View source for Lambert's Castle

{{short description|Historic hill fort in Dorset, England}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox ancient site
 |name = Lambert's Castle
 |native_name = 
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 |image = Lambert's Castle 1.jpg
 |alt = 
 |caption = Lambert's Castle, seen from the east
 |map_type = Dorset
 |map_caption = Location of the site in Dorset
 |map_size = 250px
 |coordinates = {{coord|50.78713|N|2.89509|W|display=inline,title}}
 |location = [[Dorset]], [[England]]
 |region = 
 |type = 
 |part_of = 
 |length = 
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 |area = 
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 |builder = 
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 |built = 
 |abandoned = 
 |epochs = [[British Iron Age|Iron Age]]
 |cultures = 
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 |excavations = 
 |archaeologists = 
 |condition = 
 |ownership =[[National Trust]] 
 |management = 
 |public_access =Yes, Open Access Land 
 |website = <!-- {{URL|example.com}} -->
 |notes = 
|designation1=Scheduled monument|designation1_offname=Lambert's Castle: an Iron Age hillfort 425m west of Nash Farm, with a bowl barrow, and the sites of a post-medieval fair and a telegraph station|designation1_date=26 August 1924|designation1_number=1017035}}
'''Lambert's Castle''' is an [[Iron Age]] [[hill fort|hillfort]] in the county of [[Dorset]] in southwest [[England]].<ref name="Tel">[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/activityandadventure/walkingholidays/7813162/Lamberts-Castle-Dorset-Walk-of-the-week.html ''Lamberts Castle, Dorset: Walk of the week''] at www.telegraph.co.uk. Accessed on 22 Mar 2013.</ref> Since 1981 it has been designated as a [[Site of Special Scientific Interest]] (SSSI) on account of its [[geology]], [[archaeology]] and [[ecology]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=SSSI detail|url=https://designatedsites.naturalengland.org.uk/SiteDetail.aspx?SiteCode=S1000318&SiteName=Lambert%27s%20Castle&countyCode=&responsiblePerson=&SeaArea=&IFCAArea=|access-date=2021-12-01|website=designatedsites.naturalengland.org.uk}}</ref> The hillfort is designated a [[scheduled monument]] together with a [[bowl barrow]], the sites of a [[Post-medieval archaeology|post-medieval]] [[fair]] and a [[Telegraphy|telegraph station]].<ref>{{NHLE|desc=Lambert's Castle: an Iron Age hillfort 425m west of Nash Farm, with a bowl barrow, and the sites of a post-medieval fair and a telegraph station, Marshwood |num=1017035|access-date=2021-12-01}}</ref> The site was on the [[Heritage at Risk Register]] but was removed in 2022 as a result of the Hillforts and Habitats Project.<ref>{{Cite web |title='Fine condition': Hillforts no longer 'at risk' after protection work |url=https://www.bridportnews.co.uk/news/20039393.at-risk-dorset-hillforts-now-in-fine-condition/ |access-date=2022-04-04 |website=Bridport and Lyme Regis News |language=en}}</ref>
[[File:Lamberts Castle Digital Terrain Model.jpg|thumb|3D view of the digital terrain model]]
The hillfort is situated on a broad northerly spur at the summit of [[Lambert's Castle Hill]], which rises to a height of {{convert|256|m}}. There are steep natural slopes on three sides of the fort, and linear ramparts across the flat southern approaches. The site is owned by the [[National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty|National Trust]]. A car park is accessible from the [[B3165 road]]. There are two other hill-forts near Lambert's Castle: [[Coney's Castle]] is about {{convert|1.5|km|1}} to its south, and [[Pilsdon Pen]] is about {{convert|5|km|abbr=on}} to its north-east.

== History ==
Lamberts Castle was built around 2,500 years ago; a prominent ditch and bank still survive near the western entrance. A fair was held here from 1709 to 1947, during which the hilltop was used as a racecourse.<ref name="Tel"/>

==Geology==
The site consists of sands and marls of the middle [[Lias (period)|Lias]] with the remains of [[Gault]] and [[Upper Greensand]] capping. There are strong outflows of springs at various junctions of the upper greensand and gault.

