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Offa's Dyke: Section extending 380m from Burfa is an early medieval linear earthwork that forms part of the longest archaeological monument in Britain. This impressive defensive bank and ditch runs through the Welsh borderlands, constructed during the late eighth century as a boundary marker between the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Mercia and the Welsh kingdoms to the west. The earthwork's substantial physical presence remained a dominant feature of the landscape for over a thousand years.
This particular 380-metre section lies near Burfa in Wales, where the underlying geology comprises Wenlock Rocks—mudstone, siltstone and sandstone deposits from the Silurian period. These solid foundations provided a stable base for the earthwork's construction. The durable bedrock has helped preserve the dyke's structure through centuries of weathering, though the surrounding landscape and vegetation patterns continue to reveal the monument's original course and engineering.
The section is protected by Cadw, the Welsh heritage organisation, and registered under reference RD024. As a scheduled monument, it remains a key testimony to early medieval political geography and engineering capability, offering insights into border maintenance and territorial control during a formative period in British history. Visitors following the dyke's line can trace the ambitions of King Offa and the complex relationships between English and Welsh powers.
Offa's Dyke: Section extending 380m from Burfa is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference RD024. View the official record →
Offa's Dyke: Section extending 380m from Burfa is an early medieval linear earthwork that forms part of the longest archaeological monument in Britain. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference RD024.
Offa's Dyke: Section extending 380m from Burfa 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 extending 380m from Burfa 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 RD024.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Castle Twts (5.7 km), Mound S of Woodbrook (7.2 km), Offa's Dyke: the section E of Garden Wood, extending SE 85yds (80m) (7.8 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Offa's Dyke: Section extending 380m from Burfa'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 extending 380m from Burfa stands on Wenlock Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Wenlock. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.