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First World War Practice Trenches at Bodelwyddan Park is a post-medieval and modern military monument consisting of training earthworks constructed during the First World War. The trenches were dug into the parkland landscape to prepare soldiers for combat conditions on the Western Front, representing a critical phase of military preparation during the conflict. Their preservation within the park demonstrates the significance of rear-area training infrastructure to the war effort.
The site lies on Dinantian bedrock comprising limestone with subordinate sandstone and argillaceous rocks, geology that would have presented particular challenges for trench construction. These underlying strata, formed during the Mississippian period, would have required significant labour to excavate, and their mixed composition of softer and harder materials meant the trenches' walls would have demanded careful reinforcement to prevent collapse. The limestone particularly would have influenced digging techniques and the structural stability of the practice works.
Today the trenches remain visible features within the Bodelwyddan Park landscape, preserved as evidence of the extensive preparation undertaken to train the armies of the First World War. The site is protected by Cadw under reference FL186, ensuring that these earthwork remnants continue to document an important aspect of early twentieth-century military history and the civilian landscape's role in supporting the conflict.
First World War Practice Trenches at Bodelwyddan Park is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference FL186. View the official record →
First World War Practice Trenches at Bodelwyddan Park is a post-medieval and modern military monument consisting of training earthworks constructed during the First World War. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference FL186.
First World War Practice Trenches at Bodelwyddan Park dates from the post medieval/modern period, and is classified as a practice trench. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
First World War Practice Trenches at Bodelwyddan Park is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Cadw — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Wales. The official designation reference is FL186.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including New Foxhall Dovecot (7.7 km), Old Foxhall Round Barrow (7.9 km), Old Foxhall Earth Circle (7.9 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of First World War Practice Trenches at Bodelwyddan Park's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
First World War Practice Trenches at Bodelwyddan Park stands on Dinantian Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Mississippian. The rock here is limestone with subordinate sandstone and argillaceous rocks.