Lambert's Castle facts for kids
Lambert's Castle, seen from the east
|
|
 Location in Dorset
|
|
| Location | Dorset, England |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 50°47′14″N 2°53′42″W / 50.78713°N 2.89509°W |
| History | |
| Periods | Iron Age |
Lambert's Castle is an ancient hill fort found in Dorset, a county in southwest England. It was built way back in the Iron Age. Since 1981, this special place has been protected as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). This means it's important for its rocks, old history, and amazing plants and animals.
The hill fort sits high up on Lambert's Castle Hill, which is about 256 meters (840 feet) tall. Three sides of the fort have very steep natural slopes. On the flatter southern side, there are long, raised banks that were part of its defenses. The National Trust owns this site, so it's looked after for everyone to enjoy. You can get there easily by car, as there's a car park near the B3165 road. Two other hill forts are close by: Coney's Castle is about 1.5 kilometers (1 mile) south, and Pilsdon Pen is about 5 kilometers (3 miles) to the northeast.
Contents
A Look Back in Time
Lambert's Castle was built around 2,500 years ago. You can still see a big ditch and bank near the western entrance, which were part of its original design. For many years, from 1709 to 1947, a big fair was held here. People even used the hilltop as a racecourse during these events!
What the Hill is Made Of
The hill at Lambert's Castle is made up of different layers of rock. The main parts are sands and marls from the middle Lias period. On top, there are remains of Gault and Upper Greensand rocks. You'll also find strong springs flowing out where these different rock layers meet.
Nature's Home
Lambert's Castle is a fantastic place for nature, with many different types of plants and animals.
Life on the Plateau
The flat top of the hill has a mix of grassy areas, open heathland, and small patches of trees. Here you'll find grasses like sheep-fescue and sweet vernal-grass. There are also pretty flowers such as tormentil, heath milkwort, and heath bedstraw. Look out for heather, bell heather, and even some small bilberry plants. You might also see gorse, bramble, bracken, and trees like birch, hawthorn, rowan, and oak.
Wet and Wonderful Areas
Where the Upper Greensand and Gault rocks meet, there are wet, boggy areas. These spots are home to special plants that love damp conditions. You can find purple moor-grass, common cottongrass, and different types of sedges. Bog moss is common here, along with beautiful flowers like heath spotted-orchid, bog asphodel, and marsh violet. Keep an eye out for the rare lesser butterfly-orchid and pale butterwort.
Lower Slopes' Greenery
The lower parts of the hill have rich, grassy areas with many different wildflowers. You'll see grasses like crested dogstail and red fescue. Common wildflowers include common knapweed, red clover, ox-eye daisy, and common bird-foot-trefoil. Sometimes, you might spot lady's-mantle, dyer's greenweed, or adders-tongue.
Soggy Spots in the Grass
Even in the grassy areas, there are some very wet spots. These damp patches are perfect for plants like soft rush, sharp-flowered rush, and various sedges. Other plants that thrive here include common marsh-bedstraw, marsh pennywort, ragged-robin, and greater birds-foot-trefoil. You might also find bog pimpernel and bristle clubrush.
Cool Critters You Might See
Lambert's Castle is also home to some interesting insects.
- The amazing Glow-worm (Lampyris noctiluca) can be seen here.
- Two beautiful butterflies, the Pearl-bordered fritillary (Boloria selene) and the Small pearl-bordered fritillary (Bolaria euphrosyne), also live on the hill.
Images for kids
-
A 3D view of the digital terrain model of Lambert's Castle.
