Start at the little hamlet of Stour Row, deep in the valley of the meandering River Stour and the landscape of Tess of the D’Urbervilles. Discover earthworks of a Romano-British settlement that grew into the medieval period but then became nothing but a scattering of farms. Pass an artistic creation that is a feast for … Continue reading Stour Row
All Dorset parishes are listed alphabetically. They then reference any adventures that start or finish within the parish, pass through the parish or skim past the parish.
A hand drawn, to scale map of the county of Dorset. Recording a simple selection to only include earthworks, woodland, water, roads, tracks and settlement. ***Now property of Dorset County Museum*** It creates a different perspective of the landscape as it highlights historical activity and merges it with what exists today. It is correct at … Continue reading The Big Map of Dorset
A selection of tales and mysteries about tragedy and despair. The lives of people that have left their everlasting mark on the landscape, now hidden amongst brambles, whispered in the wind or sparkling in the shadows. From country houses to isolated beaches, lonely roads to hidden earthworks, the county of Dorset is full of ruins … Continue reading Dorset’s top 12 spooky places
Starting in the smallest town in Dorset, buried in the Blackmore Vale, Stalbridge has a selection of historical aspects that have influenced the rest of the country. Explore the landscape to discover the ancient Stalbridge Park wall. The imposing manor of Stalbridge Park (fifth largest building in Dorset at the time) was the home of … Continue reading Stalbridge
From the depths of Thorncombe Wood discover the poet and author Thomas Hardy’s birthplace. Travel through the little village of Higher Bockhampton to Stinsford, following the footsteps of Roman soldiers. Pass numerous stately homes including Kingston Maurward, Birkin and Stinsford to meet the River Frome. Visit the memorial to Hardy at Stinsford church containing his … Continue reading Puddletown Forest, Stinsford and the River Frome
From Thomas Hardy’s Evershot, pass the source of the River Frome and a church whose tower was designed by the same man who designed Big Ben. Travel over the hills to the hidden hamlet of Rampisham and its packhorse bridge. On to Chantmarle, a stunning Elizabethan manor house with its own canal acting like moat … Continue reading Evershot to Rampisham
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 Hill Forts
