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Offa's Dyke: Section at Pentre Farm is an early medieval linear earthwork that forms part of the substantial defensive or territorial boundary constructed along the Anglo-Welsh border during the 8th century. This section, protected by Cadw under reference MG217, survives as an upstanding bank and ditch that cuts across the landscape of Wales. The dyke represents one of the most ambitious earthwork projects of the Saxon period, extending across challenging topography to mark a frontier between the Kingdom of Mercia and Welsh territories.
At Pentre Farm, the monument is founded upon Wenlock Rocks of undifferentiated mudstone, siltstone and sandstone, geology that presented both construction challenges and advantages to the builders. The underlying Wenlock strata, formed in marine environments during the Silurian period, provided stable bedrock, though the workable sedimentary layers would have required labour-intensive effort to cut and move to construct the substantial earthwork.
The section remains visible today as a prominent feature of the borderland landscape, its linear course demonstrating the deliberate engineering of its creation. As part of Offa's Dyke's continuous system, this monument preserves evidence of early medieval territorial ambition and the resources commanded by Mercian authority during this transformative period in British history.
Offa's Dyke: Section at Pentre Farm is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference MG217. View the official record →
Offa's Dyke: Section at Pentre Farm is an early medieval linear earthwork that forms part of the substantial defensive or territorial boundary constructed along the Anglo-Welsh border during the 8th century. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference MG217.
Offa's Dyke: Section at Pentre Farm dates from the early medieval period, and is classified as a linear earthwork. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Offa's Dyke: Section at Pentre Farm 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 MG217.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Motte castle at the south end of East Dudston hamlet (8.6 km), Offa's Dyke: section 430yds (390m) in length S of Chirbury-Montgomery road (8.9 km), Montgomery Castle (9.6 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Offa's Dyke: Section at Pentre Farm'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.
Offa's Dyke: Section at Pentre Farm stands on Wenlock Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Wenlock. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.