In the deep dark valley of Turnworth, an inspiration for Thomas Hardy’s most mysterious novel ‘The Woodlanders', climb up the western slopes to Bell Hill. The ridge splits this section of Dorset in two, to the south are the large open dairies, to the north is the Blackmore Vale filled with patchwork fields and forest. … Continue reading Turnworth
Starting at The True Lovers Knot in Tarrant Keyneston, follow the Tarrant Valley upstream to the Roman road which connected Badbury Rings to Hod Hill. Climb the chalk slopes and cross a golf course to the ramparts of Buzbury Rings. Amongst its surrounding earthworks is a Neolithic causeway, connecting the River Stour to the ancient … Continue reading Tarrant Keyneston
Climb to the ancient hilltops of Hambledon and Hod Hill, the two neighbouring Hillforts with very different stories. The views span right across the Blackmore Vale to Somerset and Wiltshire while presiding over the valley of the mighty River Stour and the old Somerset and Dorset railway at their feet. Distance - 5 miles (a … Continue reading Hambledon and Hod Hill
A hillfort is a type of earthwork once used as a fortified refuge or defended settlement, located to exploit a rise in elevation for defensive advantage. Hillforts developed in the Late Bronze and Early Iron Age, roughly at the start of the first millennium BC, some later used in the post-Roman period. The fortification usually … Continue reading Dorset Hillforts
Eight villages line the valley, all gaining their name from the river. Once the location of an abbey, a monastery and the existence of a surviving medieval pack horse bridge, it suggests activity and life has been here for centuries. Going back even earlier in time, ancient earthworks sit abreast the hill tops and Roman … Continue reading The Tarrant Valley
Starting at the dismantled old railway and remains of the station of Spetisbury, head to Crawford Castle, an Iron Age hill fort. Cross the River Stour, using one of the oldest bridges in the county, into the Tarrant Valley. Discover the isolated St Mary's Church, where a Queen was buried and the walls are still … Continue reading Spetisbury
Originally part of the Somerset and Dorset Railway line, the trailway stretches from Sturminster Newton to Blandford Forum. It traces the majority of the old railway line, with only a few diversions, due to modern development. The route is a mix of tarmac and gravel so easily accessible to all, cyclists, walkers, riders and wheelchairs. … Continue reading The North Dorset Trailway
Distance: 1.5 miles/2.5km (once at the top of the hill, the route can be as long or as short as you like).Time: 1 hourTotal climb: 350ftMax height: 600ftMin height: 260ftTerrain: Track, path, road and field.Exertion: Medium.Start: Lay-by north of Child Okeford.Map: OS Explorer 118 Shaftesbury and Cranborne ChaseHow to get there: From the A357 Blandford … Continue reading Hambledon Hill
