Browsing all articles tagged with Walk
Jan
25

Sixpenny Handley Dorset round walk.

Sixpenny Handley round walk

This weeks #walkwednesday route we thought we would post here for you to share. This is a cracking walk we did as part of the Dorset Backpackers meet recently. We were camping at Church Farm for the weekend, but you can start at the Church instead and walk through to the start. Starting at Sixpenny Handley you walk through prime Dorset, Wiltshire and Hampshire countryside taking in woods, fields and stunning views from the top of Pentridge Down.
START OS ST 9956 1727

Distance: 17 km (10 miles)

Max Altitude: 182 m

Min Altitude: 72 m

Height Gain: 323 m

Height Loss: 332 m

DIRECTIONS
  • Starting at the church, take the left hand turning on the corner of the road outside to head up to Church Farm campsite.
  • Go past the campsites cafe/toilet block on the left hand side and turn right through a gap in the hedge following a path to the left hand side of the track.
  • Come out through a gap in the hedge and follow the right hand side of the field. Turn left along the boundary of the second field you come to and head for the houses opposite.

start of the walk

  • Once over the field cross the stile and carry straight on up Oaskley Lane which becomes a track.
  • Keep following the path until you cross the A354, take a path to the left hand side of the garage and follow the path in to the middle of the next field, heading slightly right away from the left hand edge of the field.
  • The post pointing the way was down so pay attention! When in the centre of the field you join another path from behind and head down and left to the bottom corner of the field.
  • Go through a gate and join a track until you get to a muddy T Junction where you head right, bending round to the left steeply uphill.
  • Head left for the clump of gorse bushes in the centre of Pentridge Hill and up to a wooded area to join a path to the right of it.

view from Pentridge down

  • Follow the ridge on Pentridge Down with some quite stunning views. Bear left away from the path downhill towards a farm.
  • Rejoin the path heading past Whitey Top Farm and turn left along the road at the bottom (Earthpits Lane).
  • Take the first road on the right (Morgans Lane) and swing left in between the buildings following the path to Pentridge Church – a super lunch spot.

St Rumbolds, Pentridge

  • Coming back out of the church, head left up on the path in front of cottages to follow the left hand side of the field back on to the road.
  • At a sharp dog leg left on the left (Peaked Post), follow the path to the right through a wooded section and take the left hand branch shortly afterwards.
  • Follow the path along the right hand side of the field then switch to the other side of the hedge half way along towards Bokerley Farm.
  • Follow the path to the road and turn left and cross the A354 to take the road virtually opposite in to Woodyates.
  • Where the road curves to the right, take the path off to the left and follow the path behind some houses, tracking the path as it curves around to cross over the road up to Woodyates Manor. Continue following the path on a solid track across fields until you come to a road.
  • Follow the road for a short distance and then turn right in to Garston Wood. Follow the path through the wood then turn left along a path heading left out of the wood along fields.
  • It get’s a little muddy here but keep going with a hedge on your left hand side until you get to a quiet road – turn left.
  • After a couple of hundred yards or so find a path heading downhill to the left of a group of houses to join Dean Lane. Turn left.
  • Follw Dean lane past the road on your right (dean lane drove) then take a right afterwards to follow a footpath up the hill.
  • Keep following the path before taking a sharp left through a gate in to the campsite and back to the camp or church.
Apr
9

Hambledon Hill

Amongst the unseasonably nice weather we have been having recently, we have been exploring the Dorset environs a bit more. Dorset isn’t just retirement homes and farms thankfully, we have been pleasantly surprised at how varied the terrain is as well. So, donning our Sunday best, we headed down to Child Okeford and took a stroll up Hambledon Hill in the glorious sunshine.

Hambledon Hill is an Iron Age hill fort which has some fantastic ramparts and dtiches that still survive. It goes back however even further to the Neolithic age, but evidence only survives from the Iron Age. What amazed us while we were up there was just how much earth had been moved. At that time in history and with the tools at their disposal, that must have taken a fair bit of human endeavour and actually walking across the fruits of labour from all that time ago really brings home how much effort it all took.

Ifor on hambledon hill

Ifor had a fab time rolling down the ramparts and ditches, we have recently switched our walking around so that we try and get him out of the child carrier early. He then gets tired quickly and we get a good long walk which is much better than having him run around at the end generally not having had a nap.

hambledon hill with ramparts

It was then a question of strolling amongst the Leylines as the hill also has great spiritual significance to a lot of people – my better half was dodging hippy’s up here over spring solstice. Sunday though, we had it all to ourselves, and the wonder & history of the place gave us a real lift.

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