During the 19th century the railway flourished throughout the country, arriving in Dorset relatively late. The openings of the lines were celebrated with music, flags and apple cake, the first passengers often lucky school children. However, its life span was short. The terrain proved difficult, the costs unmanageable and the demand fell short in both … Continue reading Dorset Railways
Discover the vast, ancient royal hunting grounds of Cranborne Chase. Climb up the chalk hills to views across a landscape once loved and worshipped by our ancestors. Follow the footsteps of the Neolithic, over their earthworks and into the Iron Age. Cross the mysterious Dorset Cursus and follow the line of the mighty Roman road … Continue reading Sixpenny Handley
Watch the planes take off from Compton Abbas Airfield as you stroll down the county lane to Fontmell Down. Walk along the edge of the slopes with views over the hedge lined fields, woodland and church towers of the Blackmore Vale to Hambledon Hill. Venture deep into Fontmell Wood weaving through the trees and down … Continue reading Compton Abbas Airfield
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 to both World Wars. The Norman knights, American soldiers and extraction machinery have all gone … Continue reading West Knighton
Discover the largest ancient monument in the country. An earthwork that covers over seven miles, its path dipping into the valleys and skimming the hilltops. Set in a landscape, rich with spiritual burials, it puts Stonehenge to shame. Begin in the valley of the little Crichel Brook, following old tracks that once cut through the … Continue reading Long Crichel and the Dorset Cursus
After following the little River Winterborne, trace the footsteps of the Roman soldiers as their road cuts through Winterborne Kingston, still scarring the landscape today. Tread the earth that hides many of their remains, some having been unearthed from the ground including a precious coffin and dedications to a shrine. Climb the hill to Bere … Continue reading Winterborne Kingston
From the peak of Cranborne Chase in the heart of an ancient landscape, scattered with pockets of woodland and split by winding lanes, soak up the views across the south of England. Wander down into the wooded valley of Ashcombe Bottom where a Georgian Manor House sits. The estate’s tranquil beauty has won the hearts … Continue reading Win Green
Begin in the narrow valley of the little River Winterborne, where Winterborne Stickland reveals its treasures—an ancient cross, its companion tree, a timeless church, pub, and war memorial. Climb the hillside into thick woodland and wander the winding tracks of Charity Wood and Milton Wood, skimming the earthworks of a medieval deer park. Continue to … Continue reading Winterborne Stickland
