East Wansdyke in Wiltshire, on the south of the Marlborough Downs, has been less disturbed by later agriculture and building. It is more clearly traceable on the ground than the western part. In places the bank is up to high and the ditch as much as deep. Since at least the tenth century there have been gaps, gates, in the work. Fowler suggests that its plan is consistent with those of Roman border fortifications such as Hadrian's Wall, not just a military defence but intended to control locals and travelers along the Wessex Ridgeway. He suggests further that the works were never finished, abandoned in the face of a political change which removed their rationale. Wansdyke's origins are unclear, but the eastern part was probably built during the 5th or 6th century. That is, after the withdrawal of the Romans, and before the arrival of the Anglo-Saxons.