WALKS IN DORSET

Walks in Dorset: Introduction | Coney's Castle | Champernhayes Woods | Lambert's Castle | Langdon Wood and Golden Cap | Morcombelake to Charmouth | Pilsdon Pen

PILSDON PEN

Pilsdon Pen is one of a number of impressive iron aged hill forts in west Dorset and can easily be accessed from the B3164.

• Location: Latitude: 50.804796N Longitude: 2.83311W
• Map: Ordnance Survey Explorer 116 (ISBN 0-319-23536-X) Scale: 1:25 000
• Grid Reference: SY414009
• Walk Distance: Less than 2km (Allow an hour)
• Rating: Moderate (Initial steep climb from car park)
• When to Go: Summertime

INFORMATION

This Iron age hill fortress is managed by the National Trust. There is a small car park on the B3164 at the base of the southern end of the pen. As always don't leave anything in your car that you don't want to be stolen.

From the car park you need to carefully cross the road an follow the path up the hil to the triangulation point. At 277 metres this point affords great views in almost every direction. There is an information panel which details some of the pens's history and wildlife. You can follow the ramparts around in a circular loop around this rather amazing fortress.

THINGS TO DO

Pilsdon Pen is popular with picnic groups and dog walkers. Dog should be kept under close control during the lambing season or when there are animals grazing. The other activity that seems popular is the flying of radio controlled planes and gliders. Pilsdon Pen is also on the route of two long distance walks: The Wessex Ridgeway and The Jubilee Trail.

WILDLIFE

Pilsdon Pen once housed a medieval rabbit warren, the outlines of which can still be seen from the air. Rabbits are everywhere and the rabbits attract the buzzards. Foxes may also be encountered.

PHOTOGRAPHY

There are great views in almost every direction from the top of Pilsdon Pen - no wonder it was such a great site for a fort. Given the right conditions you may be able to experiment with some landscape photography.  

OTHER PLACES TO VISIT NEAR BY

Shave Cross is signposted from the Pilsdon Pen car park. Marshwood is not far up the road too the west whilst the village of Broadwindsor is just up the B3164 to the west. 

Other walks include: Introduction | Coney's Castle | Champernhayes Woods | Lambert's Castle | Langdon Wood and Golden Cap | Morcombelake to Charmouth | Pilsdon Pen

LINKS

• The National Trust - Pilsdon Pen is managed by the National Trust.
• The Met Office - Check out the weather for Pilsdon Pen.
• Wiki Article on Pilsdon Pen

MAP

To get directions to and from Pilsdon Pen car park please click on the icon and follow the instructions.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

This page was written by Jonathan Tolhurst while job hunting in the summer of 2008. The page was last updated in August 2008.

If you would like to contribute further information regarding this or any other walk please contact me for further information. If you like my work you might like my CV.

You are free to use any photograph on this page for non commercial purposes as long as you acknowledge the photographer. Please contact me if you would like to use my photographs for commercial use.

ENGLAND 2008 PHOTOGRAPHS

Quick links to all my recent photographs: Shave Cross Inn | Lyme Regis | Week Ending 30 June 2008 | Tolhurst Family Photographs | Week Ending 06 July 2008 | Week Ending 13 July 2008 | Bristol | Cinderford and Kingsland | Week Ending 20 July 2008 | Week Ending 27 July 2008 | Loughborough | Week Ending 03 August 2008 | Weymouth | Week Ending 10 August 2008 | Basingstoke | Week Ending 17 August 2008 | Exeter | Week Ending 24 August 2008 | Candles on the Cobb | Week Ending 31 August 2008 | Tolhurst Family Portraits 1 | Tolhurst Family Portraits 2 | Week Ending 07 September 2008 | Fishpond | Week Ending 14 September 2008 | Clifton | Churches in Bristol | SS Great Britain and Bristol Waterfront | Week Ending 21 September 2008 | West Bay and Charmouth | Colmer's Hill and Bridport | Week Ending 28 September 2008 | Portland Bill | Church Ope Cove | Week Ending 05 October 2008 | Marrakesh (1) | Marrakesh (2) | Week Ending 12 October 2008 | Random Objects | Week Ending 19 October 2008 | Stonehenge | Week Ending 26 October 2008 | Avebury | Week Ending 2 November 2008 | Week Ending 9 November 2008 | Week Ending 16 November 2008 | Holly's 5th Birthday | Week Ending 23 November 2008 | Week Ending 21 December 2008 | Week Ending 28 December 2008 | London Portraits