Slightly overshadowed by the more famous Watling Street and Fosse Way, Ackling Dyke is Dorset’s most prominent Roman Road. Running for around 22 miles (35 km) from Old Sarum (Sorviodunum) to Badbury Rings, this spectacular Roman road survives in places as a substantial raised agger, still clearly visible in the landscape. But Ackling Dyke was … Continue reading Ackling Dyke
From the site of the medieval castle of Old Sarum, towering above the valley of the River Avon, circle its surrounding Iron Age ramparts past the cathedral ruins. Drop down into the valley, crossing ghostly lines of Roman roads and medieval trackways to the river. Trace its course downstream as it flows to Salisbury, its … Continue reading Old Sarum
After following the little River Winterborne, trace the footsteps of the Roman soldiers as their road cuts through Winterborne Kingston, still scarring the landscape today. Tread the earth that hides many of their remains, some having been unearthed from the ground including a precious coffin and dedications to a shrine. Climb the hill to Bere … Continue reading Winterborne Kingston
A hillfort is a type of earthwork once used as a fortified refuge or defended settlement, located to exploit a rise in elevation for defensive advantage. Hillforts developed in the Late Bronze and Early Iron Age, roughly at the start of the first millennium BC, some later used in the post-Roman period. The fortification usually … Continue reading Dorset Hillforts
