Most of the current knowledge about the course of this ancient earthwork comes from aerial photography (where its course can be seen as cropmarks or soil marks) and other geophysical surveying techniques.
However, there are a few locations (mentioned below) where the banks, much reduced in size, are still visible; the best-preserved earthworks are those of the southwestern terminal on Thickthorn Down (grid reference ST969124).
The relationship between the Cursus and the alignment of these barrows suggests that they had a common ritual significance to the Neolithic people who spent an estimated 0.5 million worker-hours in its construction.
A 250 m length of the south-east bank remains on the northeast-facing slope of Bottlebush Down (grid reference SU019161, at right angles to the B3081 road).
It has been suggested that any processions along the Cursus would take place from the Martin Down terminal in a southwesterly direction for maximum visual impact (of natural and artificial features) along the route.
A view northeast from Gussage Down towards Bottlebush Down - the approximate course of the Cursus banks are superimposed in white. The round barrows on Wyke Down can be seen in the centre of the photo. The cursus has a slight change of direction as it climbs Bottlebush Down and it is thought that the original terminal of the cursus was at this point (and was later extended another 4.5 km north-east to Martin Down).
Most of the cursus earthworks have long since been destroyed and its course is only visible as soilmarks when conditions are favourable. Looking southwest from the edge of Salisbury Plantation, the course of the northern bank and ditch is visible as a dark stripe gently meandering down the hillslope (towards the right of this photo). The southern bank is just inside the field boundary (towards the left of the photo).
This long barrow at
grid reference
SU025169
is intimately related to the Dorset Cursus, in that it is incorporated into the northern bank. The barrow is very closely aligned with the Cursus (NE-SW) but its greater prominence would have made it clearly distinguishable from the bank. It is suggested that the barrow pre-dates the Cursus, and its direct inclusion into the structure of the Cursus implies a strong connection between the long barrows and the purpose of the Cursus.
Diagram showing a longitudinal section along the route of the Dorset Cursus.
A surviving section of the Cursus' southern bank on the ridge of Bottlebush Down (
grid reference
SU016163
), at right angles to the
B3081
road.
The earthworks of the Cursus' southwestern terminal on Thickthorn Down. The enlarged bank ends can be clearly seen, and the end of the cursus is squared off with a terminal bank about 100 m in length. The course of the Cursus heads off to the right of the photo.
