Eggardon Hill

Eggardon Hill is an Iron Age hillfort about 2,500 years old, its ramparts ringing a 252-metre downland summit above Askerswell, near Bridport, with views across the Marshwood Vale to the Jurassic Coast and the English Channel. Two Bronze Age burial mounds originally stood on the summit, and in the 18th century the smuggler Isaac Gulliver planted a small clump of trees as a landmark to guide his ships. The National Trust owns the southern half of the fort; the northern half is private. The plateau is fairly level underfoot, while the ramparts are steep and more challenging, and the Trust recommends the hill for flying kites. Orchids flower in spring, Adonis blue butterflies appear in early summer and autumn gentian follows. Dogs are welcome but should be kept under control where livestock graze. Reviewers praise the views and the space for children to run about. One tip from regular visitors: parking is very limited, in a free lay-by at the foot of the hill that is not the Trust's. There are no toilets.