26 Noble, Offa’s Dyke Reviewed, pp. Horse riders and cyclists are allowed on about a third of the path. Offa’s Dyke is a large earthwork, which roughly follows the border between England and Wales. It was a considerable achievement back then to recruit enough men for such a large building project. Excavation has confirmed that a wooden breastwork ran along the top of the bank, and in places this was later rebuilt in stone. The highest point on the path is 700 metres at Hatterall Ridge. After his death his kingdom gradually declined until it was completely crushed by the Viking invasion. The text on this page is derived from the Heritage Unlocked series of guidebooks, published in 2002–6. It was constructed at the end of the eighth century and consisted of a great defensive earthwork, with a ditch on the Welsh side, and it ran for 140 miles from the mouth of the River Dee in the north to that of the Wye in the south. Second, the construction of the dyke was to make the claim that Mercia was a European power to be reckoned with. England at that time was divided into several independent kingdoms. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. While the dyke itself is obvious, we don’t know for certain why it is here. The dyke, an Anglo-Saxon earthwork up to 65ft wide in places, was built as a man-made border between England and Wales. It was probably a dispute with the Princes of Powys in Wales that prompted Offa to begin building what was to be more a geo political structure than one for defence. Most historians believe the dyke was built by Offa, the Anglo-Saxon King of Mercia, from 757 to 796. Offa is known for introducing new coins and creating one state which included most of England. The work required thousands of men, and each section seems to have been built by people from a different district. The modern border between England and Wales closely follows much of the route of the dyke. The structure did not represent a mutually agreed boundary between the Mercians and the Kingdom of Powys. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Learn how your comment data is processed. It also provided a military advantage for the defenders. Opening the first volume of a new open-access peer-reviewed academic publication, we are pleased to introduce the Offa’s Dyke Journal. In the first half of the 8th century, the dominant Anglo-Saxon ruler was King Æthelbald of Mercia, who by 731 had become the overlord of all the provinces south of the River Humber. Radiocarbon dating has suggested the Dyke was built earlier than Offa’s reign and could have been the project of several kings, if not an ongoing project lasting for hundreds of years. Possibly some sort of palisade or wall also existed. Offa’s Dyke: a line in the landscape 71 Figure 3.5 Bryndriniog, a late medieval farmstead in the Clun valley built on Offa’s Dyke. It's even longer than Hadrian's Wall. Offa was determined to quell the unruly Welsh and impose his authority, and this he did by building one of the most remarkable structures in Britain. The fact that this mammoth undertaking was achieved illustrates the cohesion of the kingdom at this time. Traverse eight different counties along the ODP, and cross the border between Wales … New research suggests Offa's Dyke was built at least a century before the king generally accepted as its creator reached the throne. Offa's Dyke is the longest linear earthwork in the UK, and one of the longest in Europe. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. Offa's Dyke Path (Welsh: Llwybr Clawdd Offa) is a long-distance footpath broadly following the Wales–England border.Officially opened on 10 July 1971, by Lord Hunt, it is one of Britain's National Trails and draws walkers from throughout the world. Offa’s Dyke is one of the most impressive early construction efforts by inhabitants of Britain. 13 Easy DIY Halloween Decorations – Ideas and Inspiration, 10 Creative DIY Star Wars Christmas Holiday Crafts, Christmas in Germany: Facts About German Christmas Traditions, TT Rockstars Tips: How to Get Better at Times Tables Rock Stars. It takes the average walker about 12 days to walk the length of the path from one marker to the other. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Offa’s Dyke Path is named after King Offa of Mercia. The west side of the bank was also revetted with turf to create a near vertical face. Offa was the most powerful and successful of all the Mercian kings. 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