Ackling Dyke Roman road is a prominent and historic feature of Cranborne Chase.
Ackling Dyke
Ackling Dyke is a section of Roman road that runs for 22 miles.
The road starts at Old Sarum at Salisbury (Roman name: Sorviodunum) to the hill fort at Badbury Rings (Roman name: Vindocladia).
Much of the road exists today as an exceptionally large embankment (agger), sometimes up to 50 ft wide and 6ft high. This is much wider than most Roman roads, and it would have been visible from a great distance. The road would have provided rapid transit for people and soldiers across Cranborne Chase.
An Extraordinary Ancient Structure
It is amazing that so much of this roman road is still standing over 1,500 years after it was built.
The road serves as a culturally significant feature of the landscape which educates and inspires local communities and visitors to the area. Walking sections of the road is a fantastic way for people to connect to the landscape.
Threats to Ackling Dyke
The earthwork structure of the road is vulnerable to the natural world, as the creatures and plants that inhabit the landscape like to make the raised agger their home.
Rabbits and other animals burrow into the road, and bushes and trees grow their roots into the earth structure.
Unfortunately the roots of these plants damage the archaeology. When high winds occur some of these plants are blown over, and they take up parts of the road with them as they are uprooted.
Overgrown sections of the road also stop people from being able to access the routes that the ancient road provides.
Preserving Ackling Dyke
Join our team of practical conservation volunteers and help preserve Ackling Dyke.
As part of the Chase & Chalke project Ancient Ways our practical conservation volunteers have been working to clear sections of the roman road of scrub and overgrown plant life.
This work is vital to ensuring the survival of the road for future generations.