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)

Summary

Scheduled Monument: A well preserved section of Offa's Dyke, the 8th century Mercian boundary bank.

Related records

Associated Finds: None recorded

Associated Events: None recorded

Description

Scheduling of Scheduled Monument Salop 81 revised in 2004. Scheduling description: ->

-> The monument includes the buried and earthwork remains of a section of the linear boundary known as Offa's Dyke, 650m east of Cwm-sanaham. Offa's Dyke generally consists of a bank, up to 3.5m high, with an intermittent ditch and quarry pits in places. It was strengthened in some areas by additional earthworks, namely a berm between the bank and ditch and a counterscarp bank on the outer lip of the ditch. ->

-> In this section, the Dyke runs for some 1.5km through a steep ravine in its central part. This topography has caused difficulties in its construction, requiring the usual form of the Dyke to be modified. ->

-> At its northern end, the Dyke has been reduced by ploughing but is visible as a slight continuous rise in pasture as far as the crest of the west shoulder of Cwm-sanaham Hill. ->

-> Towards the central part of this section, the Dyke runs through the upper part of the ravine above Cwm-sanaham, and here the bank runs along the crest of a rocky outcrop as far as a gap made for farm traffic. The Dyke then continues as a terrace in the side of the hill where the current footpath runs along the line of the infilled ditch. Further south the Dyke is visible for 200m as a degraded bank and ditch with traces of the counterscarp bank. The Dyke in this southern section is 18m wide from the edge of the bank to the western edge of the counterscarp bank. The bank is about 1.5m high at its highest point. ->

-> Further sections of Offa's Dyke 220m to the north and immediately to the south are the subject of separate Schedulings. All fence posts, stiles and gates are excluded from the Scheduling, although the ground beneath them is included. <1>

Section of dyke photographed during aerial survey in 2009. <2><3>

<01> English Heritage, 2004, Scheduling Papers (Revised Scheduling, 15/04/2004) (Scheduled Monument notification). SSA22008.

<02> Shropshire Council, 2009-Jan-6, SA0901_154 to SA0901_156 (3 photos) Flight: 09_SA_01 (Oblique aerial photograph). SSA25928.

<03> Shropshire Council, 2009-Jan-6, SA0901_153 (1 photo) Flight: 09_SA_01 (Oblique aerial photograph). SSA25924.

Sources

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