Wats Dyke |
Hob Uid: 1038816 | |
Location : Shropshire Selattyn and Gobowen, St. Martin's, Oswestry Rural, Oswestry
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Grid Ref : SJ2970031300 |
Summary : The earthwork known as Wat's Dyke, which stretches for roughly 38 miles from Morda Brook in Shropshire northwards to Basingwerk-on-Dee. Wat's Dyke lies to the east of Offa's Dyke, and its northern section, beyond the end of Offa's Dyke, stands alone as the early border with Wales. Forming the frontier boundary of Mercia, this largely continuous earthwork was constructed by King Aethelbald between 716 to 757. |
More information : Wat's Dyke is an early frontier earthwork of Mercia extending from the estuary of the Dee at Basingwerk, Flintshire (now Clwyd) to the Morda brook at Maesbury Mill, Shropshire, a distance of 38 miles. It is roughly parallel on the east to the northern sector of Offa's Dyke (LINEAR 333) and is uniform in character, a single rampart and a ditch to the west, representing a single design and construction by King Aethelbald (716-757), the predecessor of Offa. Detailed field survey by Sir Cyril Fox in 1934. (1)
[Ordnance Survey Linear Archive File in RCAHMW Aberystwyth] (2)
Until recently an 8th-century date for Wat's Dyke has been widely accepted. That date is now disputed on the basis of new evidence, which suggests that it was built either during the reigns of Cenwulf and Ceolwulf (AD 796-823) or Wiglaf (AD 830s). Luminescence dates from the fill of the ditch at Gobowen further imply that the process of filling started in the early 9th century. (3) |