Views from Lambert's Castle, an Iron Age hill fort in the neighbouring county of Dorsetshire.

More from the archives! Below are some photos taken on a crisp, beautiful January day in 2015 during a stroll around Lambert's Castle and Lambert's Castle Hill in the neighbouring county of Dorsetshire.

A view from the ramparts of Lambert's Castle in Dorsetshire.

The view to the south east from Lamberts Castle in Dorsetshire.

A view over Marshwood Vale in Dorsetshire taken from Lambert's Castle Hill.

The view to the north-east from Lambert's Castle Hill in Dorsetshire.

The view from Lambert's Castle Hill in Dorsetshire with Portland on the horizon.

Lambert’s Castle Hill, which is in the care of the National Trust, lies in the south-west corner of the county of Dorsetshire only 4 miles due east of Axminster in Devonshire.

Its car park is approached along a narrow pot-holed track off the B3165 which links Crewkerne in Somerset to the A35.  Keep an eye open as the track is very easy to miss, or it was when I visited back in 2015!

On Lambert’s Castle Hill is the Iron Age hill fort of Lambert’s Castle which has had some interesting uses in recent centuries.  In 1709 the right to hold an annual fair was granted – a tradition which was carried on until 1947. 

Lambert’s Castle Hill is Dorsetshire’s second highest point, therefore it is not surprising that in 1806, during the Napoleonic Wars, the Admiralty built a telegraph station on the hill top.  Using a shutter system, messages could be relayed via a chain of stations from Plymouth to London and back in only 20 minutes.  I wonder on how many days of the year visibility allowed such impressive efficiency?

On a clear day the views from Lambert’s Castle over the beautiful Marshwood Vale to Portland on the horizon are difficult to better.  Well worth having a pair of binoculars to hand if you visit!

The late afternoon sky in January 2015 at Lambert's Castle in Dorsetshire.