Summary

The earthworks and buried remains of a 132m long section of Offa's Dyke, 170m east of Fron. It runs parallel with the west side of Chapel Lane as the road approaches the village of Trefonen.

Source: Historic England

Details

PRINCIPAL ELEMENTS
The monument includes the earthwork and buried remains of a 132m long section of Offa's Dyke, 170m east of Fron. It runs parallel with the west side of Chapel Lane as the road approaches the village of Trefonen. Offa's Dyke generally consists of a bank, up to 3.5m high, with an intermittent parallel ditch and quarry pits in places. It was strengthened in some areas by additional earthworks, namely a berm between the bank and ditch and a counterscarp bank on the outer lip of the ditch.

DETAILS
The section of Dyke immediately north of Chapel View, Trefonen is aligned north-west to south-east and is approximately 132m in length. At its northern end the bank has been cut slightly along its east side by a hollow way created by the road (Chapel Lane) which runs from Fron to Trefonen. Although the bank has been spread by ploughing it is visible here as a slight earthwork with traces of the ditch on the west side which, although largely infilled over time, remains visible. The central part of this section was formerly occupied by a public house known as the Royal Oak which is depicted on the Tithe Map of 1838 but had been demolished by 1901. Although the construction of this building has resulted in the loss of the bank here, the parallel section of ditch is considered to survive below the ground surface. Beyond this, to the south, the profile of the bank has been much reduced by cultivation, but is visible as a wide, spread earthwork and the ditch, although infilled, will survive as a buried feature. To the south the bank has been substantially removed by the construction of the dwelling known as Chapel View.

EXCLUSIONS
All fence posts, telegraph poles and the length of stone boundary wall immediately north of Chapel View are excluded from the scheduling, but the ground beneath these features is included.

Source: Historic England

Reasons for Scheduling

The section of Offa’s Dyke 170m SE of Fron, Chapel Lane, Trefonen is scheduled for the following principal reasons:

Rarity: this section represents part of a significant frontier work dating back to the early medieval period; Offa’s Dyke is considered to be the largest and most complete purpose-built earthwork of its type in the country;
Survival: it survives comparatively well despite some localised reduction of the earthworks and the infilling of the ditch over time, and it provides important evidence of early medieval territorial patterns and land organisation;
Potential: the Dyke will contain archaeological evidence which will increase our understanding of such defensive or demarcatory systems and will contribute to our knowledge of ancient boundaries in the Welsh Marches and in the wider context.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Books and journals
D Hill & M Worthington, , Offa’s Dyke History & Guide, (2003)
J Highham & M J Ryan, , Landscape Archaeology of Anglo-Saxon England, (2010)
Kay, K, Richards, , Offa's Dyke Path North, (1995)
Other
A H Archaeological Services, Heritage Assessment on land north of Whitridge Way, Trefonen, Shropshire NGR SJ 258 270, Report Number 46, May 2014,
Dr G Nash, Proposed Development at Whitridge Way Development, Trefonen, Shropshire. Heritage Statement, April 2014,

Source: Historic England