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
Tag: Heath
Morcombelake
Starting in the maze of narrow lanes, deep in the Marshwood Vale, trace the footsteps of a saint and the many pilgrims who followed. Visit the shrine of St Wite, a young girl who lived a life of isolation but in saving others, lost her own. Her legacy has survived for centuries, her tomb believed … Continue reading Morcombelake
Morden
Delve deep into the ancient woodland surrounding the small settlement of Morden. Walk along the old tracks and trails through deer parks, past ancient stone sites and skimming hidden hillforts. Wander through the landscape, controlled by the Lords of Charborough Park and scattered with mighty oak trees. Dive under pylon wires, as they stomp across … Continue reading Morden
Alderholt
Wander through the heathland that was left wild for centuries. The marsh and forest stood on the edge of Cranborne Chase, the area frequently hunted by royalty. Skim the earthwork remains of the Deer Park before crossing the dismantled railway that once linked Poole to Salisbury. Explore the little village of Alderholt, grown from the … Continue reading Alderholt
Stoborough
Explore the landscape caught between quarries and the army. Starting at a fresh green space, bordered by an ancient barrow, cross the railway that rose like a phoenix from the ashes. Clamber into heathlands skimming the military training area, through the wild landscape of Purbeck Nature Reserve. Wander past derelict farms and million pound houses … Continue reading Stoborough
West Knighton
Wander through a landscape where the villages have been deserted, woods exploited and the ground quarried. A landscape, full of forest, heath, floodplains and a lonely standing stone, which was once bustling with life from the medieval period, through both World Wars and up to modern day. The Norman knights, American soldiers and extraction machinery have … Continue reading West Knighton
Wytch
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, it’s resources tapped since the Bronze Age. Skim the oil refinery, hidden behind thick Corsican pines and hard working nodding donkeys, … Continue reading Wytch
Winfrith Newburgh
Hidden behind the hills of Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door are the villages of Winfrith Newburgh and Chaldon Herring. Wander between the thatched roofs and cob walls to the manor houses, churches and ruins. Explore the landscape that was once a playground for 19th century artists, poets, authors and sculptors to climb the hill to … Continue reading Winfrith Newburgh