Where the hills meet, splitting the mysterious Blackmore Vale from the ancient Cranborne Chase, the River Stour carves its way through the chalk. Sitting above the valley is Travellers Rest, hidden amongst the interlocking slopes scarred with ancient fields. A stopping place for generations of Romaine gypsies, the tracks and trails that mark the landscape … Continue reading Travellers Rest
Tag: Badbury Rings
Sixpenny Handley
Discover the wide open, ancient royal hunting grounds of Cranborne Chase. Climb up the chalk hills to view the landscape loved and worshiped by our ancestors. Follow the footsteps of the Neolithic over their earthworks and into the Iron Age. Cross the mysterious Dorset Cursus to reach the impressive Roman Road of Ackling Dyke. Trace … Continue reading Sixpenny Handley
Stonehenge
Venture into one of the most mysterious landscapes of the world, retracing the footsteps of our ancestors as they paid homage to both the sun and the moon. Beginning at Amesbury, discover the Iron Age hillfort which stood guard over the River Avon and the end of Stonehenge’s ancient Avenue. Pass the remains of a … Continue reading Stonehenge
Corfe Mullen
Venture down the smuggler’s lanes of Corfe Mullen. The route cut through the landscape by the Romans, speeding up supplies from Poole Harbour to their mighty, military Fort at Lake Farm. Cross over brick bridges that span rivers of trees, the embankments once filled with steam as the old Slow and Dirty chugged its way … Continue reading Corfe Mullen
Cranborne
Cranborne, a small village, rich in history including naughty monks, revengeful princesses, ruined castles, smugglers and highwaymen. The landscape is filled with wild wood, spiritual burial mounds, Iron Age settlement, and Neolithic mystery, all of which is the playground for a plethora of wildlife. It has all been preserved thanks to the first conservationist - … Continue reading Cranborne
Melbury Abbas
Delve into the deep, lush valley of Melbury Abbas. Discover the hidden church, filled with decorative tiles and topped with a wizard’s hat. It sits on the edge of an ancient road that was used by King Alfred to visit his daughter in Shaftesbury. The route has since carved itself into the soft greensand, creating … Continue reading Melbury Abbas
Winterborne Kingston
After following the little River Winterborne, trace the footsteps of the Roman soldiers as their road cuts through Winterborne Kingston, still scarring the landscape today. Tread the earth that hides many of their remains, some having been unearthed from the ground including a precious coffin and dedications to a shrine. Climb the hill to Bere … Continue reading Winterborne Kingston
Sturminster Marshall to Charborough
From White Mill, sitting on the River Stour, and the medieval bridge, of the same name, discover the old railway cutting through the floodplains. Walk through the forested park of Henbury, the land developed into the modern age. Meet the boundary of Charborough Park, one of the largest private estates in the county, its 120ft … Continue reading Sturminster Marshall to Charborough