Mystery of tree markings explained 

News from the partnership Offa’s Dyke Conservation Project

People living near and visiting the Offa’s Dyke Path National Trail and Llanymynech Golf Club may have noticed some markings on trees – and it’s part of a much bigger plan.  

In full consultation with Natural Resources Wales and the Golf Club, and funded by Cadw, Historic England, Shropshire Council, and the Offa’s Dyke Association, this winter the Offa’s Dyke Conservation Project will be removing selected areas of scrub to allow light and air to reach the ground.  

As the National Trail skirts the north-west of the golf course, walkers will find themselves travelling through scrub and grassland, at the top of an escarpment. As well as the thousands of years of human history, the unique mixture of geology and soils makes this area perfect for rare limestone and acidic grassland species. Nature reserves at each end of the hill are managed by Montgomeryshire and Shropshire Wildlife Trusts, and there is an ongoing project at Llanymynech Golf Club to improve conditions for rare butterflies, such as the Pearl-Bordered Fritillary.  

This section of the National Trail has gradually become hemmed in by scrub, bramble, and bracken. Naturally this pushes walkers into single file, which concentrates footfall on a very narrow path, causing problems with soil erosion. The shade cast by the taller scrub keeps the path wet and muddy in places, which does not recover in dry periods, and is further damage to the scheduled ancient monument. These vigorous plants also take over the rare grassland, and outcompete the violets, orchids, and delicate grasses.  

The intention is to improve conditions along the National Trail while encouraging the rarer, smaller plants to recover. Individual trees are currently being marked according to whether they will be kept or sensitively removed. Rare tree species such as elm and English whitebeam are being marked for protection. The amazing veteran hawthorns and hazels will be released from surrounding brambles; and younger hazels will be coppiced to encourage future regrowth.  Most of the timber from the removed trees will either be stacked to create habitat piles, or chipped and used to repair and protect the damaged sections of footpath.  

The National Trail may be temporarily closed or diverted for your safety during the tree removal- look out for the official notice with precise dates and durations, and the diversion route. 

Every stretch of Offa’s Dyke has different needs, and the ODCP is delivering a series of bespoke demonstrator projects with the overall purpose of passing Offa’s Dyke on to the next generation, better understood and in better condition.

Further information

Offa’s Dyke is Britain’s longest archaeological monument at 82 miles, and one of the most important relics of the Early Medieval period in Western Europe. Constructed in around 785 CE, it is a linear earthwork (though not continuous), usually comprising a bank, with a ditch to its west, that passes through the Marches between what is now England and Wales.   

The Offa’s Dyke Path National Trail follows Offa’s Dyke itself for around 40 of those 82 miles.  

A recent survey showed that only 8.7% of the ancient monument is in favourable condition. 

The Offa’s Dyke Conservation Project is joint funded by Cadw and Historic England with around £500’000 over the next 3 years. With support from the Offa’s Dyke Association and Shropshire Council, a series of 10 local demonstrator projects will be carried out along the Shropshire-Powys border, based on recommendations from the Offa’s Dyke Conservation Management Plan. These projects will bring benefits to local land managers and visitors to the Dyke, and demonstrate the potential of holistic landscape management.  

Llanymynech Golf Club sits on a site with a rich archaeological history, including an Iron Age hillfort later used as part of Offa’s Dyke. It is also a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) for the mixture of limestone and acidic grassland species, including the rare Pearl-Bordered Fritillary butterfly.  

All work carried out by the Offa’s Dyke Conservation Project will balance the needs of the scheduled ancient monument and the wildlife living within.  

Contact Helen Upson, Offa’s Dyke projects officer, for any further information at helen.upson@shropshire.gov.uk