Off the tourist trail on the Isle of Purbeck, filling the low land between Corfe Castle and Poole Harbour, is Wytch Heath. Follow medieval trails over little stone bridges through a once heavily industrial landscape, its resources tapped since the Bronze Age. Skim the oil refinery, hidden behind thick Corsican pines and hard working nodding donkeys, … Continue reading Wytch
Wander through the landscape of Corfe, under the shadow of the famous Castle. Explore the village to find the hiding places of a murdered King and elusive treasure. Cut across medieval farming land before venturing onto the common, littered with ancient Bronze Age Barrows. Climb the hill to the little village of Kingston with a … Continue reading Corfe Castle to Kingston
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
Skim the southern corner of the Kingston Lacy estate, walking between the historically feuding neighbours of the Bankes and the Erles. Explore the medieval routes that once connected the estates to the surrounding countryside. Walk through the beech tree avenue, one of the most iconic scenes of the county, to reach Badbury Rings. Follow the … Continue reading Kingston Lacy to Badbury Rings
Explore the history of Brownsea Island. From a defence to a sanctuary, it has seen the rise and fall of both settlement and industry. Managed by landowners who ranged from mad to depressed as well as hosting lavish parties for European royalty to hiding from the world, it has risen from the ashes twice and … Continue reading Brownsea Island
A collection of tales and mysteries about tragedy and despair; the lives of people that have left their everlasting mark on the landscape, now hidden amongst brambles, whispered in the wind or sparkling in the shadows. From country houses to isolated beaches, lonely roads to hidden earthworks, the county of Dorset is full of ruins … Continue reading The Haunted Landscape of Dorset
From the Mason's pub of the Square and Compass, in the limestone village of Worth Matravers, discover the caves of Winspit. Looking out to sea, the ghost like movie set was once a bustle of activity providing stone for the most prestigious of buildings all over the world. Follow the paths of local smugglers and … Continue reading Worth Matravers and Dancing Ledge
Begin in the quiet village of Furzebrook, once the beating heart of Dorset’s clay industry, where the earth helped shape the world-famous Wedgwood pottery. Pass the village manor which was left so worn and weathered by the Second World War that its owners never returned. Continue towards the enchanting Blue Pool, its waters shifting between turquoise … Continue reading Furzebrook and the Blue Pool
