© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Cadw
Wat's Dyke at Crispin Lane, Wrexham is an early medieval linear earthwork that forms part of a much longer frontier work extending across the Welsh borderlands. The monument lies on bedrock comprising Warwickshire Group siltstone and sandstone with mudstone bands, typical of the Early Permian geology underlying this region. This particular section, protected by Cadw as a scheduled ancient monument under reference DE286, represents a surviving portion of defensive or demarcation earthwork constructed during the early Anglo-Saxon period.
The dyke would have served to control movement and define territorial boundaries between Welsh and English-held lands during the centuries following the Roman withdrawal from Britain. Linear earthworks of this type typically comprise a bank with an associated ditch, their scale and maintenance reflecting the political significance and resources available to those who constructed them. At Crispin Lane, the monument's survival testifies to its construction upon relatively stable ground, where the underlying bedrock provided adequate foundation for sustained earthwork maintenance through successive centuries.
Wat's Dyke at Crispin Lane, Wrexham is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference DE286. View the official record →
Wat's Dyke at Crispin Lane, Wrexham is an early medieval linear earthwork that forms part of a much longer frontier work extending across the Welsh borderlands. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference DE286.
Wat's Dyke at Crispin Lane, Wrexham 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.
Wat's Dyke at Crispin Lane, Wrexham 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 DE286.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Wat's Dyke: Section extending from Middle Sontley to Black Brook Bridge (5.1 km), Wat's Dyke: Section extending from Black Brook Bridge to Pentre-Clawdd (6.3 km), Gardden Camp (7.2 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Wat's Dyke at Crispin Lane, Wrexham'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.
Wat's Dyke at Crispin Lane, Wrexham stands on Warwickshire Group, bedrock that formed in the Early Permian. The rock here is siltstone and sandstone with subordinate mudstone.