moQlho^z jaatoalists^ fitli Cltib. 



June 22nd, 1883. 



OFFA'S DYKE. 

 By Captain W. L. Morgan, R.E. 



Vert many dififerences of opinion exist as to the origin and object of the various 

 dykes which are found in so many parts of England and Wales, and these are 

 caused not only by the different and various purposes for which they were in- 

 tended, but also that they have afterwards been used in parts for purposes for 

 which they were not originally designed. For instance, a dyke may have been 

 originally designed as a fortification, and in some parts was excavated down to 

 firm ground, perhaps rocks. 



Now, after the lapse of years, the object of the dyke was lost, and the in- 

 habitants, finding along its bottom a good firm road leading in the direction they 

 wanted ready made for them, would naturally use it as such and in time repair 

 it and so in those parts it would assume all the characters of a road, and now 

 would lead us to believe that the whole length of the dyke was intended as such. 

 These dykes differ in age, perhaps thousands of years, from the comparatively 

 modern one on the Malvern hills, dividing the Crown land of Malvern Chase 

 from that of the Bishop of Hereford, to the prehistoric ones which existed before 

 the time of the Romans, as is shown in the notable case of the Roman road from 

 Silchester to Bath, cutting through the Wansdyke. There is also a very clear 

 instance in Blenheim Park, which has, I believe, never before been noticed, 

 where the Roman road, the Akerman street, from Cirencester to Bicester, cuta 

 through the Grimsdyke. 



Dykes have been made for various purposes— 



(1) Boundaries. This would seem at first to be the most natural object of 

 most of them, but I think it will be found that comparatively few of the great 

 dykes were intended for that purpose, though a very large number of the smaller 



ones were. 



(2) Roads. Some of them may have been intended as roads from the begin- 

 ning, and many of them have no doubt been afterwards used as such ; but the 

 only'one I know made originally as a road is the Wattle bank, in Oxfordshire. 



(3) Hedges. For the protection of the cultivated land from the inroads of 

 deer and wild animals driven from the wastes in search of food. 



Now, this will comprehend a very large number, especially on the Wiltshire 

 Downs, Ind gives a reason for the peculiar turns and twists they make, which I 

 think can be explained in no other way, and they were well adapted for this pur- 



