Hill and views 2- The Knoll

The coast road between Bridport and Abbotsbury is one big viewpoint.. For ages, though,  I would catch a glimpse of this lonely, derelict building perched high on a hill above Bexington as I sped by.

Received wisdom somewhere down the line told me it was a fisherman's lookout for spotting shoals of fish. Whether this is true or not I can find no mention of the fact.




It's a romantic idea anyway and it was perfectly self contained with even a little fireplace to keep warm by. The Knoll is easy to reach as long as you don't miss the turning . A few minute scramble takes you to a thoughtfully placed bench at the feet of the little building.

The views are spectacular though the shoals long gone... served battered with chips, no doubt.

Hills and views 3-Pilsdon Pen SY414009

View across redundant trig point.

Braving hail, wind and then sunshine we scrambled to the top of Pilsdon Pen for a flask of tea and a breathtaking 360 degree view. The hill, the highest point in Dorset, hosted yet another Iron Age high rise until eviction by the Romans.

Ordnance Survey trig point silhouetted against the approaching hail storm

Its hummocky summit is just a short walk from the road and bears witness to various degrees of occupation: Bronze Age burial mounds, the remains of a medieval rabbit warren, and silhouetted against the skyline, another poignant relic, an Ordnance Survey trig point now consigned to history by the arrival of gps.

Needless to say, it's another satisfying location for kite flyers, dog walkers and the odd jogger.

There is a God!! The sun puts his hat on!