Monument Type(s):

• BOUNDARY BANK (Early Saxon to Mid Saxon - 410 AD to 800 AD)
• DYKE (DEFENCE) (Early Saxon to Mid Saxon - 410 AD to 800 AD)
• FRONTIER DEFENCE (Early Saxon to Mid Saxon - 410 AD to 800 AD)
• QUARRY (Early Saxon to Mid Saxon - 410 AD to 800 AD)

Summary

Scheduled Monument: A well preserved section of Offa's Dyke, the 8th century Mercian boundary bank, which (rather unusually for the Shropshire sections of the Dyke) also preserves quarries from which some of the Dyke material was dug.

Related records

Associated Finds: None recorded

Associated Events

• ESA6373 - 2009 WB on Offa's Dyke by SCAS
• ESA6667 - 2010 WB on Offa's Dyke by SCAS
• ESA6697 - 2011 WB along Offa's Dyke at Churchtown, Edenhope Hill and Selley Hall by SCAS
• ESA9067 - 2019 Heritage at Risk Survey by Historic England

Description

Scheduling of Scheduled Monument Salop 80 revised in 2004. This new section defined. Scheduling description: ->

-> The monument includes the earthwork and buried remains of a section of the linear boundary known as Offa's Dyke. It lies within two separate areas of protection, 400m north and 170m east of Selley Hall. Offa's Dyke generally consists of a bank up to 3.5m high with an intermittent parallel ditch and quarry pits in places. It was strengthened in some areas by additional earthworks, namely a berm and a counterscarp bank on the outer lip of the ditch. ->

-> In this section the Dyke runs for 850m from the south side of the road south of Garbett Hall to the farmyard at Brynorgan. At the monument's northern end, within the first area of protection, the bank and ditch are visible for 35m before being crossed by a stream. No remains of the Dyke have been identified in the stream bed and this area is not included in the Scheduling. Beyond the stream and 25m further south within the second area, the defences are visible as a broad bank and ditch with a counterscarp bank clearly visible, although somewhat reduced by ploughing. In places the bank takes the form of a terrace because of hillwash and the steepness of the slope. Immediately to the east of the bank are a number of quarry pits which provided additional material for the bank in places. These quarry pits are included in the Scheduling to preserve their relationship with the Dyke. ->

-> The Dyke is crossed by the road to Brynorgan. Although the bank has been reduced in this area, both it and the ditch will survive as buried features. Beyond this road, a farm trackway follows the Dyke on the east side, slightly modifying the bank which is visible as a slight berm. On the opposite side of the track to the west the ditch and counterscarp are clearly defined. The Dyke is then visible as an earthwork immediately west of Brynorgan for some 80m beyond which it has been destroyed by a small quarry pit. ->

-> Further sections of Offa's Dyke 40m to the north and 40m to the south are the subject of separate Schedulings. All fence posts, gates and the surface of the farmtrack to Brynorgan and the road to Selley Cross are excluded from the Scheduling, although the ground beneath them is included. ->

-> This section of the Dyke survives well, despite some erosion by ploughing, and preserves quarry pits which are less common in the Shropshire sections of the Dyke <1>

A watching brief was carried out in 2009 during the installation of new path furniture in 2009 along this stretch of Offa's Dyke located at Selley Hall SO 2666 7660, no significant archaeological features or deposits were located in the excavations. <2>

A watching brief was carried out in 2010 during the installation of new path furniture in 2010 located at SO 2666 7660 (Brynorgan A; ODP10-Bn-A) no significant archaeological deposits were located in the excavations for the new furniture. A watching brief was also carried out at SO 2675 7639 (Brynorgan B; ODP10-Bn-B). <3>

In 2011 a watching brief was undertaken on the installation of new path furniture at a number of sites along the Offa’s Dyke Path; this involved the installation of gates replacing stiles at three locations within this stretch of the dyke; at Selley Hall A (ODP11 SH-A; SO 2663 7660), Selley Hall B (ODP11 SH-B; SO 2657 7675) and at Selley Hall D (ODP11 SH-C; SO 2642 7699). At Selley Hall B deposits associated with the bank element of the dyke were recorded as as layer of sandy loam up to 0.3m thick, overlain by a similar stone-free deposit up to 0.35m thick, overlaying the natural geology. Otherwise, no significant archaeological deposits were located in the excavations for other new furniture along this stretch of the dyke. <4>

Section of dyke photographed during aerial survey in 2009. <5>

Sources

Search results generated by the HBSMR Gateway from exeGesIS SDM Ltd.