Blackbury Camp, Colyton, Devon
High up on a ridge in the East Devon Natural Landscape, Blackbury Camp stands more than 600ft above sea level; not surprisingly, it was once used as an Iron Age hillfort. Excavations date it being built in the 4th century BC, with tools and pottery found that show it was used in the Late Neolithic period and Bronze Age times; there’s even evidence that the fort was once surrounded by a wooden palisade with a large gate. Inside were timber roundhouses and livestock pens. Quite some history!
The camp, looked after by English Heritage, is now surrounded by beech woods but the enclosure and rampart are still evident; it’s a lovely place to go when you fancy fresh air and a nature connection, especially in late spring when the woodland floor is amass with swathes of bluebells. Children love running around here (just mind the ditched between the banks), crunching through the leaves in autumn and looking out for squirrels scampering up the trees.
There’s no entry charge, and only a small car par. No facilities of course, but Beer and Seaton are only a few miles away and both have cafes and pubs. Try The Anchor Inn, with its clifftop garden, in Beer or The Ship Inn at Axmouth.
All information correct at the time of writing