Offa’s Dyke: Britain’s unmarked ‘no-man’s land’ (2020)

bbc.com

51 points·Tomte··8 comments

Offa’s Dyke goes through my hometown.

Devil’s Pulpit is a great spot on the path, you get a great view of Tintern Abbey, near the start of the walk. https://www.visitdeanwye.co.uk/things-to-do/devils-pulpit-p1...

Oh hai chepstow hn posse :-)

Tony Robinson has a series that includes walking on, and talking about the history of, Offa's Dike.

>Tony walks Offa's Dyke, an earthwork pathway that runs along the border between England and Wales named after the Mercian King. Along the way he talks about William Wordsworth, takes in the reputed resting place of King Arthur and brings to life stories of the Welsh dragon.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amRpz8NwGT8

Hay-on-Wye, tangentially mentioned in the article, is worthy of a long read of its own.

And where would you go to find a book to read about Hay-on-Wye? :)

Not sure any one know of any good books shops?

Even better if they sell secondhand books… bit cheaper and better for the environment!

> Legend tells that every Englishman found west of the dyke was hanged. Every Welshman who ventured east of the dyke had their ears chopped off.

Why the asymmetrical punishment I wonder? Were the English relatively less upset by Welshmen crossing over illegally than the Welsh were by Englishmen doing so?

maybe it was an English (joke) legend, so they wanted to look like the English were less harsh than the Welsh? Or a Welsh (joke) legend, with the same intended portrayals? Hopefully it was a joke. If not, that's nuts.

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