Landscape layers of history.
Just to the north of Dorchester, is a landscape much less well known than Maiden Castle that is just to the south. Known as "Poundbury Camp" there are layers of history etched into the landscape.
To the left, but out of sight in this photo, is a prominent Bronze Age burial mound, probably between 2500 - 4000 years old. More recent, but still well over 2000 years old are the ramparts and ditch of a major Iron Age hill fort. This is the area where a white chalk path can be seen middle left of the photo.
Next come the Romans! Probably around AD50, the Romans constructed an aqueduct that ran for approximately 15kms bringing water to the town that was then known as "Durnovaria", modern day Dorchester. The line of the aqueduct is difficult to pick out, but follows the groove in the hillside that runs roughly from the centre of the photo towards the top right corner. I have added a note to help orientation.
Next we jump hundreds of years to Victorian times when railway building was at its peak. The line from Dorchester to Yeovil runs (out of view) inside the line of trees to the right of the photo. Notice the adjacent brick wall? That was a firing range used by the military during WW2.
Coming up to date but out of view to the right is the main road from Dorchester to Yeovil and also, scandalously in my opinion, is an area of land where it is proposed to build 3500 new homes.
Landscape layers of history.
Just to the north of Dorchester, is a landscape much less well known than Maiden Castle that is just to the south. Known as "Poundbury Camp" there are layers of history etched into the landscape.
To the left, but out of sight in this photo, is a prominent Bronze Age burial mound, probably between 2500 - 4000 years old. More recent, but still well over 2000 years old are the ramparts and ditch of a major Iron Age hill fort. This is the area where a white chalk path can be seen middle left of the photo.
Next come the Romans! Probably around AD50, the Romans constructed an aqueduct that ran for approximately 15kms bringing water to the town that was then known as "Durnovaria", modern day Dorchester. The line of the aqueduct is difficult to pick out, but follows the groove in the hillside that runs roughly from the centre of the photo towards the top right corner. I have added a note to help orientation.
Next we jump hundreds of years to Victorian times when railway building was at its peak. The line from Dorchester to Yeovil runs (out of view) inside the line of trees to the right of the photo. Notice the adjacent brick wall? That was a firing range used by the military during WW2.
Coming up to date but out of view to the right is the main road from Dorchester to Yeovil and also, scandalously in my opinion, is an area of land where it is proposed to build 3500 new homes.