Flower's Barrow facts for kids
Flower's Barrow is a very old hillfort built during the Iron Age. This means it was made over 2,500 years ago! It sits high above Worbarrow Bay in Dorset, on the south coast of England.
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Where is Flower's Barrow?
Flower's Barrow is about 11 miles (18 km) west of Swanage. It is also about 6.25 miles (10.1 km) south-west of Wareham.
This ancient hillfort is on a ridge that looks over Worbarrow Bay. It is also found behind the beach at Arish Mell. The hill is just west of the ghost village of Tyneham. Sadly, parts of Flower's Barrow are slowly falling into the sea. This is happening because of coastal erosion, where the land is worn away by the ocean. More than half of the hillfort might already be gone.
How to Visit Flower's Barrow
You can only reach Flower's Barrow by walking. You can start from Tyneham, but it's a steep climb up the hill. Another way is to walk from the car park at Whiteway Hill.
It's important to know that Flower's Barrow is on land used by the Ministry of Defence (MoD). This area is called the Lulworth Ranges. It is part of a training school for armoured vehicles. The ranges are open to the public only at certain times.
The MoD puts up safety signs about explosives. There might be unexploded shells from military training. Visitors must stay on the official footpaths. Always follow the local signs for your safety.
What is a Hillfort?
Flower's Barrow is an early Iron Age hillfort. It was later used by the Romans when they came to Britain. A hillfort is like an ancient castle built on a hill. It was used for defense.
This hillfort has strong defenses. You can clearly see its double and triple walls, called ramparts. These ramparts run along the east, west, and north sides. The steep cliffs on the south side acted as a natural defense. So, no walls were needed there.
Discoveries at the Hillfort
Over time, parts of the hillfort have been exposed by coastal erosion. Inside the fort, you can see signs of old Hut circles. These were round areas where people's homes once stood.
In 1939, a small dig found some interesting things. They found pieces of Iron Age pottery, sling-stones (used as weapons), and animal bones. These were found in a pit near the western entrance. More recent landslides have shown even more of the hillfort's floor. It's possible that more ancient items could be found here.
However, finding new things is risky. There's the danger of the cliff falling. Also, there's the chance of finding unexploded military shells from the Lulworth Ranges. So, visitors are always warned to stay on the footpaths. They should also stay between the yellow MoD markers for safety.
The Rocks of Flower's Barrow
If you look at the bay, you'll see steep, angled layers of rock. These layers show how the rocks were folded and twisted a long time ago. This happened about 30 million years ago. It was caused by huge forces when the African and European continents slowly pushed into each other.
Because of this pushing, the rock layers were twisted. This is why you find Chalk rocks, which are 85 to 145 million years old, at the back of the bay. Other rocks, like those forming Mupe Ledges, Mupe Rocks, and Worbarrow Tout, are even older. They are 150-million-year-old Portland Limestone and 147-million-year-old Purbeck Beds.
