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| Day 2 - Gold Hill Shaftesbury (Mark Simons DCC) |
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Route summary
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£650.00
(2010)
TBC
(2011)
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7 nights 7 B&B
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Medium
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4.5 - 6.5 hours per day
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| Day 1 |
Arrive in Salisbury. Visit the Cathedral and Close, enjoy the shops and have a meal in one of the city's pubs and restaurants. |
| Day 2 |
Salisbury to Shaftesbury. After a short train ride to Tisbury, a gentle ramble through river valleys, past the ruins of Old Wardour castle, and via villages and parkland to the hilltop town of Shaftesbury. Dine at a choice of pubs and restaurants. (17km, 4½ hrs, CUSs 340m) |
| Day 3 |
Shaftesbury to Child Okeford. Head down famous Gold Hill into the Blackmore Vale, past water mills, and then up again to Ashmore (Dorset's highest (and some say prettiest) village) and the woodlands and wide vistas of Cranborne Chase. Climb iron-age Hambledon Hill before dropping down into Child Okeford and enjoying a traditional pub supper. (25km, 6½ hrs, CUSs 550m) |
| Day 4 |
Child Okeford to Plush. A veritable feast of a day for connoisseurs of Thomas Hardy, country churches, and the English landscape at its best. After crossing the Stour valley and climbing back up into the hills, drop into much-photographed Milton Abbas complete with ancient abbey. Then, walking through picturesque Dorset countryside, discover the church at Hilton, and feudal and almost inaccessible Bingham's Melcombe (more Hardy), before heading for the heights at the Dorset Gap and supper and overnight at the perfect thatched pub. (Normal version with taxi start 18km, 5 hrs, CUSs 350m. Complete walk 30km, 8¼ hrs, CUSs 550m) |
| Day 5 |
Plush to Evershot. A switchback day of five valleys and four ridges, taking in lunch at pretty Cerne Abbas, famous for its virile giant carved in the chalk. Then a lovely walk up through Cerne Park and over to the Sydling valley, remote and agricultural, and to the next - Frome St Quentin and its old church, before finally reaching Evershot, and staying in Hardy's old "Sow and Acorn". (23km, 6½ hrs, CUSs 520m) |
| Day 6 |
Evershot to Bridport. This beautiful and easier walk takes in some gorgeous countryside - ancient lanes, former parkland, a country house garden and a watermill. Garden lovers should visit Mapperton (March-Oct, not Sat); stop for tea at the Mill at Mangerton, and the final walk into Bridport will surprise you in its tranquillity. At journey's end, explore Georgian Bridport too. (21km, 5¼ hrs, CUSs 250m) |
| Day 7 |
Bridport to Lyme Regis. A day of two options - either join the South West Coastal Path at West Quay and enjoy and undulating (!) walk with fabulous views along the Jurassic Coast (19km, 5½ hrs, CUSs 750m) or continue your treat of unspoilt Dorset countryside, villages and churches, with lunch at Whitchurch Canonicorum before joining the end of the Wessex Rideway as it snakes its way craftily through Lyme's back door... (20km, 6 hrs, CUSs 430m) |
| Day 8 |
Depart for home (or choose to stay further nights) | |
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