Town Walks, Dorchester

The Town Walks are tree-lined public promenades in Dorchester, Dorset, following the line of the Roman defences of Durnovaria. The first earthen bank and ditch were constructed no earlier than AD 130, with stone walls added in the 4th century using stone quarried from the Ridgeway near Upwey and cemented with lime mortar. The walks extend across three sides of the rectangular Roman enclosure covering approximately 7 hectares. Between 1702 and 1743 the ruined walls were landscaped into tree-lined avenues. Only one wall fragment survives, incorporated into a garden wall south of the Top o' Town roundabout. The walks are registered Grade II on the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens.