Scheduled MonumentsEnglandOffa's Dyke: section in Highbury Plains, 770m south west of Glyn Farm

Offa's Dyke: section in Highbury Plains, 770m south west of Glyn Farm

England
List entry 1020478
Nation
England
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Historic England (NHLE)

Overview

History & significance

Offa's Dyke is a linear earthwork that forms part of the celebrated defensive or demarcatory monument constructed during the reign of King Offa of Mercia in the late eighth century, most likely between 760 and 796. This particular section, located on Highbury Plains south west of Glyn Farm in Gloucestershire, comprises a substantial bank and ditch characteristic of the dyke's construction, and represents a surviving portion of what was originally a far more extensive frontier work stretching across the Welsh Marches. The monument is understood to have served as a territorial boundary between the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Mercia and Welsh principalities, though scholarly debate continues regarding whether its primary function was defensive, symbolic, or administrative in nature. This section retains sufficient archaeological integrity to contribute valuable evidence to understanding both the engineering capabilities and the geopolitical organisation of eighth-century Mercia.

Offa's Dyke: section in Highbury Plains, 770m south west of Glyn Farm is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1020478. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Offa's Dyke: section in Highbury Plains, 770m south west of Glyn Farm?

Offa's Dyke is a linear earthwork that forms part of the celebrated defensive or demarcatory monument constructed during the reign of King Offa of Mercia in the late eighth century, most likely between 760 and 796. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1020478.

Who is responsible for protecting Offa's Dyke: section in Highbury Plains, 770m south west of Glyn Farm?

Offa's Dyke: section in Highbury Plains, 770m south west of Glyn Farm is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic England (NHLE) — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in England. The official designation reference is 1020478.

What other scheduled monuments are near Offa's Dyke: section in Highbury Plains, 770m south west of Glyn Farm?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including St Mary's Church, Chapel Hill (8.5 km), Tintern Abbey, Precinct Wall (8.6 km), Offa's Dyke: section in Passage Grove, 660m west of Sheepcot (8.7 km).

Aubrey Research

Generate a full report for this location

Aubrey generates in-depth historical research for any address in Britain — drawing on scheduled monument data, Domesday records, Roman heritage, PAS finds and medieval history to reveal the complete story of a landscape.

Research the area around Offa's Dyke: section in Highbury Plains, 770m south west of Glyn Farm