Our verdict
One of the best-known viewpoints in this stretch of Dorset, and rightly so, but it gets busy — go early or out of season if you want the car park and the view to yourselves. No toilets, so plan ahead.
A 72-foot memorial to Vice-Admiral Sir Thomas Hardy, Nelson's flag captain at Trafalgar, built in 1844 on the summit of Black Down and visible up to 60 miles out to sea. The National Trust has owned it since 1938; the monument itself has an entry charge and closes at 4pm, but the surrounding heather and gorse are free to walk.
National Trust land — usually free to walk; some sites charge for parking.