==Ecology==
{{Unreferenced section|date=July 2022}}

===Plateau surface of Upper Greensand===
This is a mosaic of acidic grassland, open heath, [[scrubland]] and secondary woodland and comprises: sheep-fescue (''[[Festuca ovina]]''), sweet vernal-grass (''[[Anthoxanthum odoratum]]''), early hair-grass (''[[Aira praecox]]''), heath-grass (''[[Danthonia decumbens]]'') and field wood-rush (''[[Luzula campestris]]''). Herbs present include abundant tormentil (''[[Potentilla erecta]]''), heath milkwort (''[[Polygala serpyllifolia]]''), cats-ear (''[[Hypochaeris radicata]]''), heath bedstraw (''[[Galium saxatile]]''), heather (''[[Calluna vulgaris]]''), bell heather (''[[Erica cinerea]]''), bristle bent (''[[Agrostis curtisii]]''), bilberry (''[[Vaccinium myrtillus]]''), [[bryophyte]]s, [[lichen]], gorse (''[[Ulex europaeus]]''), western gorse (''[[Ulex gallii]]''), bramble (''[[Rubus fruticosus]]''), bracken (''[[Pteridium aquilinum]]''), birch (''[[Betula]]'' spp.), hawthorn (''[[Crataegus monogyna]]''), rowan (''[[Sorbus aucuparia]]'') and pedunculate oak (''[[Quercus robur]]'').

===Upper Greensand / Gault junction===
This is a zone of acidic bog vegetation consisting of: purple moor-grass (''[[Molinia caerulea]]''), common cottongrass (''[[Eriophorum angustifolium]]''), sedges (''[[Carex]]'' spp.) including star sedge (''[[Carex echinata]]''), green-ribbed sedge (''[[Carex binervis]]'') and flea sedge (''[[Carex pulicaris]]''); bog moss (''[[Sphagnum]]'' spp.), heath spotted-orchid (''[[Dactylorhiza maculata]]''), devils-bit scabious (''[[Succisa pratensis]]''), bog asphodel (''[[Narthecium ossifragum]]''), marsh violet (''[[Viola palustris]]''), meadow thistle (''[[Cirsium dissectum]]''), wood horsetail (''[[Equisetum sylvaticum]]''), lesser butterfly-orchid (''[[Platanthera bifolia]]'') and pale butterwort (''[[Pinguicula lusitanica]]'').

===Lower slopes===
Unimproved, herb-dominated neutral grassland consisting of: crested dogstail (''[[Cynosurus cristatus]]''), common knapweed (''[[Centaurea nigra]]''), red fescue (''[[Festuca rubra]]''), yellow oat-grass (''[[Trisetum flavescens]]''), quaking grass (''[[Briza media]]''), spring-sedge (''[[Carex caryophyllea]]''), glaucous sedge (''[[Carex flacca]]''), red clover (''[[Trifolium pratense]]''), ox-eye daisy (''[[Leucanthemum vulgare]]''), common bird-foot-trefoil (''[[Lotus corniculatus]]''). Less frequent species are lady's-mantle (''[[Alchemilla vulgaris]]''), dyer's greenweed (''[[Genista tinctoria]]''), corky-fruited water-dropwort (''[[Oenanthe pimpinelloides]]'') and adders-tongue (''[[Ophioglossum vulgatum]]'').

===Wet areas in grassland===
Soft rush (''[[Juncus effusus]]''), sharp-flowered rush (''[[Juncus acutiflorus]]''), oval sedge (''[[Carex leporina]]''), common yellow-sedge (''[[Carex demissa]]''), carnation sedge (''[[Carex panicea]]''), common marsh-bedstraw (''[[Galium palustre]]''), marsh pennywort (''[[Hydrocotyle vulgaris]]''), ragged-robin (''[[Lychnis flos-cuculi]]''), greater birds-foot-trefoil (''[[Lotus uliginosus]]''), bog pimpernel (''[[Lysimachia tenella]]'') and bristle clubrush (''[[Isolepis setacea]]'').

==Notable invertebrates==
*[[Lampyris noctiluca|Glow-worm]] (''Lampyris noctiluca'')
*[[Pearl-bordered fritillary]] (''Boloria selene'')
*[[Small pearl-bordered fritillary]] (''Bolaria euphrosyne'')

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/dorset/lamberts-and-coneys-castle National Trust website]
*{{Commons category-inline}}
*[http://www.english-nature.org.uk/Special/sssi/sssi_details.cfm?sssi_id=1000318 SSSI Citation etc from Natural England website]

{{SSSIs Dorset biological}}
{{Iron Age hillforts in England}}

[[Category:Hill forts in Dorset]]
[[Category:National Trust properties in Dorset]]
[[Category:History of Dorset]]
[[Category:Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Dorset]]