Wansdyke, Wiltshire

Wansdyke is an extensive frontier earthwork probably constructed in the late Roman period. Its function is most likely a means of marking and controlling a significant border, including all communications that ran across it. The earthwork consists of a ditch and embankment running from Maes Knoll on the Mendips across Wiltshire to the Berkshire border, with a 14 mile section of Roman road linking the two ends together.

Location

Wiltshire N/A

Period

Prehistoric (to AD42)

Themes

Tags

aerial view dyke border earthwork roman bank ditch communication defence prehistoric (to ad42)