← Back✦ Historic site

Earthworks on Gussage Down

44 ha

📷 Simon Barnes · Geograph · CC BY-SA 2.0

Plan your visit

BirdsWildlifeHeritage

Public accessFree entryDogs welcome44 ha

Getting here

50.92526, -2.01087

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Visiting this summer

Seasonal nature notes and what to look for now

🐦65+ species recorded in this area — summer evenings are best for activity; watch for Kestrel and Carrion Crow
✦Historic character is a year-round quality here — summer brings its own atmosphere to the setting
🐕Dogs welcome — bring water in summer; the site has enough space to find shade on hot days

🌤️ Visiting this summer

🐦65+ species recorded in this area — summer evenings are best for activity; watch for Kestrel and Carrion Crow
✦Historic character is a year-round quality here — summer brings its own atmosphere to the setting
🐕Dogs welcome — bring water in summer; the site has enough space to find shade on hot days

Good to know

£Free to visit — no entry charge
🐕Dogs welcome

Best for

7 activities

Bird watching

Very strong match

Birds — Kestrel, Carrion Crow, Woodpigeon +62 more · last seen 2025

Free

Wildlife

Strong match

Birds — Kestrel, Carrion Crow, Woodpigeon +62 more · last seen 2025; Lowland calcareous grassland priority habitat

Free

Heritage

Strong match

Historic site with public access

Free

Insect spotting

Strong match

Chalk and limestone grassland — chalkhill blue, adonis blue and rare moths; Insects — Small White, Meadow Brown, Green-veined White +19 more · last seen 2025

Free

Dog walks

Good match

Dogs allowed with public access

Free

Hiking

Good match

Named hiking route nearby: Jubilee Trail (Dorset); Named hiking route nearby: Jubilee Trail (Dorset)

Free

Trails nearby

Within roughly 5 km

🚶

Walking

4 signed routes nearby · 2 public paths nearby

Signed route nearbyPublic paths

Shire RackWalking route

Path following the Dorset-Wiltshire border

Named route

Wessex RidgewayWalking route

Named routeRef WRRegional walking route

Jubilee Trail (Dorset)Walking route

Named routeRegional walking route

The Hardy WayWalking route

Named routeRegional walking route

🚴

Cycling

2 signed routes nearby

Signed route nearby

National BywayCycling route

Named routeRef NBRegional cycle route

North Dorset Cycle WayCycling route

Named routeRegional cycle route

🚵

Mountain biking

1 signed route nearby

Signed route nearby

Wessex Ridgeway TrailMountain bike route

Named routeListed length 207km

🐴

Horse riding

13 public paths nearby

Public paths

Ackling Dykebridleway · 3.9 km

Public pathbridlewayLength 3.9 kmPath type: track

Wildlife to spot

21,633 records · National Biodiversity Network

Wildlife to spot

21,633 records · National Biodiversity Network

🐦

Birds52 species

winter

2025

Kestrel · Carrion Crow · Woodpigeon · Rook · Goldfinch +47

KestrelFalco tinnunculus
Carrion CrowCorvus corone
WoodpigeonColumba palumbus
RookCorvus frugilegus
GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis
Corn BuntingEmberiza calandra
Grey PartridgePerdix perdix
ChaffinchFringilla coelebs
StarlingSturnus vulgaris
Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus
Pied WagtailMotacilla alba yarrellii
RedwingTurdus iliacus
BlackbirdTurdus merula
SkylarkAlauda arvensis
JackdawColoeus monedula
WrenTroglodytes troglodytes
Meadow PipitAnthus pratensis
RobinErithacus rubecula
FieldfareTurdus pilaris
StonechatSaxicola rubicola
YellowhammerEmberiza citrinella
LinnetLinaria cannabina
DunnockPrunella modularis
RavenCorvus corax
Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus
MagpiePica pica
Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus
JayGarrulus glandarius
Song ThrushTurdus philomelos
PheasantPhasianus colchicus
Herring GullLarus argentatus
SwallowHirundo rustica
Stock DoveColumba oenas
House MartinDelichon urbicum
WhitethroatCurruca communis
SnipeGallinago gallinago
Great TitParus major
BullfinchPyrrhula pyrrhula
TreecreeperCerthia familiaris
Marsh TitPoecile palustris
GoldcrestRegulus regulus
NuthatchSitta europaea
House SparrowPasser domesticus
Golden PloverPluvialis apricaria
Jack SnipeLymnocryptes minimus
Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilus
RedstartPhoenicurus phoenicurus
WheatearOenanthe oenanthe
WhinchatSaxicola rubetra
BlackcapSylvia atricapilla
ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita
SwiftApus apus

🐝

Insects2 species

summer

2025

Broad-bodied Chaser · Common Darter

Broad-bodied ChaserLibellula depressa
Common DarterSympetrum striolatum

Species observations from the last 10 years via NBN Atlas

Wildlife to spot

21,633 records · National Biodiversity Network

🐦

Birds52 species

winter

2025

Kestrel · Carrion Crow · Woodpigeon · Rook · Goldfinch +47

KestrelFalco tinnunculus
Carrion CrowCorvus corone
WoodpigeonColumba palumbus
RookCorvus frugilegus
GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis
Corn BuntingEmberiza calandra
Grey PartridgePerdix perdix
ChaffinchFringilla coelebs
StarlingSturnus vulgaris
Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus
Pied WagtailMotacilla alba yarrellii
RedwingTurdus iliacus
BlackbirdTurdus merula
SkylarkAlauda arvensis
JackdawColoeus monedula
WrenTroglodytes troglodytes
Meadow PipitAnthus pratensis
RobinErithacus rubecula
FieldfareTurdus pilaris
StonechatSaxicola rubicola
YellowhammerEmberiza citrinella
LinnetLinaria cannabina
DunnockPrunella modularis
RavenCorvus corax
Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus
MagpiePica pica
Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus
JayGarrulus glandarius
Song ThrushTurdus philomelos
PheasantPhasianus colchicus
Herring GullLarus argentatus
SwallowHirundo rustica
Stock DoveColumba oenas
House MartinDelichon urbicum
WhitethroatCurruca communis
SnipeGallinago gallinago
Great TitParus major
BullfinchPyrrhula pyrrhula
TreecreeperCerthia familiaris
Marsh TitPoecile palustris
GoldcrestRegulus regulus
NuthatchSitta europaea
House SparrowPasser domesticus
Golden PloverPluvialis apricaria
Jack SnipeLymnocryptes minimus
Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilus
RedstartPhoenicurus phoenicurus
WheatearOenanthe oenanthe
WhinchatSaxicola rubetra
BlackcapSylvia atricapilla
ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita
SwiftApus apus

🐝

Insects2 species

summer

2025

Broad-bodied Chaser · Common Darter

Broad-bodied ChaserLibellula depressa
Common DarterSympetrum striolatum

Species observations from the last 10 years via NBN Atlas

Wildlife to spot

Photos

📷 Simon Barnes · Geograph · CC BY-SA 2.0

Gussage Down.

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Nearby places

Useful places within 5 km

✦ST GILES' HOUSEHistoric site3.2 km→✦EarthworkHistoric site500 m→✦SettlementHistoric site500 m→✦EarthworkHistoric site1.1 km→✦Part of Ackling Dyke (Roman road), including Roman road on Oakley DownHistoric site1.9 km→✦TumulusHistoric site300 m→