Dog Walks
Dog Walking
You can have a lovely walk at the top of the hill – nearly always windy, but beautiful on a clear day.
Take the car unless you are feeling really energetic….
Go out of our driveway to the right, on to the road towards the pub. Go past the pub on your LHS and straight across the road on to Mill Street. Go right to the top of Mill Street and at the top turn left.
Go along that road for about a mile or so…… and you will then see a parking area on your LHS which you can park in. You will know you are in the right place because of a National Trust/Dorset Wildlife Trust sign explaining what you might see etc.
If you go through the gate and into the field you can walk all the way along there (I usually ignore the first small gate on the LHS and keep going until the next one). Go through that gate and cut diagonally across the field. This is a well marked path. Follow that path across the field until it joins the fence which separates that field from the one on its left. Keep going keeping the fence on your left and just after the hill starts to go down again, there is another gate on your left. Go through this one and into the next field. Two options of two footpaths one higher and one lower that will take you to the end of this field so the choice is yours.
At the end of this field there are a pair of gates with a gravel path between and a copse on your left. Go through both gates and out into the next field. You will then see the road in the distance and you need to head for that in a relatively straight line (there’s a good path to follow). Head for the road and a small copse of trees and when you get to the road you will see another path that runs parallel to the road that you can take back to your car.
It’s a nice big circle off lead for the dogs (though occasionally sheep so keep eyes open) and is about 2.5 miles.
7 paikallista suosittelee
Fontmell Down Nature Reserve
Spread Eagle HillYou can have a lovely walk at the top of the hill – nearly always windy, but beautiful on a clear day.
Take the car unless you are feeling really energetic….
Go out of our driveway to the right, on to the road towards the pub. Go past the pub on your LHS and straight across the road on to Mill Street. Go right to the top of Mill Street and at the top turn left.
Go along that road for about a mile or so…… and you will then see a parking area on your LHS which you can park in. You will know you are in the right place because of a National Trust/Dorset Wildlife Trust sign explaining what you might see etc.
If you go through the gate and into the field you can walk all the way along there (I usually ignore the first small gate on the LHS and keep going until the next one). Go through that gate and cut diagonally across the field. This is a well marked path. Follow that path across the field until it joins the fence which separates that field from the one on its left. Keep going keeping the fence on your left and just after the hill starts to go down again, there is another gate on your left. Go through this one and into the next field. Two options of two footpaths one higher and one lower that will take you to the end of this field so the choice is yours.
At the end of this field there are a pair of gates with a gravel path between and a copse on your left. Go through both gates and out into the next field. You will then see the road in the distance and you need to head for that in a relatively straight line (there’s a good path to follow). Head for the road and a small copse of trees and when you get to the road you will see another path that runs parallel to the road that you can take back to your car.
It’s a nice big circle off lead for the dogs (though occasionally sheep so keep eyes open) and is about 2.5 miles.
Drive to Fiddleford Manor (SATNAV will take you there). Park in their car park.
You have options. We walk out of the car park and turn left and following the road round for a few hundred yards and then there is a track on your left that cuts through two fields until you come to a gravel track. You are now on the Dorset Trailway which is the old railway line. Go left on to this track and follow it over the bridge that crosses over the River Stour. Just as you come off the bridge on the other side, there is a steep slope down on your left hand side (a sort of hairpin). Go down the slope and take the gate into the field on your RHS. You are then walking along the banks of the river.
From there you can follow the river for quite a while through meadows and eventually come to Sturminster Newton where you can get coffee/lunch etc. (nice butchers in the middle of town). You could then come back along the trailway (ie not through the meadows), or you can come back the way you went and when you get to Fiddleford Manor you can cross a couple of bridges over the river (really pretty) and the fish ladder and take the short cut back to the car.
Fiddleford Manor
Calf Close LaneDrive to Fiddleford Manor (SATNAV will take you there). Park in their car park.
You have options. We walk out of the car park and turn left and following the road round for a few hundred yards and then there is a track on your left that cuts through two fields until you come to a gravel track. You are now on the Dorset Trailway which is the old railway line. Go left on to this track and follow it over the bridge that crosses over the River Stour. Just as you come off the bridge on the other side, there is a steep slope down on your left hand side (a sort of hairpin). Go down the slope and take the gate into the field on your RHS. You are then walking along the banks of the river.
From there you can follow the river for quite a while through meadows and eventually come to Sturminster Newton where you can get coffee/lunch etc. (nice butchers in the middle of town). You could then come back along the trailway (ie not through the meadows), or you can come back the way you went and when you get to Fiddleford Manor you can cross a couple of bridges over the river (really pretty) and the fish ladder and take the short cut back to the car.
SATNAV to Okeford Hill which is above Okeford Fitzpaine. There is parking at the top of Okeford Hill. We usually park in the parking on the LHS in the pull at the top of the hill. You can then take the bridlepath behind you towards the horse gallops. You will see racing jumps and an all weather track in the distance. Cross this field following the footpath which isn't that well trodden but is there nonetheless. If you time it right you will see the horses out training.
You are then totally spoilt for choice and can walk for miles up there with arable land (occasionally sheep behind electric fencing) and lots of woodland. It’s probably my favourite place to walk as there are so many options, but it is probably a 15 minute drive and worth looking it up on a map first as there are too many walks to describe but well worth it. Miles and miles of off road gorgeous dog walking!
8 paikallista suosittelee
Okeford Hill
SATNAV to Okeford Hill which is above Okeford Fitzpaine. There is parking at the top of Okeford Hill. We usually park in the parking on the LHS in the pull at the top of the hill. You can then take the bridlepath behind you towards the horse gallops. You will see racing jumps and an all weather track in the distance. Cross this field following the footpath which isn't that well trodden but is there nonetheless. If you time it right you will see the horses out training.
You are then totally spoilt for choice and can walk for miles up there with arable land (occasionally sheep behind electric fencing) and lots of woodland. It’s probably my favourite place to walk as there are so many options, but it is probably a 15 minute drive and worth looking it up on a map first as there are too many walks to describe but well worth it. Miles and miles of off road gorgeous dog walking!
SatNav to Studland. If you are NT members then you can park for free in their car park. If you are not keen on paying NT prices then you can drive further down the road (there's only one) and park roadside( lots of pull in places on both sides) and if you park on the right and walk through the dunes and the Naturist Reserve you will come on to the beach where the world is your oyster. It’s lovely there. If you park left and then walk left you come to Poole Bay. Equally lovely. We usually drive to Studland via Corfe rather than via Poole and the chain ferry (massively overpriced these days and timewise it makes no difference whatsoever from here). There is a nice pub on the hill in Kingston (up above Corfe) and there is a prize winning tearoom in Worth Matravers. Probably worth checking opening times etc for both . The Pig on the Beach at Studland is nice and the Banks Arms is a good proper pub.
72 paikallista suosittelee
Studland Bay
SatNav to Studland. If you are NT members then you can park for free in their car park. If you are not keen on paying NT prices then you can drive further down the road (there's only one) and park roadside( lots of pull in places on both sides) and if you park on the right and walk through the dunes and the Naturist Reserve you will come on to the beach where the world is your oyster. It’s lovely there. If you park left and then walk left you come to Poole Bay. Equally lovely. We usually drive to Studland via Corfe rather than via Poole and the chain ferry (massively overpriced these days and timewise it makes no difference whatsoever from here). There is a nice pub on the hill in Kingston (up above Corfe) and there is a prize winning tearoom in Worth Matravers. Probably worth checking opening times etc for both . The Pig on the Beach at Studland is nice and the Banks Arms is a good proper pub.