By The Way

      The following map (not another 😕) is taken from a guide book by Reader's Digest, and pieces together two pages. [Guide To Touring Britain, The Reader's Digest Limited, London, 1992, p.159 and p.161] It shows the major locations that Wat's Dyke passes through (orange color) in parallel to the much more famous (and to the Welsh infamous) Offa's Dyke. (in pink color) It would seem that Wat's Dyke guards the lowland from the highland. Offa's Dyke guards the highlands from the highlands. Both come closest together around the area of Chirk Castle, which is near the land bridge that joins the lowlands to the highlands. Wat's Dyke ends just past the land bridge, but Offs'd Dyke continues to the south coast of Wales.

      Now look over the landmarks and various geographic locations. By now you should be able to recognize the general shape and position of the many landmarks. Put these images in the memory bank, and look again at a previous map which shows the general location of the Celtic tribes identified by the Romans starting 55 B.C.

       In your mind try placing the land bridge on the maps above and estimate how strategic the area around Old Oswestry would be during sheep shearing time.