Listen closely to the whispers of the wind as it rustles through Joydens Wood. We stand before Faesten Dic or “The Strong Dyke”. This Anglo-Saxon frontier work served as a boundary marker in a now wooded area. The undulating sandy gravel underfoot is part of the Cray valley’s southeastern slope.
Faesten Dic stretches approximately 1.67 kilometers. It aligns roughly north to south. The dyke consists of connected zigzagging ditches and banks. The most fortified sections are at the higher ground. Look towards the southern and northern ends of the monument. Here you can see a large V-shaped ditch. It was originally up to 8 meters wide.
Over time, it has partially filled in. In places, it remains visible to a depth of up to 2 meters. Notice the low bank to the east of the ditch. It is up to 10.5 meters wide and about 0.5 meters high. To the west is a slight counterscarp bank. It measures around 3.5 meters wide and about 0.4 meters high.
About 720 meters from its southern end, Faesten Dic descends into a steep, narrow valley. The earthworks here form a low bank. It is interpreted as the original site of a fence or hedge. It is about 1.5 meters wide and just 0.2 meters high.
Near the monument’s northern end, about 270 meters away, the dyke sharply zigzags. It goes to the southeast and northeast. Here, the earthworks survive as a large bank. It’s about 2.5 meters wide and up to 1.5 meters high. Subsequent agricultural activity has partially modified its form. No ditch is visible in this area.
Later tracks and woodland boundary banks have also disturbed the dyke. Originally, the earthworks extended northeast beyond Joydens Wood. Modern development and cultivation have since destroyed this section.
Faesten Dic is thought to have been built between the fifth and sixth centuries AD. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle mentions tribal warfare in the Bexley area during this time. The dyke also appears in an Anglo-Saxon boundary survey of AD 814.
In 1941, a partial excavation took place. It revealed a narrow, buried layer of gravel. This was immediately east of the bank. It was interpreted as a military walkway.
Tree roots and subsequent agricultural and forestry activity have partially disturbed it. Yet, the medieval frontier work survives well. It stands as a substantial and visually impressive feature. Partial excavation has confirmed the survival of archaeological remains. Environmental evidence also survives. It relates to the monument and its surrounding landscape.
As we stand here, remember the early medieval period. Faesten Dic served as more than just a boundary. It was a testament to territorial patterns and the lives of those who walked this land centuries ago.