Hardown Hill

Walk Details:
Date: 17/09/2005
Total ascent: 73m/ 240ft
Total distance walked: 1.22 miles
Walk difficulty: 3.5/10
Enjoyment rating: 4/10
Best bits: Views of sea, pretty heather & gorse
Worst bits: Tricky access roads, filthy ascent path, people stealing the summit seat
Walkers: Anth, Jim
Car Parking: There's space for a few cars on the roadside at SY 408 943

Top details:
Name: Hardown Hill
Marilyn number: 21 of 1553
Grid reference: SY 40558 94236
Height above sea level: 207m/ 679ft
How nice was the top? 4/10
Views: 4/10
Description/Notes: The highest point of Hardown Hill is an indeterminate point on a small embankment running beneath the heather and gorse to the west of a small copse

The Walk:

It had been a long journey getting here from our previous marilyn (Swyre Head). First of all the long drive across the width of Dorset through a maze of tempting-looking hills, then the hassle of trying to find a parking space. It didn't help that the OS map of the area is a jumble of contours, tiny roads and paths and is very hard to follow. There didn't seem to be any parking along the A35 itself, and we explored a tiny steep road that briefly flirted with the southern slope of the hill. There were none here either, but we did meet a fox, ambling down the centre of the road and looking completely unconcerned by my Corsa bearing down on him. We eventually found a few spaces at the side of another tiny winding road, this one running along the eastern slopes of the hill.

By chance rather than design, we'd managed to park at one of the closest road approaches to the summit - this wasn't going to help us get trained up for the south west coast path. A short distance further along the road we took a left turn on a path into woodland behind houses and were immediately repulsed. The path had become a dumping ground for domestic, garden and building waste, presumably from the neighbouring houses (I can't imagine anyone else driving to this somewhat remote spot to flytip). We picked our way uphill with disgust between piles of waste. Further up, away from the houses, the litter declined but the path was very overgrown - presumably everyone has been put off using it by the mess at the bottom.

It was a relief to emerge from the rank woods onto the large open flat top of the hill. In fact, it was more than a relief - it was beautiful. For several hundred metres in either direction, the hilltop was covered in a brightly-coloured mix of heather and curiously low-growing gorse, with occasional stunted trees adding a bit of variety. It looked more like moorland or a remote stretch of coast than a minor Dorset hill!

We had a choice of left or right, and chose the left hand path as heading more in the direction of the summit. As the path grew fainter and started to head downhill, we realised we'd made the wrong decision. We didn't want to cut across the gorse unless we really had to, and so returned from whence we'd came to try the right-hand path. This proved the correct one - it soon curved to the left and came to a broad chalky track running north-south over the summit of the hill. We turned southwards, now confident we were close to the summit of the hill. After a brief exploration of the largely flat summit we decided that the highest point was on a small bank (presumably a former boundary) running to the east of a diminutive copse of trees. Wading painfully through the shin-high gorse to reach it, Jim discovered there was also a parallel ditch by falling into it.

We took stock of the view. We could clearly see the blue smudge of sea between the hills to the south, but the most impressive sight was actually the sea of pink and yellow flowers all around us. We decided to stop for lunch to appreciate it some more. We'd seen a bench the other side of the copse, but reached it just after another group of walkers, who staked a long-term claim on it by laying down a bowl of water for their dog. We walked back down the chalky track throwing occasional envious glances back over our shoulders.

The chalky track looked well enough used to warrant more than one bench, and we decided to have a look for one at the northern end of the plateau, near a radio mast. Unfortunately there wasn't one, and we ended up lunching on grassy tussocks at the edge of the path, causing a passing motorcyclist to give us strange looks (although frankly he shouldn't have been up here anyway). No matter, for I thoroughly enjoyed the open moorland aspect of this hill, and was rather jealous of the locals being able to walk over it on a regular basis.

All too soon, though, it was time to leave and follow the terrible garbage-strewn path back to the car. A nice hill, but one that I'd recommend finding a different ascent route for.