Scheduled MonumentsWalesWat's Dyke: Section in Fron Tydyr
Early Medieval · Linear Earthwork

Wat's Dyke: Section in Fron Tydyr

Flintshire, Wales
Cadw SAM FL081
Period
Early Medieval
Site type
Linear Earthwork
Broad class
Monument
Nation
Wales
The designation
Reference
Cadw SAM FL081
Authority
Cadw
Designated
1949-10-01
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Cadw

Overview

History & significance

Wat's Dyke: Section in Fron Tydyr is an early medieval linear earthwork that forms part of one of Wales's most significant defensive boundaries. The dyke runs broadly north-south through the landscape, consisting of an earthen bank with an associated ditch that would have served to demarcate territorial control and restrict movement across the borderlands during the early medieval period. This particular section sits on bedrock composed of mudstone, siltstone and sandstone of the Bowland High Group and Craven Group, formed during the Bashkirian epoch of the Carboniferous period.

The monument's construction exploited the underlying geology to create a substantial barrier. The cohesive nature of the mudstone and siltstone would have provided a stable foundation for the raised bank, whilst the permeable sandstone elements would have aided drainage around the associated ditch. The earthwork remains visible as a distinctive linear feature within the modern landscape, testament to its original substantial engineering.

This section is protected by Cadw, the Welsh heritage monuments agency, under reference FL081. The site forms part of the wider Wat's Dyke system, which extends for considerable distances across the Wales-England borderlands and represents a major undertaking of early medieval earth-moving and territorial organisation.

Wat's Dyke: Section in Fron Tydyr is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference FL081. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Wat's Dyke: Section in Fron Tydyr?

Wat's Dyke: Section in Fron Tydyr is an early medieval linear earthwork that forms part of one of Wales's most significant defensive boundaries. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference FL081.

What period does Wat's Dyke: Section in Fron Tydyr date from?

Wat's Dyke: Section in Fron Tydyr 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 in Fron Tydyr?

Wat's Dyke: Section in Fron Tydyr 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 FL081.

What other scheduled monuments are near Wat's Dyke: Section in Fron Tydyr?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Moel y Gaer Camp (5 km), Round Barrow 450m E of Penbedw Hall (6.5 km), Penbedw Park Stone Circle & Standing Stone (6.8 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Wat's Dyke: Section in Fron Tydyr

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Wat's Dyke: Section in Fron Tydyr's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman Britain
The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
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The ground beneath

The bedrock under Wat's Dyke: Section in Fron Tydyr

Wat's Dyke: Section in Fron Tydyr stands on Bowland High Group And Craven Group (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Bashkirian. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.

The wider landscape

Around Wat's Dyke: Section in Fron Tydyr

Battle of Rowton Heath 1645Battle (1645) · ~17.2 miles