Weave between ancient woodland and deep clay pits in a landscape once shaped by industry. Follow the Dorset border with Hampshire, circling the little hamlet of Crendell beneath towering oaks that have given places their names. Trace old drove roads past early estates that once dominated the divide between the medieval hunting grounds of the … Continue reading Crendell
Before they were roads, they were only paths. Across Dorset, routes emerged slowly, worn into the land by centuries of passage, shifting with weather and season, never entirely fixed. Some followed high ground, others slipped into holloways or vanished altogether, leaving travellers to trust instinct as much as direction. Then came the Turnpikes. Order was imposed … Continue reading Dorset Turnpikes
Enter the thick woodland of Puddletown Forest to find the raised agger of an important Roman road cutting through the county. Follow in the footsteps of Roman soldiers across open heathland, with wide views over the Frome Valley and Thomas Hardy’s Vale of the Great Dairies. Discover the Rainbarrows, once gleaming white with chalk and … Continue reading Puddletown Forest Roman Road
From the little town of Verwood, on the edge of the mighty forest of Ringwood, circle the isolated patch of Horton Common. Cut under the lost dismantled Railway to enter the heathland, skimming ancient earthworks alongside the railway embankments. Wander through spindly woodland, edged by gorse and heather, to Monmouth’s Ash, where a potential King … Continue reading Horton Common
Wander beneath the thick canopy of Wareham Forest, following the Sika Trail toward Wareham itself. Cross the railway tracks to reach the River Piddle, where a 15th-century bridge carries you over its quiet waters. Climb the hill to discover one of the most remarkable Saxon churches in the country, then descend along the ancient Saxon … Continue reading Coldharbour
Hidden behind a modern industrial estate, discover the sandy shores of Poole Harbour. Follow the old route of the military railway in its first phase of development to create the Cordite Way. Passing between the water and nature reserves, trace the old ruins down to the trains that still pass today. With views to Poole, … Continue reading Cordite Way
From the home of Dorset’s most famous poet discover the landscape that was the inspiration for Stonehenge. Drop down into the meadows of the River Frome, crossing the oldest railway of the county. Follow the river downstream to West Stafford skimming the home of an Oscar winning film director. Weave with the little river of … Continue reading Max Gate
Explore the hidden corners of Wareham Forest by following the footsteps of King Edward’s entourage as they carried his murdered corpse from Wareham to Shaftesbury. Pass isolated thatched cottages and renovated chapels to cross the old turnpike road into thick woodland, rough gorse and scented heather. Climb the ramparts of Woolsbarrow to views over the … Continue reading Bloxworth
