From Manston, deep in the Blackmore Vale, discover its little church and mausoleum, used to house perished loved ones until cremation was made legal. Wander across the floodplains of the River Stour to Fontmell Parva and its large 17th century country house. Climb up Porter's Hill, using the little trackways that connected isolated farms, to … Continue reading Fontmell Parva
🌊From Sea to Sky.🌤️ St Edward's Way - A pilgrimage following the footsteps of the elaborate yet mournful ceromony of murdered teenager, King Edward. Travelling from Wareham on the banks of Poole Harbour to his resting place as a Saint in Shaftesbury Abbey. Distance: 33miles/51km Terrain: Tracks, paths, fields and roads. Access: All on a … Continue reading St Edward’s Way
As the wide and fast flowing River Stour enters the conurbation of Bournemouth it winds its way through Throop. Pass the village’s ruined mill, still standing on the river banks, apparently haunted by children lost to the water. Cross the mill stream using its iron sluice gates, holding back the flow from the giant mill … Continue reading Throop
Without bridges, the landscape can become a puzzle of islands, sewn together by deep channels of water, only accessible by getting wet or by boat. Today they are crossed without notice, their relevance heightened on the rare occasions they are closed for repairs, requiring substantial diversions. Beginning as fords, raised river beds that required constant … Continue reading Dorset Bridges, Viaducts and Tunnels
From the shingle beach of Bowleaze Cove, where the River Jordan meets the sea, explore the once bustling Roman landscape. Take the old Preston road, hidden behind holiday parks, past the site of a Roman Villa. Wander through the village, with the ghost of a Portuguese sailor haunting the inn, to the old Mill House … Continue reading Bowleaze Cove
Explore Christchurch with a history much deeper than its surrounding harbour waters. Find the Priory, its location selected by a divine being and the wood carved by Jesus himself. Wander the ruins of the castle and the Norman Hall, the medieval hotel for royalty, with its toilet hanging over the little mill stream. Discover secret … Continue reading Christchurch
Venture deep into the medieval hunting ground of the White Hart. Follow the hoof prints of the King’s stag, the legend of which still echos in the landscape today. Pass lost settlements, through fields carved out of the forest, to skim mills turned into million pound manor houses. Explore the old trackways, sliced into ancient … Continue reading King’s Stag
Explore the small and intricate valleys of North West Dorset. From the hidden village of Thorncombe, climb the slopes of the Stonelake Brook as it carves its way down a steep and narrow ravine. Leave the trees at its source to discover the lost Sadborow Pound, set in a triangle and circled by medieval roads, … Continue reading Thorncombe
