135 miles through the heart of Wales
Glyndŵr's Way is one of Wales's three National Trails, running 135 miles (217 km) from Knighton on the English border to Welshpool, by way of Machynlleth. It is named after Owain Glyndŵr, the last native Prince of Wales, whose parliament met in Machynlleth in 1404 — the town's Parliament House and our Owain Glyndŵr page tell that story. The trail's character is quite unlike the honeypot paths of the national parks: it climbs and drops constantly through hilly, rough and genuinely remote upland farm country, moorland and forest, where you can walk for hours without meeting another soul. That solitude is precisely its appeal. It can be walked in one push, year-round, or picked off in day sections — and because it passes straight through Machynlleth, this is the natural place to break the journey, restock and rest.
Foel Fadian — the roof of the route
The trail tops out at Foel Fadian, 510 m above sea level, in the wild country south-east of Machynlleth. From the high ground around the summit the reward is a long view down the Dulas valley to the town and, beyond it, the sea — one of the finest moments on the whole route. Close by, on the Machynlleth–Dylife mountain road, stands the Wynford Vaughan-Thomas memorial viewpoint, whose toposcope marks the panorama the broadcaster judged the best in Wales; the same road forms part of the 20-mile scenic drive between Llanidloes and Machynlleth via Llyn Clywedog. This is the most exposed stretch of the trail: the terrain is rough, the weather can turn quickly, and there are no services for miles, so treat it with the respect you would give any mountain walk.
Machynlleth as a base
Most of Glyndŵr's Way passes through hamlets and empty hills, which makes Machynlleth's amenities precious. The town has a station on the Cambrian Line with direct trains from Shrewsbury and Birmingham (see getting here), accommodation of every kind from bunkhouses to country-house hotels (where to stay), cafés, pubs and restaurants (eat & drink), and a street market every Wednesday under a charter granted in 1291. Trail walkers can post supplies ahead, take a rest day around the MOMA galleries and the town's independent shops, and rejoin the route from the town centre — the waymarks lead straight out of the streets and into the hills on both sides. The town repays a rest day in its own right: the 1874 clock tower, the Parliament House exhibition and a good spread of independent shops and galleries all sit within a few minutes' walk of the trail.
Day walks on the trail from town
You do not have to commit to nine days of walking to taste the trail. The easiest sampler heads east from Machynlleth along Glyndŵr's Way to the small village of Abercegir and back — rolling farmland, old lanes and wide Dyfi Valley views. A far bigger and wilder day climbs south-east out of town to Foel Fadian itself, taking in the trail's 510 m high point and returning the same way; start early and check the forecast. Westwards, the first steps of the route out of town coincide with the Wales Coast Path and pass the so-called Roman Steps — traditionally named, though a Roman origin is very unlikely. Our walking page gathers these and other shorter routes around the town, from the Llyfnant Valley to the Cors Dyfi boardwalk.
Practical Information
Glyndŵr's Way crosses remote country where villages, shops and mobile signal are all scarce, so plan each stage around where you can realistically get food and water. Carry full waterproofs, spare warm layers, a map and compass and enough supplies for the day — even in summer, Mid Wales weather is changeable and the higher sections around Foel Fadian are exposed. The trail is walkable year-round, though winter days are short and the ground is wetter. Machynlleth's railway station makes the town the most accessible point on the whole route for arriving without a car, and buses along the A487 corridor help link some sections — see getting around. Book accommodation ahead in high summer, when trail walkers and the town's festivals compete for beds. There are no shortcuts on a route like this: the hills are the point, and walkers who pace themselves, keep an eye on the sky and carry a little more than they think they need tend to finish wanting to come back.
The nine official stages
National Trails divides the route into nine stages and suggests around nine days at roughly fifteen miles a day, though it is walked in sections far more often than in one push. Machynlleth closes stage five and opens stage six.
- Knighton to Felindre — 15 miles (24 km)
- Felindre to Abbeycwmhir — 15.5 miles (25 km)
- Abbeycwmhir to Llanidloes — 15.5 miles (25 km)
- Llanidloes to Dylife — 14.5 miles (23.5 km)
- Dylife to Machynlleth — 14.5 miles (23.5 km)
- Machynlleth to Llanbrynmair — 16 miles (25.5 km)
- Llanbrynmair to Llanwddyn — 18 miles (29 km)
- Llanwddyn to Meifod — 15 miles (24 km)
- Meifod to Welshpool — 11 miles (17.5 km)
Waymarks, maps and who looks after the trail
Glyndŵr's Way was granted National Trail status in 2000, marking both the millennium and the six hundredth anniversary of Glyndŵr's rising of 1400. It is managed day to day by Powys County Council with Natural Resources Wales and Natural England, and signed with the National Trail acorn or the trail name on stiles, gates and posts, alongside a dragon logo of its own; yellow arrows mark footpaths, blue arrows bridleways. Even so, the official advice is to carry the relevant Ordnance Survey sheets and a compass, because the moorland stretches are easy to lose in mist. At Knighton the route meets the Offa's Dyke Path. National Trails publishes an accommodation list broken down by stage and recommends booking well ahead in the busy months. Much of the walking crosses grazed land, so dogs need a short lead near livestock, and on open access land they must be on a lead between 1 March and 31 July — see our dog-friendly guide.
Day trips