Difference between revisions of "Offa's Dyke"
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| − | Although Wales | + | Although Wales boasts many dykes, it is Offa's that inspires thousands of tourists and walkers, wishing to walk the official Trail<ref> see the official National Trail Website: http://www.nationaltrail.co.uk/OffasDyke/</ref>, which was opened in 1971, thanks mainly to the efforts of volunteers from the Offa's Dyke Association. The Trail is maintained by local authorities coordinated by the Countryside Council for Wales (including the sections in England), and the Ramblers' Association remains active in maintaining and promoting the route and running the Offa's Dyke Information Centre <ref>see the Ramblers association entry on the dyke: http://www.ramblers.org.uk/info/paths/offasdyke.html</ref> |
==References== | ==References== | ||
Revision as of 12:39, May 26, 2007
Offa (757 -796 AD) was King of Mercia, a kingdom in what is currently part of England, between the Trent/Mersey rivers in the North to the Thames Valley in the South, and from the Welsh border in the West to the Fens in the East. At the height of his power, however, he also controlled Kent, East Anglia and Lincoln, and had alliances with Northumbria and Wessex. These alliances were sealed by the marriage of two of his daughters to their Kings, Aethelred and Beorhtic respectively. He was, therefore, effectively one of the first Kings of England.
Offa was worried about heathen Welsh hoards rampaging and and pillaging, so he employed a dyke to protect his kindgom. This dyke ran along the borders of Offa's kingdom between Mercia and Wales, was earthy in nature, robust in appearance, relatively unattractive, and offered strong resistance to any Welsh man who attempted penetration. A Dyke is now a term of endearment in Wales for any object or person who puts up a strong resistance to the advances of Welshmen.
Within two miles, there is a famous thing; Cai'de Offa's Dyke, that reacheth farre in length;[1]
Although Wales boasts many dykes, it is Offa's that inspires thousands of tourists and walkers, wishing to walk the official Trail[2], which was opened in 1971, thanks mainly to the efforts of volunteers from the Offa's Dyke Association. The Trail is maintained by local authorities coordinated by the Countryside Council for Wales (including the sections in England), and the Ramblers' Association remains active in maintaining and promoting the route and running the Offa's Dyke Information Centre [3]
References
- ↑ Thomas Churchyard, The Worthines of Wales', 1587, see: http://www.wansdyke21.org.uk/wansdyke/wanart/nurse1.htm for a full reference
- ↑ see the official National Trail Website: http://www.nationaltrail.co.uk/OffasDyke/
- ↑ see the Ramblers association entry on the dyke: http://www.ramblers.org.uk/info/paths/offasdyke.html