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Ancient monument

The Dorset Cursus

Cranborne Chase, Dorset

Two parallel banks running for six miles across the downs.

The Dorset Cursus is the longest monument of its kind in Britain: two parallel banks about 82 metres apart, running for 10 kilometres. Building it took an estimated half a million hours of work.

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When
From c. 3300 BC
Where
50.9500, -1.9600
Group
Circles & monuments

Visiting

Mostly ploughed out; best seen from the air or on maps.

Cover of The Ledger of Lost Britain by Cale Mills
Read the full story in the book

The Ledger of Lost Britain

The Romans arrived in AD 43. For most people that is where the history of Britain begins. But by the time the legions landed, people had already been living on these islands for thousands of years. They had hunted, farmed, mined flint, dragged stones across the country, raised a hill by hand, and buried their dead in great tombs. They left no written words. What they left was the ground itself. Every place in this book can be visited, or has been dug up, or is in a museum.

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