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Offa's Dyke: Section N & S of the Circle on Holywell Racecourse is an early medieval linear earthwork protected by Cadw. The monument comprises sections of the famous dyke running north and south of a circular earthwork on the racecourse at Holywell in Wales. Built in the late eighth century as a boundary between Mercia and Wales, the dyke represents one of the most substantial engineering projects of the Anglo-Saxon period. It took the form of a substantial bank with an accompanying ditch, following the contours of the landscape to define territorial limits across challenging terrain.
The earthwork sits upon Dinantian limestone bedrock interspersed with sandstone and argillaceous rocks, geology that would have shaped construction techniques and the dyke's precise routing. At this location, the monument comprises not only sections of the linear dyke itself but also a circular earthwork and associated round barrow, features that suggest complex land use in this part of the frontier zone. The preservation of these interconnected features makes this section significant for understanding both the primary linear defences and secondary settlement or ceremonial structures in the vicinity of the major dyke system.
Offa's Dyke:Section N & S of the Circle on Holywell Racecourse, and Circle and Round Barrow is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference FL006. View the official record →
Offa's Dyke: Section N & S of the Circle on Holywell Racecourse is an early medieval linear earthwork protected by Cadw. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference FL006.
Offa's Dyke:Section N & S of the Circle on Holywell Racecourse, and Circle and Round Barrow 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 N & S of the Circle on Holywell Racecourse, and Circle and Round Barrow 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 FL006.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Bron Fadog Enclosure (3.3 km), Round Barrow 495m SE of Parc y Prysau (4.5 km), Round Barrow 180m E of Mwccwd (5.7 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Offa's Dyke:Section N & S of the Circle on Holywell Racecourse, and Circle and Round Barrow'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 N & S of the Circle on Holywell Racecourse, and Circle and Round Barrow stands on Dinantian Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Mississippian. The rock here is limestone with subordinate sandstone and argillaceous rocks.