Lambert's and Coney's Castle

Lambert's Castle and Coney's Castle are two Iron Age hillforts less than a mile apart in the west Dorset hills near Marshwood. Lambert's, built by the local tribe some 2,500 years ago, still shows a prominent ditch and bank at its western entrance; its flat, grassy top hosted an annual fair between 1709 and 1947, and in 1806 a relay station was built here, one of a chain between Plymouth and London to warn of a French invasion. Coney's Castle is smaller and unusual in that its ramparts enclose two separate areas, now wooded with ancient, gnarled oaks and beeches. Views reach across the Marshwood Vale and out to sea. Dog walkers are welcome, with a short lead needed near ground-nesting birds and farm animals and essential around sheep. Reviewers single out the bluebells at Coney's Castle. Reviewers note that the car parks are small and that the forts are not easy to find along the narrow country lanes. The Lambert's Castle car park takes digital payment only through the JustPark app, best downloaded beforehand as phone signal is poor.