Badbury Rings – Iron Age Hill Fort
It has been a week since the lockdown rules have been relaxed and it although we are lucky enough to have some beautiful walks on our doorstep, it has been lovely to go a little further afield as the kids were getting a little bored of seeing the same sights.
We are lucky enough to live in Dorset, so have lots of beautiful countryside around us and haven’t travelled anymore than 15 minutes from home by car.
This week we ventured to Badbury Rings, an Iron Age hill fort just outside Wimborne, so perfect for some impromptu history lessons too. The site dates from around 800 BC and was in use until the Roman occupation of 43 AD.
We have visited before and the kids love running up and down the banks, but this time we explored the area around the rings too, which treated us to woodland walks and some spectacular views over the surrounding countryside.
Although the car park was full when we arrived, it is a large area and we hardly saw anyone when we were exploring.
The paths are wide and there are plenty of passing places if you need to move out of the way to let someone past.
The pathways are mostly mud / gravel and were uneven in places, something to bear in mind if taking a pram / pushchair, or if visiting after it has been raining.
The best bit about Badbury Rings is the space and the kids loved being able to run and play.
They raced up and down the banks, climbed trees and chilled out in the shade.
There was even some playful games as Kian leaned the kids over the edge of the fort, testing their trust.
We met some of the locals, who seemed completely unfazed by our presence.
Plus, we even managed a family photo, thanks to our drone, which my husband has been itching to take out for weeks!
Badbury Rings is the perfect location for a walk or a picnic as there is plenty of space to spread out and maintain your social distance.
The carpark is owned by the National Trust and parking is free at the moment. There are limited spaces, which will also help keep the number of visitors down.
Sim @ Sim's Life
What a gorgeous area for a walk, steeped in lots of history! I have never visited Dorset, it’s on my bucket list though!
Sarah Bailey
What an amazing looking place to go and explore, right now it seems like somewhere you can go have fun, run, explore and be away from people which is perfect.
Samantha Donnelly
It looks a lovely place to go and explore and keep away from others, we have loads of places around us and they have all be so busy unfortunately
Kristine Nicole Alessandra
What a beautiful place for some outdoor fun with the family. I wish we were allowed to do that, but even parks are closed here. We cannot even drive outside of our own city. When this pandemic is over, we will really go on a road trip.
Rebecca Smith
That sounds like a wonderful place to explore. I am hoping to get out and about this weekend when Steve is off work.
Yeah Lifestyle
It is a wonderful feeling when you are able to go out to someplace like Badbury Rings for a walk, run or play especially after the long lockdown. Loving your first drone shot and the family shot. So well captured as well.
Rowena Corderoy
Such lovely photos and looks like you all had a lovely time exploring. This looks like a great place to go for daily walks
Stephanie Merry
What a beautiful place to go and explore and that fact you live so local to it as well is amazing x