Abstract

Three case studies of ridge and furro-w: 1. Offa's Dyke at Dudston in Chirbury, Shropshire. A pre-Offan field system? Paul Everson This article operates at two levels. At one, it is about Archaeological Trust, photographed the surviving a piece of English landscape that is full of earthwork earthwork section ofOffa's Dyke lying to the south­ field remains and it offers an analysis and east of the Montgomery to Chirbury road (B4386) interpretation of these. At another, it is about the and cultivation. remains in pasture to either side of processes and results of non-excavational field it (centre SO 236 973) in excellent weather and light survey, about the arguments and considerations conditions. that it standardly deploys, and therefore about the These conditions, coupled with low vegetation, strength and independent validity of its conclusions. picked out the ridge-and-furrow cultivation remains The particular piece of work on a section of Offa's in particular with unusual clarity (Pl. I). Study of the Dyke and adjacent land was triggered by resulting series of images by P. A. Barker, who had observations based on aerial photographs. This been active locally in both excavation and fieldwork provides an interesting but in no sense invidious for