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.