Tarrant Gunville to Bokerley Down

Tarrant Gunville (ST926127) to Gussage Down (ST989143)
Monday 02 April 2013

A linear walk from Tarrant Gunville to the crossing of the Jubilee Trail and the main A354 Blandford Forum to Salisbury road (ST987146) near Gussage Down.

Waymark near Chapel Down Farm (ST981159)





Chettle Church

There is limited parking in Tarrant Gunville, but I was able to park the car on the side street beside the village hall before setting out on the Trail.  The way-marking was clear, following field and woodland paths with some short stretches on country and farm lanes.

 

At the main road I continued on the Trail for about 200 metres, crossing the earthworks before turning right at the point where there is a footpath crossing (ST989143), towards the main road and The Inn on the Chase (to the south of Gussage St Andrew), where I caught the Tuesday-only bus back to Tarrant Gunville.  There is a regular bus service from The Inn on the Chase to Tarrant Hinton/Blandford Forum and Salisbury.

There are no places to buy refreshements en-route, so a packed meal is advisable!  The Inn on the Chase at the end of the walk might be a good place for a drink or a meal.

 

The walk total was approximately 12km (7½ miles).

 

 

Gussage Down (ST989143) to Bokerley Down (SU044190)
Tuesday 03 April 2013

A somewhat longer linear walk which I completed with a friend, using two cars and parking near the beginning of the walk (in the layby near to the Inn on the Chase (ST979138)) and at the end (in the car park at Martin Down (SU037201)).  With a careful study of the bus timetables, it would be possible to use the bus: there is a bus stop near to the Martin's Down car park with a regular service to and from Salisbury and Blandford Forum.

Once again, the way-marking was clear and the Trail along (mostly) field paths was easy to follow.

There is a pub at Wimborne St Giles, a short diversion from the Trail, and another at Cranborne, just a few yards from the Trail.



All that way?

At the end of the Trail - at Bokerley Down and the Dorset-Hampshire county boundary, we followed the Bokerley Ditch north to the Martin's Down car park, passing the disused rifle ranges on the way.

 

I felt a sense of achievement about completing the 90 miles from Forde Abbey on the Devon-Dorset county boundary - even though it had taken almost 22 months to do so!

 

It should also be admitted that I am no 'purist' in that I did not complete the Trail  in strictly the right order.  The first section to be completed was from Coombe Down Hill (ST485003) to Mapperton - in June 2011.  Other small sections were not in strict sequence, but I can satisfy myself that I have completed it!

 



 

The end - or the beginning?

Detailed descriptions of the Trail with maps may be found the booklet 'The Dorset Jubilee Trail - A Rambler's Guide' © Dorset Area of the Ramblers' Association 2008. For Ordnance Survey mapping, see Explorer 118: Shaftesbury & Cranborne Chase.

 

Stourpaine to Tarrant Gunville

Stourpaine (ST862095) to Tarrant Gunville (ST926127) and Tarrant Hinton
Tuesday 05 March 2013

Detailed descriptions of the Trail with maps may be found the booklet 'The Dorset Jubilee Trail - A Rambler's Guide' © Dorset Area of the Ramblers' Association 2008.   For Ordnance Survey mapping, see Explorer 118: Shaftesbury & Cranborne Chase.

 

The White Horse, Stourpaine

The next part of the Jubilee Trail to be tackled was from Stourpaine to Tarrant Gunville.  Stourpaine is a village straddling tha main A350 road.  It has a church, The White Horse public house and Post Office Stores and is served by a regular bus service between Blandford Forum and Shaftesbury.

Tarrant Gunville is situated about a mile north of the main Blandford Forum to Salisbury A354 road.  There are buses only on Tuesdays and Thursdays on different routes.  Tarrant Hinton, however, is served by a regular service serving Salisbury, Blandford Forum, Dorchester and Weymouth.

 

Tarrant Gunville Curch

I caught the bus from the Crown Hotel, Blandford Forum to Stourpaine and alighted at The White Horse.  The Trail is clearly way-marked following field and woodland paths with some trackways and surfaced lanes.   All ascents are easy.   Some sections could be muddy after rain.

The village of Pimperne can be reached by taking a short diversion from the Trail.  Here there is The Farquharson Arms public house and a regular bus service between Salisbury, Blandford Forum, Dorchester and Weymouth. 

Tarrant Hinton Church

I left the Trail at Tarrant Gunville in order to catch the bus at the Tarrant Hinton layby.  I followed the road south from the village as far as the bends near White Kennels, where I continued along the lane towards Barton Hill Dairy, taking the footpath on the left (before the Dairy) at ST930118, towards Tarrant Hinton, emerging at the church then taking the lane down to the main street, turning right down to the main A354 road.

 

Winterborne Stickland to Stourpaine and
Blandford Forum

For detailed descriptions of the Trail with maps, see the booklet The Dorset Jubilee Trail - A Rambler's Guide © Dorset Area of the Ramblers' Association 2008. For Ordnance Survey mapping, see Explorer 117: Cerne Abbas & Bere Regis.

