Discover Pilsdon

When choosing Pilsdon as your destination, you can focus on history, walking or visiting a garden. Pilsdon Pen combines a well-preserved Iron Age site with three routes that cross the hill. St Mary's Church and The Garden at Pilsdon offer other points of interest. You can plan your visit around what interests you most.

Pilsdon Pen: Hillfort and walking trails

Pilsdon Pen is a well-preserved, multivallate Iron Age hillfort and a Scheduled Monument. The term “multivallate” refers to its multiple ramparts; “Iron Age” places the site in its historical period. Together with its designation as a monument, the hillfort has a clear historical character. If you are interested in early fortified sites, its form, state of preservation and historical period provide a specific focus for planning your trip.

The long-distance Wessex Ridgeway and Monarch's Way trails cross Pilsdon Pen; the Jubilee Trail also crosses the hill. From the bus stop area in Broadwindsor, the Monarch's Way climbs up to Pilsdon Pen. This lets you distinguish the three named trail connections in your plans from the specific ascent from Broadwindsor. Check local transport links before travelling.

The climb to the summit is steep and includes steps and steep ascents. Take these terrain features into account when fitting the route into your day. There is also a lay-by at the foot of the hillfort that is not owned by the National Trust.

St Mary's Church and its history

St Mary's Church in Pilsdon dates from the late 14th century. The former parish church is now used as a private chapel. These two details help distinguish its construction date from its current function: the church is a different historical point of interest from the Iron Age hillfort, and it is currently used as a private chapel. If you are interested in local history, it offers its own, distinctly later historical layer.

The Garden at Pilsdon: Plants and games

Below Pilsdon Pen, The Garden at Pilsdon covers a 2.5-acre garden. It features rare and unusual plants. The garden also has traditional outdoor games, including life-size Snakes and Ladders and croquet. Plants and games offer a different focus from the ramparts and trails at the Pen: here, the emphasis is on the garden and outdoor recreation.

The courtyard serves homemade cakes, hot and cold drinks, and ice cream. This gives you a way to distinguish different interests when planning your visit: Pilsdon Pen combines a historic site with trails and a steep climb, while The Garden brings together plants, games and refreshments. St Mary's Church adds its history as a former parish church and its current use as a private chapel.

Discover more destinations: Shillingstone, Portland, Saint Ives, Iwerne Courtney, Ringstead, Bournemouth, Charmouth, Hampreston.

For the overview of the wider area: Dorset.