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

• ESA6608 - Excavation of Offa's Dyke, Chirbury, Dudston Covert by D Hill & M Worthington (Ref: Site 156)
• ESA8485 - Excavation of Offa's Dyke, Lower Gwarthlow by D Hill & M Worthington (Ref: Site 157)
• ESA8727 - 2018 Heritage at Risk Survey by Historic England
• ESA8625 - 2014 Heritage at Risk Survey by Historic England
• ESA8621 - 2015 Heritage at Risk Survey by Historic England
• ESA8361 - 2016 Heritage at Risk Survey by Historic England
• ESA8362 - 2017 Heritage at Risk Survey by Historic England
• ESA9067 - 2019 Heritage at Risk Survey by Historic England

Description

Bank has a max height of 2.4m and a 1.2m counterscarp bank: pasture and largely wooded on W side. Fine stretch of dyke for the most part; a well preserved ditch, although intermittently it has been levelled due to ploughing, and sections are much reduced in height. <1>

Site 157 (SO 243 954) Investigated as part of search for evidence of gateways along Offa's Dyke. Excavation at a point where the bank and ditch to the south of the modern boundary were in good condition, with the western field boundary on the outer lip of the ditch and forming the modern boundary between England and Wales. A reduced bank and an apparently infilled ditch was recorded, with only a hint of its former width at the surface. The excavation was positioned in line with and close to the point where the open ditch to the south ended. A great deal of hard core was found in the upper layers and it was clear that this entrance had been much used in modern times. However, the eastern side of the ditch was located and it would seem that Offa's Dyke was continuous at this point in the past.
Site 156 (SO 237 967) Surface evidence indicated that the earlier line of the road passed through the gap in the Dyke as it could be traced to the east and west of the gap. The excavation encountered a considerable thickness of well-laid cobbles overlying a layer of smaller stone. Below this the western face of the ditch could be seen cut into the natural strong clays with silting within the ditch. The thickness of stone of the old road was greatest across the ditch, as one would expect. <2>

Sources

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