 



St Mary's Church Winterborne Stickland



 Winterborne Stickland (ST833045) to Stourpaine (ST862095)
Thursday 28 February 2013

 

My original intention was to walk this section of the Jubilee Trail from Winterborne Stickland to Stourpaine, using bus links with Blandford Forum to the beginning and from the end of the walk.  Winterborne Whitchurch is served by buses between Dorchester and Blandford Forum and Stourpaine by a service between Shaftesbury and Blandford Forum.  The distance of this section is approximately 6 miles. The walking is easy along clearly way-marked field and woodland paths and trackways and some surfaced lanes.  All ascents are easy.  Some sections could be muddy after rain.

 

At Winterborne Stickland there is The Crown public house (Ringwood Brewery) and the Winterborne Stickland Post Office and Stores for refreshement and supplies and St Mary's Church. 

 

On the way to Durweston

I followed the Trail as - I had intended - from Winterborne Stickland, through the Forestry Commission Field Grove to Shepherd's Corner and down to Durweston. 

At Folly Barn it started to sleet so I stopped to put my waterproofs on.  As is so often the way (in my experience, anyway) shortly afterwards it stopped sleeting.  I kept my waterproofs on anyway!

 

The Mill at Durweston



Stourpaine Chuch

The Trail crosses the River Stour at the mill at Durweston shortly before reaching Stourpaine, passing by the church on the way into the village.

 

In the village is The White Horse and Post Office Stores.

 

As mentioned earlier, there is the regular bus service between Shaftesbury and Blandford Forum, which I had intended to use.

 

In the event, however, to avoid an hour and a half wait for the bus, I decided to return to Blandford on foot, along part of the Stour Valley Way.

 

The safest way to do this would have been to retrace my steps and to pick up the Stour Valley Way at Manor Road at the bottom of the hill in Stourpaine.  Instead I chose the slightly more direct route along the main road to Durweston Bridge.

 

This route is not recommended!  The beginning presented no problems, following the pavement beside the main road and then up the trackway to the left, passing a number of houses before emerging at the junction with Bushes Road (unclassified).  The section of the main road between Bushes Road (ST863089) and the traffic lights near Durweston Bridge (ST863087) can be busy and is narrow: it is not suitable for pedestrians!

 

I joined the Stour Valley Way to the south of Durweston village.  Some care may be necessary navigating through Bryanston School.  When I did this walk the way-marking was not clear and some of the marks appeared to be missing within the school grounds.  Once through the school grounds navigation back to Blandford was relatively easy.

 

 

 



Bere Regis to Winterborne Stickland

Bere Regis to Winterborne Stickland

For detailed descriptions of the Trail with maps, see the booklet The Dorset Jubilee Trail - A Rambler's Guide © Dorset Area of the Ramblers' Association 2008. For maps, see Ordnance Survey Explorer 117 Cerne Abbas & Bere Regis.
 

Bere Regis (SY846950) to Winterborne Whitchurch Longmead (SY821987)
11 February 2013

A section of the Jubilee Trail from Bere Regis to Winterborne Whitchurch (approximately 4 miles as walked).   Easy, clearly way-marked walking along field paths, woodland paths and farm tracks.  Gentle climbs.

Shitterton, Bere Regis

Despite this section being undertaken after a very wet period, diversions were not necessary.  There was, however, a very wet patch near Bere Down Farm, where a 'new' pond in the field was feeding a new stream running down the field.
 

Bere Regis is served by a regular bus service (387) from Dorchester to Poole; Winterborne Whitchurch is served by buses from Weymouth and Dorchester to Blandford Forum and Salisbury, service 183.  There is a free car at Bere Regis and the The Drax Arms public house if you need some sustenance!

We used the bus from Dorchester to reach the start of the section, with the plan to catch the bus from Milton Abbas back to Dorchester.  By the time we reached Winterborne Whitchurch (Longmead), however, it was snowing and we were cold (!), so we decided to shorten our walk catch the Damory bus 183 from there back to Dorchester.

This section to be completed in due course.....

 

Winterborne Whitchurch Longmead (SY821987) to Winterborne Stickland (ST834047)
20 February 2013

We continued the walk the following week.  There is a direct bus (Damory 40) from Winterborne Stickland to Dorchester via Winterborne Whitchurch (Longmead) - Wednesdays only for the market in Dorchester!  We, therefore, did this section on a Wednesday, driving to Winterborne Whitchurch (car parking at the side of the road near the church and village stores) and then catching the aforementioned bus to the commencement of the day's walk.



St Mary's Church Winterborne Stickland

The section is generally easy with only moderate ascents and decents, again clearly way-marked, along  farm tracks and field and woodland paths.

The Trail begins this section by heading north across the fields, evenually reaching Milton Abbas (where there is the Hambro Arms public house and a post office).  We broke the journey for a picnic lunch here at the very convenient Old Village Hall Picnic Area.

From Milton Abbas the Trail heads in a north-easterly direction starting on a surfaced trackway which enters the Forestry Commission Milton Park Wood, then following a woodland path, eventually emerging from the woodland at New Coppice.  From there it is about a mile to Winterborne Stickland, where there is The Crown public house (Ringwood Brewery) and the Winterborne Stickland Post Office and Stores and St Mary's Church.