Wessex Hill forts & Habitats project
Marie McLeish, Project Manager Restoring a healthy, beautiful, natural environment.
Eggardon Hill Project hill forts Coney’s Castle, Lambert’s Castle, Pilsdon Pen, Lewesdon Hill, Eggardon Hill, Hambledon Hill, Hod Hill, Badbury Rings, Park Hill Camp, Whitesheet Hill, Figsbury Ring, Cley Hill, Wick Ball Camp
Lewesdon Hill, Hod Hill, Cley Hill, Pilsdon Pen Current condition summary
Site Interpretation Designations Condition Nature Condition Archaeology Heritage at Risk Degraded SSSI, NNR, SAM Hambledon Hill Favourable Good
Hod Hill Degraded SSSI, SAM Unfavourable At risk Yes Degraded SAM Unfavourable Pilsdon Pen At risk Yes recovering Eggardon Hill Degraded SSSI, SAM Favourable Good Coney's Castle Degraded SAM Favourable At risk Yes Degraded SSSI, SAM Unfavourable Lambert's Castle At risk Yes recovering Lewesdon Degraded SAM Favourable At risk Good SAM Unfavourable Badbury Rings At risk recovering Good SAM Unfavourable Park Hill Camp At risk recovering Degraded SSSI Unfavourable Whitesheet Hill Good recovering Wick Ball Camp Degraded SAM Favourable At risk Figsbury Ring Degraded SSSI Favourable At risk Degraded SSSI Unfavourable Cley Hill Good recovering Hill fort Heroes, Priority habitat condition monitoring Archaeological condition monitoring
Engaging volunteers and communities Land management
Grazing regimes, traditional methods, erosion repair Visitor welcome
Light touch at wild sites Success looks like this. Archaeology, Nature, Partnerships, making everyone welcome. Benefits summary table
NT Key Performance Indicator Restoring a healthy, beautiful natural environment 332ha priority habitat improved over four properties NT Key Performance Indicator Looking after what we have got, improving CPI scores Condition of seven SSSIs (229ha) improved and in favourable condition Four hill forts taken off Heritage at Risk register by Historic England 13 hill forts in favourable condition for both archaeology and nature CPI for nature (knowledge & condition) improving CPI for archaeology (knowledge & condition) improving NT Key Performance Indicator Growing support for our cause 25 no new condition monitoring volunteers recruited and trained 25 no new site management volunteers recruited and trained Partners & local communities engaged in hill fort conservation Dorset Hill forts visitor guide and site interpretation updated
Project Outcomes Partnerships
Land, Outdoors & Nature Projects ideally 5 Ways to Wellbeing Improving the quality of Community initiated Connect our land And supported by Be Active Making more and bigger DAONB, NT, Wildlife places for nature Take notice trusts, Dorset Council, Making our sites better for Learn nature Parish councils, NE, HE, BC, RSPB, BTO, Give
In progress Partnerships, working beyond our boundaries
Influencing, action, citizen science, learning together, sharing Wessex Hill forts & Habitats project ‘an inspiring project connecting communities with wild places’
Image credits ; C. Whitbourne, Design 79, J. Miller, M.McLeish, N.Skelton, R.Hoddinot, T.Gill, R.Worsley