Approached through a magnificent avenue of beech trees, Badbury Rings is one of the finest of Dorset’s 18 Iron Age hill forts. Owned by the National Trust, there is a large car park with a ticket machine. When we visited, tickets were not being dispensed, however, this may have changed so please check.

From the car park you can take walks along country paths or skirt around fields and walk through adjoining High Wood, or you can stick to the hill fort area and walk around the perimeter. The energetic ones among you will want to walk up and down the three steeply sloping rings. It’s worth going into the woodland in the centre of the rings. Whatever you choose to do, you can walk as many or as few steps as you wish. Badbury Rings is also adjacent to a point-to-point racecourse, which is interesting to look at.

I wouldn’t recommend the walk for wheelchairs or pushchairs although there is no reason why everyone in the family couldn’t sit on the spacious grassy area at Badbury Rings for a picnic. Some people sit in their camper vans in the car park and do the same.

There were cattle grazing on the rings when we visited. In the past we have seen sheep. Dogs must be kept on leads.

From the top of the rings there are far-reaching views and on a clear day you can see the Isle of Wight.

Without doubt there is a mystical feeling as you get deeper into the rings and you can almost feel the spirits of those who lived within the innermost ring as far back as 500-600BC. If only the past secrets could be revealed.

For more information about Badbury Rings visit https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/kingston-lacy/features/badbury-rings