Offa’s Dyke is a linear earthwork, which more or less follows the Welsh/English boundary.
It consists of a ditch and rampart, originally about 27 metres across and 8 metres high
from the ditch bottom to the bank top.
It was built in the late 8th century AD by Offa, King of Mercia from 757 to 796 AD.
There is evidence that it went from Treuddyn near Wrexham to Sedbury Cliffs near Chepstow
and was probably built as a result of a border dispute, to keep out the Welsh. Offa’s Dyke Path
opened in 1971 is 177 miles long and follows a route from Sedbury near Chepstow to Prestatyn
through the Welsh borderlands known as the Marches, taking in the spectacular landscapes
around Llangollen and the Eglwyseg Escarpment.
For about 70 miles the path follows the course of the Offa’s Dyke earthwork. Photo CPAT
More information: www.offasdyke.demon.co.uk