Weave between the deep sinkholes and rising burial mounds of Affpuddle Heath. Drop down to the little village of Briantspuddle, its little thatched cottages all built for a purpose in the 19th century. Cross over the Piddle and up to Piddles Wood, partly owned by Queen Guitarist Brain May, all with the mission to conserve. Meet the mighty development of the A35, lined with sites of lost cottages, turnpike milestones and a wind turbine. Follow the Bere Stream up to a Roman road, cutting through the countryside, intimidating the neighbouring Iron Age hillfort of Weatherby. Head back, under the dual carriageway bridge to leave the roar of the traffic behind. Enter the little village of Affpuddle, cross over the Piddle and climb up the hill to return to the mysterious woodland of Affpuddle Heath.
Distance: 5.5 miles/9km
Time: 2-3 hours
Ability: Easy.
Max height: 348ft
Min height: 117ft
Total climb: 243ft
Terrain: Tracks, paths, fields and roads. Walking the B3390 (beween the A35 and Affpuddle) can be dangerous if the road is busy or not. There is no pavement so please take great care, being prepared to avoid any badly driven vehicle.
Start Point: Affpuddle Car Park. (Postcode: DT2 8QY, Grid Reference: SY804924, What Three Words: reconnect.dose.magpie).
Map: OS Explorer 117 Cerne Abbas and Bere Regis.
How to get there: From Dorchester, travel east on the A35 towards Bere Regis. After about 7 miles take the exit to Warmwell, Crossways, Affpuddle and Briantspuddle. Curve to the left through Affpuddle, up into the woods and turn left at the crossroads. The car park is on the right hand side.
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 is The Martyrs Inn in Tolpuddle and The Frampton Arms in Moreton.
Neighbouring Walks: Tolpuddle, Bere Regis, Lawrence of Arabia, Pallington and Athelhampton.
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I completely agree with the severity of this. It can, at times, be a busy road. However, there are the red triangle warning signs present notifying vehicles of pedestrians and therefore people should be driving accordingly and most definitely not speeding. As you say it is a 1 mile stretch, on a B road, walking down hill, into the oncoming traffic and there are a couple of tricky bends with no pavement, as I describe. But I will ensure the concern is emphasised on the information panel and will look into creating an optional diversion.
On another note, I think it is important that we claim back our roads, they divide the county and I make an effort to avoid them on all my walks or rides. They began life as footpaths but have become so dangerous that many are undoubtedly unwalkable. This is a shame as in some cases they terminate older footpaths preventing original access into other areas (as possibly demonstrated on this walk). This is something I plan to address long term. The more we walk the more traffic will have to accept us, after all we have Right of Way now don’t we?!
Nevertheless, I completely understand your point and the worst case scenario is unthinkable.
Thank you for your feedback.
Catherine
(Tess of the Vale)
The first half of this walk is delightful.
However, the one mile stretch along the B3390 was dangerous and unpleasant. This is NOT a country road but a fast route to and from the A35 with lorries and buses and cars whizzing round the corners at 60mph plus, leaving pedestrians DANGEROUSLY exposed. (And we were walking on a quiet Monday afternoon!) We were constantly having to squeeze ourselves up into the hedge (no verge available for long stretches) at the last second as a vehicle roared around the bend.
I would recommend you take this walk down, as you don’t want to have a fatality on your conscience.
Perhaps, the walk could be amended to go East at Piddle Wood and follow the Jubilee Trail down to Turners Puddle and return via Throop
David