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

• ESA6373 - 2009 WB on Offa's Dyke by SCAS
• ESA6605 - Excavation of Offa's Dyke, Carreg-y-big, Selattyn by D Hill & M Worthington (Ref: Site 74)
• ESA8533 - 2018 WB on installation of footpath furniture on Offa's Dyke Path at Selattyn Lodge, Selattyn by SCAS (Ref: ODP18 SL)
• ESA6384 - 2003 WB on Offa's Dyke at Orseddwen by CPAT

Description

Bank up to 10ft. High to W. and 6ft. to E. with ditch and counterscarp up to 6ft. Fence on top. Pasture and thorns and some young beech. In places the ditch has been overdeepened for field drainage. <1>

Watching brief carried out on this section of the dyke, Orseddwen, SJ 2514 3352, in 2009 on the replacement of path furniture. No archaeological remains recorded. <2>

A watching brief was undertaken along Offa's Dyke path at Selattyn Lodge, Selattyn, in 2018, in association with the installation of footpath furniture, at c. SJ 2520 3315. The work here involved the replacement of a stile on top of the dyke bank, and a series of deposits corresponding with the dyke bank were recorded. No other archaeological features were observed. <3>

Excavation revealed that the remains of the original bank were less substantial than appeared from the surface, as there was upcast, probably from the cleaning out of a nearby drainage ditch, on the eastern side. Beneath this and to the west, the original bank remained to a height of 1.5m and a minimum of 5.5m in width; the front of the bank and its relationship with the ditch was not explored. Towards the front of the bank a low mound of yellow clay with stone was interpreted as a marking out bank. <4>

In 2003 a photographic survey was undertaken before, during and after the installation of new path furniture, a retaining wall and a foot bridge along the Offa's Dyke Path, south of Orseddwen at SJ251335.At this location, the rampart of Offa’s Dyke is generally well preserved, serving as a modern field boundary. Before the works were carried out it was noted that where the path migrates onto the dyke bank, it was associated with some erosion, exacerbated by tree roots/shading, and the gradient either side of the stream. On the eastern flank of the rampart evidence of prior disturbance associated with old field boundary/fencing arrangements was apparent. Disturbance associated with the stile on top of the bank was noted in the form of localised erosion pinch-points at the step off areas, exacerbated by stock rubbing against the stile.<5>

Section of dyke photographed during aerial survey in 2009. <6>

<01> Department of the Environment (DoE), 1989-Aug-21, Scheduled Monument Notification SA243 Offa's Dyke: section 1300yds (1190m) long, N from Careg-y-Big (Scheduled Monument notification). SSA29749.

<02> Hannaford Hugh R, 2009, A watching brief on the installation of new path furniture along Offa's Dyke Path, Shropshire (Watching brief report). SSA23440.

<03> Hannaford Hugh R, 2018, A watching brief on the installation of new path furniture on Offa's Dyke Path at Lower Mount, Mardu and Selattyn Lodge, Selattyn, Shropshire (Watching brief report). SSA29972.

<04> Hill D & Worthington M, 2003, Offa's Dyke: history & guide, p75-76 Site 74 (Manuscript). SSA23865.

<05> Babty I, 2003, SMC Batch 14 (Schedule of works and photographic survey) (Field survey report). SSA23459.

<06> Shropshire Council, 2009-Mar-29, SA0907_127 to SA0907_130 (4 photos) Flight: 09_SA_07 (Oblique aerial photograph). SSA26237.

Sources

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