Offa's Dyke: Section extending 2143m S from The Firs, Rhos-y-Meirch

Cadw's description

Summary description and reason for designation

The following provides a general description of the scheduled monument.

The monument consists of a linear earthwork, a substantial bank and ditch forming a major boundary between two adjacent landholdings. It runs roughly along the border between modern England and Wales. It is traditionally thought to have been built by the Mercian King Offa in the later 8th century, but recent excavations on a section near Chirk suggest that work may have begun at least two centuries earlier than this. The remains included in this stretch consist for the most part of a bank standing about 1m high. For most of the stretch, it runs along a line with good views to the west and a gentle slope in that direction. The slope makes a western ditch unnecessary, and one is only clearly visible for 400m or so towards the northern end of the stretch, though there are hints elsewhere. There are however, a number of points, particularly towards the northern end and around SO 2870 6815, where there are clear traces of an eastern ditch, suggesting that the bank was constructed by moving the quarried material downhill, a more efficient technique on this terrain.

The monument is of national importance for its potential to enhance our knowledge of early medieval defensive organisation and settlement. It retains significant archaeological potential, with a strong probability of the presence of associated archaeological features and deposits. The remains form part of the record of the line of the earthwork, and their importance is further enhanced by their group value.

The scheduled area comprises the remains described and areas around them within which related evidence may be expected to survive.