The Dorset Cursus

The Dorset Cursus is 10km long, and runs roughly SW-NE between Thickthorn Down and Martin Down. It has two sections: the south one is older. The general grid reference given is on Bottlebush Down, in the area where one terminates and the other begins.

Cursus
SU025167

Also known as:

Monument No. 890546

Nearest town:

Wilton (16km NNE)

OS reference:

SU025167

OS sheet:

184

Latitude:

50° 56' 56.91 N

Longitude:

1° 57' 51.87 W

Sites (2)
Images (4)
Fieldnotes (3)
Links (1)
Topics (3)

Sites within The Dorset Cursus

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description link

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description link

Images

Ackling Dyke as it cuts through the Cursus

Image credit: texlahoma

texlahoma Nov 13, 2011

Ackling Dyke as it cuts through the Cursus

Image credit: texlahoma

texlahoma Nov 13, 2011

The cursus bank is visible on the left. In the distance, on the other side of the valley, the cursus disappears into the Salisbury Plantation trees. Its width is clear from the lighter green swathe of grass before the plantation.

TreeHouse Apr 4, 2005

The line of the cursus is clearly visible in the soil leading south up the hill away from Oakley Down barrow cemetary.

juamei Mar 12, 2004

Articles

The Dorset Cursus

Cursus

TreeHouse Apr 4, 2005

To answer Rob Gillespie’s question, the picture of the cursus in Cope’s book is taken from around SU018161 looking north-east. In the foreground on the right is a remnant of the SE cursus bank and across the valley the cursus can be seen disappearing into Salisbury Plantation (private land). Apparently there are traces of both banks in the plantation, as well as a long barrow built into the NW bank. The tree covered hill summit on the horizon is Penbury Knoll.

My own version of this pic is available here and I’ve posted a similar one on this website here.

The Dorset Cursus

Cursus

juamei Sep 28, 2003

[visited 22/09/2003] My first view of a certified cursus and I was not disapointed. I visited a bit near the middle of the cursus at approx SU025167.

I parked in a weird layby next to a farm gate on the edge of the A354 & worked my way through Oakley Down barrow cemetary, past a small wood and onto the cursus at SU023163. I then followed the path of the cursus north, touching on a wood full of some kind of pheasant thing. The best viewable remains seem to be in the wood itself, I didn’t look for the west bank in the wood but the east bank reaches a height of approx 1.5m skirting the edge of the wood. Also look out for clear marks in the soil to the south of the wood, the east banks path is clearly visible at this time of year (late september).

So general impressions, it is huge. The only other sites that had this vastness about them that I’ve seen are Silbury & Avebury, but the overall nature of this dwarfs them. Two banks of earth taller than me, ploughing across the dorset landscape for miles upon miles, over hills into valleys, onwards ever onwards. One of those few occasions I’ve been overawed by what I’ve seen at a site.

The Dorset Cursus

Cursus

Rob Gillespie Jan 15, 2001

THE DORSET CURSUS & ACKLING DYKE – Visited 18/4/00

A trip to Dorset gave us loads of time to tick a few more sites off from the book...if only the weather had been better.
Along with fellow enthusiast, Pete Barrett, we took upon ourselves to locate sites as never before this cold, wet, windy Tuesday. After climbing BOTH Hambledon and Hod, our next task was to locate the Dorset Cursus. Heading down Ackling Dyke from the B3081, we tried to decide at what point we were actually ‘on the cursus’ as it were. We managed to get our bearings via a few barrows, then found a very useful post on the edge of the adjacent ploughed field, with a map showing the cursus and marks in the next field going off to the south, which we reckoned might be there to show its course.
Photograph taken, with a token Pete peering menacingly from the bushes (a la the book), we headed back in the rain to the car. Unfortunately we couldn’t seem to locate the spot where Cope’s picture was taken....does anyone know?