable local woods and have been designed in a manner to complement and fit into the natural beauty of the surrounding countryside.
For more information contact: Samantha.bibb@powys.gov.uk
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