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Offa's Dyke is a long ditch built along the Welsh English border by King Offa in the 8th Century. Nobody knows why he built it, whether it was a defensive line, or simply a mark of the boundary. There are large sections of the dyke that are still very easy to make out, but some sections have been lost through erosion or farming. There is now a footpath that runs the entire length of the dyke.
We started in, and indeed stayed mostly in, the central area around the dyke. First stop was Clun on the B4368 West of Craven Arms in Shropshire. Clun is a Norman town and it still has the original Norman grid patterned layout today, plots of oblong strips of land spreading out from William the Conqueror's castle. Because it hasn't changed it is known as the Peter Pan town and is mentioned by A.E Houseman as "The quietest place under the sun".
This area is known as 'The Marches', which means an area that is constantly having its borders changed. For centuries the Welsh and the English fought over these lands, which is why Clun Castle now stands in ruin.
After that we went to meet Dave McGlade who works for the organisation that looks after Offa's Dyke. The dyke is actually the raised section, not the ditch which is in front. Some say that the ditch could have been as deep as 40 feet, considering that it is known to have been some 80 miles long, it is some achievement for the 700's.
At Walcot Hall, in Walcot on the B4385 East out of Bishop's Castle, we met 'Clive of India'! or Keith Piabus dressed as Clive. Keith is a member of Clive's fan club and Walcot Hall was built by the real Clive.
In Bishop's Castle there is the House on Crutches Museum. A 16th Century house that has a large jetty which is held up by two wooden supports, or 'crutches'. It is now a museum to the town and its vanished castle.
The 'Flag Tree' is in Aston on Clun, again on the B4368 from Craven Arms. The tree has dozens of flag poles stuck in it with flags fluttering on their ends. There are two reasons given, one is that many trees were dressed like this to mark the return of royalty with King Charles II in the 1600's, the other is that 100 years later a local Squire married and the tree was dressed for that, and the Squire left money for it to remain the same.
A few miles West on the same road, watch out for a small brown sign for Bury Ditches. If you are fit, the huge climb to the top of the area's highest hill is well worth it. At the top, you will not only experience a breath taking view, but you will be standing in an Iron Age Hill Fort. Most of the Fort is still there, and must be one of England's finest treasures.
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