This trail is a 13 mile circuit of Oswestry, Shropshire. The trail includes many historical points of interest including the Old Race Course & the Iron Age Hill Fort. It’s a National Trail that runs alongside the English/Welsh border. The trail is divided into five sections, making it possible to walk it in stages.
Staged Route – https://www.visitoswestry.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Oswalds-Trail-booklet.pdf
Main Route – https://www.shropshiresgreatoutdoors.co.uk/route/oswalds-trail/
Highlights of Oswald’s Trail
The Welsh and English landscapes are both spectacular and rewardingly rich in history and nature. At the racecourse viewpoint, 304m above sea-level, it provides great views across the Shropshire plain and into the Welsh hills.
The Old Racecourse – An 18th-century course set on a high plateau. It has viewpoints giving excellent views over England and Wales. By the eighteenth century the area was being used for racing horses, with one of the reasons for the race meetings being to bring together the local landowners and gentry of Wales and England. Signs of this historic use are still evident. Much of the figure of eight racetrack forms the main walking route around the site. The remains of the grandstand are still present.
Old Oswestry Hill Fort – An impressive Iron Age hillfort. Old Oswestry is one of Britain’s most spectacular and impressive early Iron Age hill forts in the Welsh Marches near Oswestry. Old Oswestry Hillfort is reputed as “The Stonehenge of the Iron Age Period”. It remains one of the best-preserved hill forts in the UK, according to English Heritage. Built on lower ground, it is also one of the most accessible hill forts with stunning panoramic views across North Wales, Cheshire and Shropshire.
Accommodation Pick up/ Collection – Oswald’s Trail passes through the Old Race Course & the Old Hill Fort close to Oswestry town. If you are on this walking route, we are happy to pick you up for a cosy night(s) stay in our Bunkhouse or one of our Shepherd Huts.
We are quality assured by Visit Wales and we would love to be the base for your adventures!
