Name: Offa's Dyke
Rating: 5.0

Offa's Dyke

Hewelsfield, Lydney, Gloucestershire GL15 6XD, UK

1-99 Years

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Description

Offa's Dyke a three mile section of the great earthwork boundary dyke built along the Anglo-Welsh border by Offa, King of Mercia, probably during the 780s. This especially impressive wooded stretch includes the Devil's Pulpit, with fine views of Tintern Abbey.

Offa was the King of the Mercians, a warrior tribe from central England, from AD 747 to 796. He had seized power during a time of great unrest caused by friction between Wales and England in the border region. 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.

Free Entry. If you are looking for Best place for day out with kids and families then this is the perfect destination offering fun, adventure, and unforgettable memories for everyone.

Features

Free
Host birthday parties: No

Features

History of Offa’s Dyke: Offa was the King of the Mercians, a warrior tribe from central England, from AD 747 to 796. He had seized power during a time of great unrest caused by friction between Wales and England in the border region. 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.
Sometime during the 780s, Offa decided on the construction of a great earth wall and ditch, or dyke, running from ‘sea to sea’.
The work required thousands of men, and each section seems to have been built by people from a different district. The fact that this mammoth undertaking was achieved illustrates the cohesion of the kingdom at this time. The dyke was never garrisoned but would have been manned by relatively small local forces.
Offa died in 796 in a battle against the Welsh. It is believed that he was trying to establish a final link in the dyke to the Irish Sea in the north.
After his death his kingdom gradually declined until it was completely crushed by the Viking invasion. The border area, however, remained crucial in British history.
Description: Offa’s Dyke covers 82 miles (132 km) of the total distance of 149 miles (240 km) between Prestatyn in the north to Sedbury in the south, the intervening gaps being filled by natural features such as slopes and rivers.
It consists of an earth bank, which in places still stands to a height of 12 feet (3.5 metres), fronted by a deep quarry-ditch with a total width of up to 60 feet (18 metres).
Excavation has confirmed that a wooden breastwork ran along the top of the bank, and in places this was later rebuilt in stone. The west side of the bank was also revetted with turf to create a near vertical face. Possibly some sort of palisade or wall also existed.
It is thought that towers may have been erected at intervals, though none has yet been found. In places it runs absolutely straight for miles – proof of the technical skills of its engineers.

Facilities

Parking: Free parking is available at the Forestry Commission car park at Tidenham Chase, off the B4228, location what3words ///brain.afford.mourner.
Food & Drinks: You can find shops and places to eat and drink in nearby Chepstow.
Toilets: You can find toilets in nearby Chepstow.
Dogs: There may be livestock in the fields, so please keep dogs on leads.

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Price

Price: Free

Birthday Parties

Offer Birthday Parties: No

Open any reasonable time during daylight hours.

Address: Hewelsfield, Lydney, Gloucestershire GL15 6XD, UK

Post Code: GL15 6XD

Council: Forest of Dean

County: Gloucestershire

Road Access: Located 3 miles north-east of Chepstow, off B4228. Via Forest Enterprise Tidenham car park, 1 mile walk (waymarked) down to The Devil’s Pulpit on Offa’s Dyke (access is suitable only for those wearing proper walking shoes and is not suitable for the very young, old or infirm)
Bus Access: Forest Community Transport 707 (Tue, Thu & Fri only) passes the site. Alternatively Town & Country Bus/New Adventure Travel (Sun only) service 69 to Tintern then 1 mile walk or James Bevan 755 to Wibdon and then 1 mile walk.
Train Access: Chepstow 7 miles.
Bicycle Access: Find this site on The National Cycle Network.
Parking: Free parking is available at the Forestry Commission car park at Tidenham Chase, off the B4228, location what3words ///brain.afford.mourner.