© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Cadw
Offa's Dyke: Section extending through Great Ffrydd Wood 1693m S to footpath leading to Woodhouse Lane is an early medieval linear earthwork constructed during the reign of King Offa of Mercia in the late 8th century. This particular section runs through Great Ffrydd Wood, where the underlying Ludlow Rocks—a bedrock of mudstone, siltstone and sandstone—would have presented formidable challenges during its construction. The dyke stretches for 1693 metres southward through the woodland to the footpath that leads toward Woodhouse Lane, forming part of the most substantial surviving stretch of what was once a frontier work extending across the Welsh-English border.
This section's preservation within woodland has protected it from later disturbance, allowing the characteristic earthwork profile to remain largely intact. The substantial embankment and ditch configuration, created by moving vast quantities of upcast material, remains visible today as a commanding feature across the landscape. The monument demonstrates the sophisticated engineering capabilities of early medieval Mercia and its determination to establish territorial control along contested borderlands.
The site is protected by Cadw under reference RD017, recognising its significance as a scheduled monument and a crucial element of one of Britain's most important early medieval monuments.
Offa's Dyke: Section extending through Great Ffrydd Wood 1693m S to footpath leading to Woodhouse Lane is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference RD017. View the official record →
Offa's Dyke: Section extending through Great Ffrydd Wood 1693m S to footpath leading to Woodhouse Lane is an early medieval linear earthwork constructed during the reign of King Offa of Mercia in the late 8th century. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference RD017.
Offa's Dyke: Section extending through Great Ffrydd Wood 1693m S to footpath leading to Woodhouse Lane 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 through Great Ffrydd Wood 1693m S to footpath leading to Woodhouse Lane 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 RD017.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Mound & Bailey Castle 360m ESE of St Peter's Church (8.1 km), Barland Motte and Bailey (8.7 km), Offa's Dyke: Section from Granner Wood to Burfa (8.8 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Offa's Dyke: Section extending through Great Ffrydd Wood 1693m S to footpath leading to Woodhouse Lane'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 through Great Ffrydd Wood 1693m S to footpath leading to Woodhouse Lane stands on Ludlow Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Ludlow. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.