Scheduled MonumentsWalesWat's Dyke: Section NE of Hen-Dy Farm
Early Medieval · Linear Earthwork

Wat's Dyke: Section NE of Hen-Dy Farm

Flintshire, Wales
Cadw SAM FL088
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: Section NE of Hen-Dy Farm is a linear earthwork of early medieval date forming part of the extensive frontier works constructed in the Welsh Marches. This section lies in Wales and is protected as a scheduled monument by Cadw. The dyke represents one of the major engineering achievements of the early medieval period, constructed across challenging terrain to define territorial boundaries.

The earthwork rests upon bedrock of the Millstone Grit Group, composed of mudstone, siltstone and sandstone deposited during the Namurian period. This geological foundation presents a tough landscape requiring substantial labour to construct the dyke, yet the relatively coherent nature of these sedimentary rocks would have provided stable ground for the earthwork's construction and long-term preservation.

As a section of the larger Wat's Dyke system, this monument contributes to our understanding of early medieval political geography and the relationship between communities on either side of the frontier. The preservation of the earthwork across this stretch of countryside demonstrates the scale of coordinated works undertaken during this significant period of Welsh and Marcher history.

Wat's Dyke: Section NE of Hen-Dy Farm is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference FL088. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Wat's Dyke: Section NE of Hen-Dy Farm?

Wat's Dyke: Section NE of Hen-Dy Farm is a linear earthwork of early medieval date forming part of the extensive frontier works constructed in the Welsh Marches. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference FL088.

What period does Wat's Dyke: Section NE of Hen-Dy Farm date from?

Wat's Dyke: Section NE of Hen-Dy Farm 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 NE of Hen-Dy Farm?

Wat's Dyke: Section NE of Hen-Dy Farm 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 FL088.

What other scheduled monuments are near Wat's Dyke: Section NE of Hen-Dy Farm?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Offa's Dyke: Brymbo Hill Section (8.1 km), Brymbo Lead Smelting Works (8.2 km), Brymbo Ironworks: Early Blast Furnace, Cast House & Foundry (8.6 km).

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Everything a full report reveals about Wat's Dyke: Section NE of Hen-Dy Farm

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Wat's Dyke: Section NE of Hen-Dy Farm'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 NE of Hen-Dy Farm

Wat's Dyke: Section NE of Hen-Dy Farm stands on Millstone Grit Group [See Also Migr], bedrock that formed in the Namurian. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.

The wider landscape

Around Wat's Dyke: Section NE of Hen-Dy Farm

Battle of Rowton Heath 1645Battle (1645) · ~10.7 miles