Broadmayne’s Celtic place name comes from ‘maen’ meaning stone, although the village is not so old. The village is not recorded in the Domesday Book and it grew with the development of its brickworks.

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© Copyright John Lamper and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence

The White Horse was cut into the chalk in about 1808 in honour of King George III who often visited Weymouth. The hill side is also special for its flora and rare butterflies.

Photograph © Dorset AONB

This Neolithic bank barrow is about 180 metres long and 2 metres high and over 4,500 years old. There is no record of any archaeological excavations here.

Photograph © Dorset AONB

An early Iron Age hill fort, Chalbury has a single rampart and external ditch with one original entrance at the south east. The interior shows extensive signs of occupation.

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© Copyright Mike Searle and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence

Bronze Age round barrows, burial mounds about 4,000 years old. This group can be seen clearly from Weymouth.

Photograph © Dorset AONB

Site of deserted medieval village. The uneven ground shows where trackways, buildings and even a church once stood.

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© Copyright Nigel Mykura and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence

Among the largest and most complex Iron Age hill forts in Europe, Maiden Castle’s huge ramparts enclose an area the size of 50 football pitches.

Photo courtesy of Ray Beer.

A large bowl barrow. An excavation in 1882 discovered some of the best finds on the Ridgeway including a gold lozenge.

Photograph © Dorset AONB

The village with two names, it’s mentioned in the Domesday Book. The South Winterbourne runs through the village which has a mediaeval church and 19th century washing pool.

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© Copyright Chris Downer and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence

Well known for its early Bronze Age Barrow cemetery with many round barrows, built around 4,000 years ago.

Photograph © Dorset AONB

A late Neolithic or early Bronze Age stone circle. It is one of only four stone circles known to survive within the area, and it's location in a valley bottom is unusual.

Photograph © Dorset AONB

Tower built in memory of Vice Admiral Sir Thomas Masterman Hardy of HMS Victory (National Trust).

Photograph © Dorset AONB

Remains of the heavily restored Neolithic chambered long barrow over 4,500 years old.

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© Copyright Alan Simkins and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence

A village of local limestone cottages and a medieval church, Portesham was originally granted as a manor by King Canute in 1024.

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© Copyright mick finn and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence

Hampton is a 6m oval. The original circle may have been demolished in the late 17th century. The circle was restored after an excavation in 1965.

Photograph © Dorset AONB

A valley well known for its ‘train’ of sarsen stones, a natural feature where rocks have gathered in the valley bottom. You can also see Celtic field systems here.

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© Copyright Tom Munro and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence

A large Bronze Age round barrow cemetery, with a number of different types including bell barrows, disc barrows and bowl barrows. The land was later set aside for the parish poor to gather firewood.

Photograph © Dorset AONB

Mentioned in the Domesday Book, the village sits at the head of the Bride Valley. It was improved by an early landlord and in 1850 the church was remodelled with its miniature spire.

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© Copyright Chris Downer and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence

This circle was built about 4000 years ago and would have originally been an important ritual and meeting place. It’s about 24m across and all 18 stones are now lying down.

Photograph © Dorset AONB

This long barrow as built nearly 6 thousand years ago to bury an important early resident of the Ridgeway area.

Photograph © Dorset AONB

The name is from the Saxon, ‘the town on the Abbot’. The monastery here dated from the 11th century. The village is also well known for its Swannery.

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© Copyright David Cowling and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence