Radio observations of linear polarisation provide a useful probe of the physical conditions in the gaseous environments of compact steep spectrum (CSS) sources. Here, we present polarimetric VLBA observations at 8.4 GHz of the CSS quasar 3C 43. The jet in this source curves gently up to about 220 mas from the core, at which point it bends sharply, probably due to a jet–cloud encounter. Regions of polarised emission are detected along the jet, while the core component shows no significant polarisation.
