After tracing the old route of the Bridport branch railway line to the village train station, clamber up the chalk hills using the old medieval route, its path passing the ruins of an old Blacksmith’s workshop. Wander between the fields and patches of woodland in a landscape still scarred by the Romans, their road skimming … Continue reading Maiden Newton
A trek you can time with the trains! Starting in the little village of Buckhorn Weston, climb the earthwork covered slopes to the top of the hill with wide open views across the Blackmore Vale. Walk through a landscape of champions as you pass the original National Stud to Tunnel Head. The old race tracks … Continue reading Buckhorn Weston
From Thomas Hardy’s Cottage, tucked deep in the quiet of Thorncombe Wood, follow the winding paths through the trees to the A35 as it slices its way through the landscape. Step, if you dare, into the shadowy woods of Yellowham, said to be home to the elusive Woodwoses, Dorset’s very own Bigfoot. Continue past Troy … Continue reading Waterston and Yellowham Woods
Times are tough and purse strings are tied tight so what better way to enjoy the holidays than enter Dorset’s free and wild landscape. The cost of an adventure park is often way out of limits, but could be completely unnecessary! Water World Dinosaur Land Future World Pirate Land The Spiritual Realm The Old Lands … Continue reading Dorset Inspiration
From the little village of Wool, the name deriving from springs rather than sheep, clamber over its old village earthworks to the haunting remains of the monastery of Bindon. Follow the little country road and the flood plains of the River Frome to discover the ruins of St Mary’s church, buried in brambles, concealing the … Continue reading Wool and Bindon Abbey
Explore the landscape of the Melcombes. Several villages with similar names, but all with a different history. Discover the deserted village, the manor and the farm surrounded by footprints of the past. Climb the medieval trackways to reach the Dorsetshire Gap, an ancient junction of five routes, linking the northern and wild Blackmore Vale to … Continue reading Melcombe Horsey
A celebration of cheese! Saturday 14th September - Sunday 15th September 2024 Image: The Book and Bucket Cheese Company Set on the banks of the River Stour in Sturminster Newton, in the heart of the Blackmore Vale, the Cheese Festival was introduced to reflect the market town, the surrounding landscape’s heritage and award winning local … Continue reading The Sturminster Newton Cheese Festival
Start at the little hamlet of Stour Row, deep in the valley of the meandering River Stour and the landscape of Thomas Hardy's 'Tess of the D’Urbervilles'. Discover earthworks of a Romano-British settlement that grew in the medieval period but then faded back into the ground to become nothing but a scattering of barns and … Continue reading Stour Row
