Archaeological sites · South West England
Cranborne Chase
In or near Sixpenny Handley.
Cranborne Chase — Plateau in southern England.
.jpg?width=1200)
Wikimedia Commons licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 45 min–1.5 h
- Free entry
- Dog-friendly
About
Cranborne Chase is an archaeological site in the United Kingdom. Heritage designation: International Dark Sky Reserve. Wikidata describes it as: "Plateau in southern England". Coordinates: 50.9614°, -2.0441°.
Photo gallery
Protected designations
- Site of Special Scientific Interest: River Avon System SSSI
- Site of Special Scientific Interest: Cranborne Chase SSSI
- Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty: Cranborne Chase & West Wiltshire Downs
Designations sourced from Natural England open data under OGL v3.
From the Wikipedia article
Cranborne Chase (grid reference ST970180) is an area of central southern England, straddling the counties Dorset, Hampshire and Wiltshire. It is part of the Cranborne Chase and West Wiltshire Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). The area is dominated by, and often considered to be synonymous with, a chalk downland plateau. Part of the English Chalk Formation, it is adjacent to Salisbury Plain and the West Wiltshire Downs in the north, and the Dorset Downs to the south west. The highest point is Win Green Down, in Wiltshire, at 910 feet (280 m). Historically a medieval hunting forest, the area is also noted for its Neolithic and Bronze age archaeology and its rural agricultural character.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
History
hill fort]] The downland has a long history with many earthworks and archaeology from the Neolithic age onwards. The dense woodland originally covering the downs would have gradually been cleared by the first farmers, but would have grown back repeatedly over the centuries as soils became exhausted and the agricultural carrying capacity of the land was exceeded several times over the course of six millennia. Much of the area therefore remained wooded from the Middle Ages until World War II. Analysis of remains found in some of the Bronze Age burial mounds, by experts at Bournemouth University, has revealed that many of the bones had small holes drilled in then, enabling them, it is…
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 50.9614, -2.0441
- District
- Dorset
- Parish
- Sixpenny Handley and Pentridge
- Postcode
- SP5 5RW
- Parliamentary constituency
- North Dorset
Sources
- wikidata: Q5181922 (CC0)
- wikipedia: Cranborne Chase (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Other places nearby
Sandroyd School
Natural landmarks · 1.7 km
South Lodge camp Bronze Age enclosure with associated field system and round barrow cemetery, 350m east of Rushmore Farm
Archaeological sites · 1.7 km
Iron Age and Romano-British settlement remains on Rotherley Down
Archaeological sites · 2.6 km
Tollard Royal
Villages · 2.6 km
Tollard Royal And Rushmore War Memorial
Memorials & monuments · 2.6 km
King John's House, Tollard Royal
Historic houses · 2.6 km
Sixpenny Handley War Memorial
Memorials & monuments · 2.7 km
Sixpenny Handley
Towns & cities · 2.7 km
Church Farm Campsite
Caravan parks · 2.7 km
Farnham
Villages · 2.8 km
Singing Theatre
Theatres · 2.9 km
Larmer Tree Gardens
Parks · 2.9 km
Nearby
📷 4Natural landmarks · South West England
Sandroyd School
Sandroyd School — a school heritage in england-south-east, United Kingdom.
📷 5Archaeological sites · South West England
South Lodge camp Bronze Age enclosure with associated field system and round barrow cemetery, 350m east of Rushmore Farm
South Lodge camp Bronze Age enclosure with associated field system and round barrow cemetery, 350m east of Rushmore Farm — archaeological site in Wiltshire, England, UK.
📷 5Archaeological sites · South West England
Iron Age and Romano-British settlement remains on Rotherley Down
Iron Age and Romano-British settlement remains on Rotherley Down — archaeological site in Wiltshire, England, UK.
📷 5📷 5Memorials & monuments · South West England
Tollard Royal And Rushmore War Memorial
Tollard Royal And Rushmore War Memorial — Grade II listed building-listed memorial in england-south-east, United Kingdom.
📷 5Historic houses · South West England
King John's House, Tollard Royal
King John's House, Tollard Royal — house in Tollard Royal, Wiltshire, England, UK.
Where to eat & stay near Cranborne Chase
Places to stay
📷 5Caravan parks · South West England
Church Farm Campsite
Church Farm Campsite — a caravan park in england south east.
📷 5Caravan parks · South West England
Lower Farm Caravan Site
Lower Farm Caravan Site — a caravan park in england south east.
📷 5
📷 5
📷 5
📷 5Campsites · South West England
Blue 1 Exhibitor Camping
Blue 1 Exhibitor Camping — a campsite in england south east.
Places to eat & drink
📷 5
📷 7Historic pubs · South West England
The Talbot at Iwerne Minster
The Talbot at Iwerne Minster in England South West, United Kingdom.
📷 7
📷 5Historic pubs · South West England
Fox And Hounds Public House
Fox And Hounds Public House in England South West, United Kingdom.
📷 7Historic pubs · South West England
The Benett Arms
The Benett Arms in England South West, United Kingdom.
📷 7More archaeological sites in this region
📷 5Archaeological sites · South West England
Battlesbury Camp Monuments: hillfort, settlement, cemetery, barrows, enclosure, and field systems
Battlesbury Camp Monuments: hillfort, settlement, cemetery, barrows, enclosure, and field systems — archaeological site in Warminster, Wiltshire, England, UK.
📷 2Archaeological sites · South West England
Blandford Forest
Blandford Forest — forest in Blandford Forum, England.
📷 5Archaeological sites · South West England
Boulsbury Wood
Boulsbury Wood — protected area in Dorset and Hampshire, England.
📷 5Archaeological sites · South West England
Deserted medieval village E of Manor Farm
Deserted medieval village E of Manor Farm — archaeological site in Etchilhampton, Wiltshire, England, UK.
Frequently asked questions
- Where is Cranborne Chase?
- Cranborne Chase is in South-East England, United Kingdom (postcode SP5 5RW), in the parish of Sixpenny Handley and Pentridge.
- What is Cranborne Chase?
- Cranborne Chase — Plateau in southern England.
- How do I get to Cranborne Chase?
- Drivers can use postcode SP5 5RW.
- Is Cranborne Chase a listed building?
- Cranborne Chase is officially recognised as International Dark Sky Reserve listed.
- Is Cranborne Chase a protected site?
- Yes — Cranborne Chase is part of the River Avon System SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest and the Cranborne Chase SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest.
- Is Cranborne Chase free to visit?
- Yes, Cranborne Chase is free to enter.
- How do I get to Cranborne Chase?
- Drivers can navigate to postcode SP5 5RW. It sits within the North Dorset parliamentary constituency.