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Offa's Dyke is a linear earthwork constructed in the late eighth century, traditionally attributed to King Offa of Mercia, that served as a territorial boundary between the Welsh kingdoms and the English Midlands. The section west of Lyonshall in Herefordshire extends for approximately 630 yards and comprises a substantial bank with an associated ditch, typical of the monument's construction throughout its course. This portion of the dyke demonstrates the characteristic engineering of the monument, with the bank rising significantly above the surrounding terrain, and represents one of the most imposing examples of Anglo-Saxon frontier defence in Britain. The earthwork's survival in the Lyonshall area reflects the durability of its original construction and its continued significance as a visible marker of the medieval and ancient administrative division between England and Wales.
Offa's Dyke: the section 630yds (580m) long W of Lyonshall is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1001733. View the official record →
Offa's Dyke is a linear earthwork constructed in the late eighth century, traditionally attributed to King Offa of Mercia, that served as a territorial boundary between the Welsh kingdoms and the English Midlands. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1001733.
Offa's Dyke: the section 630yds (580m) long W of Lyonshall 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 1001733.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Offa's Dyke: the section E of Garden Wood, extending SE 85yds (80m) (0.6 km), Offa's Dyke: section NW of Holme Marsh extending 615yds (560m) to the railway (1.1 km), Mound S of Woodbrook (2.8 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of Offa's Dyke: the section 630yds (580m) long W of Lyonshall'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: the section 630yds (580m) long W of Lyonshall stands on Pridoli Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Pridoli. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.