Wat’s Dyke is the second longest earthwork known from early medieval Britain, only over-shadowed in scale by its near neighbour Offa’s Dyke. Running almost continuously for 38 milesfrom the Dee estuary at Basingwerk to Maesbury Marsh south of Oswestry.
Both dykes are very close to where I was brought up in Bryn Offa, Wrexham, and, although ignorant of what they were at the time, formed a big part of my childhood exploration of my local area.
I’ve just been reading a fascinatiing blog about Wat’s Dyke and it’s location in Wrexhamand it turns out my Grandparents are actually buried in it where it crosses Wrexham Cemetery by Ruabon Road.
And strangely enough, it’s northern path from there runs along where Croesnewydd railway sidings used to be and up to its position on Crispin Lane right next to the Racecourse. I spent half my young life walking that route to watch Wrexham AFC without realising its historic significence. Talk about connecting the dots? I do recommend reading Howard Williams Blog on Wat’s Dyke, there’s some fascinating detail contained in it;
Where can you visit Wat’s Dyke in Wrexham?
I wonder how many of us walk similar, forgotten paths that our ancestors laid out, but have disappeared in history yet still seem to link our past with our present.
