AN EXCITING discovery of an enormous system of ancient tracks trodden by medieval man has been made on a Purbeck heath.
Trackways probably in use between the 13th and 18th centuries have come to light on the RSPBs Stoborough Heath and they cover an area almost a mile long.
Created over decades by carts, sledges or stage coaches crossing sloping country in wet weather, the churned mud is eventually washed away, creating a sunken lane, also known as a holloway.
These ancient pathways, which survived near the Blue Pool at Furzebrook because the heathland was not ploughed, have been unearthed by modern technology.
Full Story