Exploring the Historic Landscape

Gateway at Fonthill The special landscapes of the Cranborne Chase and West Wiltshire Downs are a product of their unique historical development. This section of the website is a gateway which allows you to explore this historical legacy.

Key themes which are especially important to this landscape and which you can explore here include:

Enigmatic Prehistoric monuments including the great Dorset Cursus
The history and influence of Medieval hunting areas
The landscape legacy of the great estates and landowners.
Rich historic buildings including Medieval Castles and Great Houses.
Complex systems of historic routeways including Ancient Droveways

You can explore the ways in which people have interacted with their landscape over the millenia using the Interactive Timeline.

Alternatively you can explore the people and events associated with the landscape and the designated heritage which makes it nationally important.

Finally this landscape has played an important part in development of archaeology, and in particular through the work of the great General Pitt Rivers. This legacy is explored further in our section on the history of archaeological discovery in the AONB

This document forms part of the wider AONB Historic Environment Action Plans.