Lewesdon Hill

At 279 metres, Lewesdon Hill is the highest point in Dorset, a title long given to neighbouring Pilsdon Pen before a modern survey put Lewesdon 2 metres above it. The summit is a grassy plateau ringed by ancient woodland, so the views over Devon, Somerset and out to sea come in glimpses between the trees. A steep natural slope guards one side and a bank and ditch the flatter side, possibly a refuge for Iron Age people in times of threat, and an Armada beacon stood here in 1588. A memorial remembers the Belgian pilot whose Spitfire crashed into the hillside in 1942. Some of the beech and oak trees are over 200 years old, with bluebells in spring and fungi in autumn. Dog walkers are welcome, and the Trust advises keeping dogs on a short lead. Reviewers praise the old woodland and the far-reaching views. Tips from visitors: there is no car park, only room for a few cars by the road or parking in Broadwindsor, about a mile below, and the final stretch to the top is steep.