From the small valley of the River Tarrant, with a hidden church shielding one of the most important monuments in North Dorset, scale the hills using an ancient route. Pass the site of a Roman villa and on to an Iron Age settlement, its earthworks ploughed into the soil or hidden in trees. Discover the Neolithic Pimperne Long Barrow, a giant burial mound that predates Stonehenge. Continue to the military ground of Blandford Camp, which began life as a racecourse, passing a monument raised by survivors of Gallipoli. Skim the defensive barbed wire through more ancient earthworks to the fading London to Exeter medieval road. Follow its path over a packhorse bridge and up over a Roman road. Wander the ridge with views across Cranborne Chase into Wiltshire before crossing a turnpike and returning to the village of Tarrant Hinton.
Distance: 7.5 miles/12km
Time: 3-4 hours
Ability: Easy.
Max height: 403ft
Min height: 181ft
Total climb: 490ft
Terrain: Tracks, paths, fields and roads.
Start Point: Tarrant Hinton Village Hall. (Postcode: DT11 8JD, Grid Reference: ST937111, What Three Words: wound.both.reshape).
Map: OS Explorer 118 Shaftesbury and Cranborne Chase
How to get there: From Blandford follow the A354 out of the town to the north east, passing through Pimperne. Dip down into the Tarrant Valley and take the next left hand turn into the village. Parking is on the right just after the bend.
Dogs: On leads where livestock is present and in accordance with any notices on the walk and The Countryside Code.
Refreshments: None on route but nearby are The Langton Arms in Tarrant Monkton, The Museum Inn in Farnham and The True Lovers Knot in Tarrant Keyneston
Neighbouring Walks: Tarrant Gunville, Chettle, Sixpenny Handley, Tarrant Monkton and both The Farquharson Arms, and The Anvil in Pimperne.
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This is a great walk. There’s a funky church at the start (I’ve never seen flint facing inside a church), lots of amazing views, barrows galore. It doesn’t feel like 7.5 miles (though there is one steepish hill to negotiate).
Our favourite bit was circumambulating Blandford camp – so much prehistory – down the first side is the Telegraph clump which keeps its barrows hidden from view, but round the next corner is a field with a single long barrow and round the next a field with barrow and tumuli galore.
9/10 is our score for this walk. (We missed our turn to get back near the end and ending up adding half a mile going via North Farm.
PS the channel path just after crossing the A354 for the second time near the end if really overgrown with nettles and brambles – no way through if you’re in short sleeves!
What a great review! Thank you! It is a one of my favourites so far. That channelled path was tricky when I went through only a couple of weeks ago, I’m sorry that you found it even more overgrown, that would have been tough!!
The camp section is special, hidden and full of surprises!
Glad to hear you enjoyed it!