Dorset Oddities

DAY ONE Arrive at your accommodation and settle in. DAY TWO - Sydling St. Nicholas to Cerne Abbas 11 miles - Moderate - Shorter option of 7.5 miles We start your week with a gentle walk taking in the village of Cerne Abbas with its famous giant and the mystical Silver Spring (or St. Augustine's Well) and where you will also find the Tudor home of George Washington's uncle (or so say the locals!). DAY THREE - Studland to Corfe Castle 10 miles - Easy to Moderate Off to the Isle of Purbeck today (which isn't an isle at all) to visit the Agglestone - a rock reputedly thrown by the Devil from the Isle of Wight, falling short of his target at Corfe Castle which you can visit at the end of your walk. On the way you pass the chalk stacks of Old Harry and his wife, named for the devil or a Dorset pirate called Harry Paye according to which local legend you believe. DAY FOUR - Portland circular 10 miles - Easy - Shorter option of 5 miles Today's walk explores the island of Portland, attached to the mainland only by a shingle causeway (the Chesil Bank), wandering abandoned quarries, a ruined fisherman's church, Portland Bill and an unusual sculpture park (but whatever you do, don't mention the rabbits!). DAY FIVE - Stonebarrow to Bridport 8 miles - Strenuous - Shorter option of 6 miles Starting above the West Dorset coast at Stonebarrow, this walk visits the ruined church of St. Gabriel before climbing Golden Cap, the highest point on the south coast and then dropping down to the beach at Seatown where you can stop for a refreshing drink at The Anchor Inn. You then head inland to wander the deep and atmospheric holloway of Hell Lane and then, if you have the energy, up onto iconic Colmer's Hill before dropping down into Symondsbury to find a cup of tea. From here you walk on to reach the vibrant market town of Bridport with its range of independent shops, cafes and pubs. DAY SIX - Upwey to Abbotsbury 12 miles - Easy to Moderate - Shorter option of 7.5 miles A walk along the South Dorset Ridgeway passing neolithic long barrows and burial mounds including The Hell Stone. This area has a higher concentration of them anywhere other than Stonehenge itself. Passing over the hillfort at Abbotsbury Castle, you then drop down to walk along Chesil Beach, an 18 mile long pebble bank stretching from Portland to West Bay before finally climbing up to St. Catherine's Chapel, built as a retreat for the monks from the abbey but used by local maidens to pray to St. Catherine for a husband. DAY SEVEN - Kimmeridge to Lulworth 9.5 miles - Strenuous - Shorter option of 5 miles For your final day, now that you have your walking legs, a strenuous but beautiful walk on the Lulworth Ranges, taking in the deserted village of Tyneham (requisitioned during WWII and never returned) and some of the famous Jurassic Coast including a fossilised forest. DAY EIGHT Time to head home after a well-deserved, hearty breakfast.