Reasons for Designation
The most complete and extensive survival of chalk downland archaeological
remains in central southern England occurs on Salisbury Plain, particularly in
those areas lying within the Salisbury Plain Training Area. These remains
represent one of the few extant archaeological "landscapes" in Britain and are
considered to be of special significance because they differ in character from
those in other areas with comparable levels of preservation. Individual sites
on Salisbury Plain are seen as being additionally important because the
evidence of their direct association with each other survives so well.
Boundary earthworks which include linear earthworks, so called ranch
boundaries, dykes and cross ridge dykes are particularly well preserved in the
Salisbury Plain Training Area. They provide important evidence of prehistoric
landholdings, land reorganisation and changing agricultural practices through
time.
Details
A series of linear earthworks on Wilsford Down. The monument includes : -
1 - a well defined ditch and bank with an overall width of 16m. The main
earthwork is joined from the south by another ditch c.12m wide and at its
eastern end it meets another ditch and bank running north-south.
2 - A boundary earthwork surviving as a bank and ditch with a maximum overall
width of c.12m. To the north of the scheduled area the feature is visible as a
cropmark.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
10033
Legacy System:
RSM
Sources
Other
Legal
This monument is scheduled under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 as amended as it appears to the Secretary of State to be of national importance. This entry is a copy, the original is held by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
End of official list entry
