Scheduled MonumentsWalesWat's Dyke: Section extending from Erddig Park to Middle Sontley
Early Medieval · Linear Earthwork

Wat's Dyke: Section extending from Erddig Park to Middle Sontley

Denbighshire, Wales
Cadw SAM DE152
Period
Early Medieval
Site type
Linear Earthwork
Broad class
Monument
Nation
Wales
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Cadw

Overview

History & significance

Wat's Dyke is a Early Medieval linear earthwork forming part of a substantial defensive or boundary construction extending across the Welsh-English borderlands. This section, preserved within and adjacent to Erddig Park near Wrexham in Denbighshire, consists of a substantial bank with an associated ditch, characteristics typical of seventh-century construction during the period of Anglo-Saxon territorial expansion. The dyke runs broadly north-south across the landscape and represents part of a wider system of linear earthworks that defined territorial limits in this strategically significant frontier region. As a scheduled ancient monument under Cadw protection, this section remains an important physical witness to early medieval political geography and the mechanisms by which Anglo-Saxon kingdoms asserted control over the Welsh borderlands.

Wat's Dyke: Section extending from Erddig Park to Middle Sontley is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference DE152. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Wat's Dyke: Section extending from Erddig Park to Middle Sontley?

Wat's Dyke is a Early Medieval linear earthwork forming part of a substantial defensive or boundary construction extending across the Welsh-English borderlands. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference DE152.

What period does Wat's Dyke: Section extending from Erddig Park to Middle Sontley date from?

Wat's Dyke: Section extending from Erddig Park to Middle Sontley 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.

Who is responsible for protecting Wat's Dyke: Section extending from Erddig Park to Middle Sontley?

Wat's Dyke: Section extending from Erddig Park to Middle Sontley 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 DE152.

What other scheduled monuments are near Wat's Dyke: Section extending from Erddig Park to Middle Sontley?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Wynnstay Colliery Winding Engine House (5.1 km), Offa's Dyke: Section N of Home Farm (5.3 km), Darland Wood Round Barrows (5.9 km).

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