From a nature reserve that has grown from a chalk quarry, carved into the steep slopes, discover the little, lost hamlet of Muckleford. Follow the floodplains of the River Frome to the cursed estate of Frampton Court with its decorative Peacock Bridge, claimed to have been built by Christopher Wren. Leave the medieval landscape behind … Continue reading Muckleford
Starting in one of the longest villages of the county, explore the landscape of the medieval royal hunting ground of Gillingham Forest. Pass through the avenue of trees on Frog Lane to climb up to the ancient Kingsettle Wood, providing views over the Blackmore Vale. Follow the railway back towards the village, past a lost … Continue reading Motcombe
Wander through the wide and wild landscape of Cranborne Chase. Starting in the hidden village of Pentridge, set deep within the medieval Royal hunting grounds, climb up the hill to Penbury Knoll. Discover Bronze Age burial mounds alongside Romano British Settlement, cut by Roman Roads and haunted turnpikes. Drop down to the little Bowldish Pond, … Continue reading Pentridge
Circle the magical woodland, forest, and heathland of Gore Heath and Morden Bog. The spiritual landscape of the Bronze Age became heavily farmed. The underlying clay was quarried and supplied bricks, tiles, pots, and drainpipes for local buildings, while the peat and heather provided heating and bedding. But the destruction of the soil, caused by … Continue reading Gore Heath and Morden Bog
From the golden stone town of Beaminster, follow the little river Brit to the skeletal remains of Parnham House. Walk through the Deer park, once cordoned off as a crime scene, up the hill and into the woods. Discover a deeply carved Holloway, its route cut into the landscape by generations of both hooves and … Continue reading Parnham
Garden design, development, and embellishment became the fashion amongst the landowning gentry of the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, splashing their cash on elements that had no purpose other than to be admired. ‘Sanctuaries’, ‘observatories’, ‘thinking towers’, 'memorials’, and 'commemorations' popped up on hilltops and in hidden valleys, usually viewable through the manor’s windows. A … Continue reading Dorset’s Follies and Obelisks
Dip down to the stone outcrops and curving coves of Durdle Door and Man o War. Hear the roar of the shingle pulled back by waves which claimed the lives of the maidens of Lulworth Castle. Climb up the cliff of Swyre Head to meet the chalk arch embedded into Bat’s Head. Continue to wander … Continue reading Durdle Door
Explore the little bowl of Kimmeridge. Climb up its easterly peak to the Clavell Tower, once a folly then a coastguard station now a holiday home. Skim the wide open bay, darkened by its precious black rock, to Gaulter Gap. Follow the little river upstream to reach the hidden hamlet, so out of the way … Continue reading Kimmeridge
