Long-Distance Trails

Lyme Regis to Poole Harbour: 72 miles of the Jurassic Coast

The Dorset section of the South West Coast Path runs 72 miles from Lyme Regis in the west to the chain ferry at Sandbanks in the east, covering the entire Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site. It is the finest section of the SWCP in terms of geological variety, historical density, and sheer walking quality. The path passes through Charmouth (fossil beach), Golden Cap (highest cliff on the south coast), Chesil Beach, Portland Bill, Weymouth, Lulworth Cove, Durdle Door, Kimmeridge, Chapman's Pool, St Aldhelm's Head, Swanage, and the chalk stacks of Old Harry Rocks. Each of these is a destination in its own right; together they form a walking journey that is genuinely world-class. Dogs are welcome throughout. The path is well-waymarked with the acorn symbol. Accommodation is available in all the main villages and towns along the route. The X53 Jurassic Coaster bus service runs parallel to much of the route, making day-section walking straightforward.

10 stages · OS Map: Explorer 116, OL15, OL22

Wareham to Swanage across the Isle of Purbeck

The Purbeck Way is a 15-mile waymarked trail from Wareham to Swanage, crossing the Isle of Purbeck via Corfe Castle and the Purbeck Ridge. It is one of the most varied short long-distance trails in the south of England, combining river valley, heath, ridge, and coastal sections in a single route. The trail passes through Wareham (Saxon town walls), Stoborough, Corfe Castle (the ruined Norman fortress), the Purbeck Ridge (Nine Barrow Down, Godlingston Hill), and descends to Swanage via Ballard Down and the chalk cliffs above Old Harry Rocks. The Swanage Railway steam train back to Corfe Castle (and then a bus to Wareham) makes the return practical and enjoyable.

2 stages · OS Map: Explorer OL15

Marlborough to Lyme Regis: 136 miles of ancient trackway

The Wessex Ridgeway follows ancient trackways from Marlborough in Wiltshire to Lyme Regis on the Dorset coast — 136 miles of chalk downland, river valleys, and coastal approach. The Dorset section (approximately 60 miles) enters the county near Shaftesbury and crosses the chalk downs of north Dorset, passing through Bulbarrow, the Cerne Valley, Eggardon Hill, and the Marshwood Vale before reaching Lyme Regis. This is a route for those who want to understand the deep structure of the Dorset landscape — the ancient trackways that have been used since the Bronze Age, the hillforts that mark the high points, and the chalk streams that flow through the valleys below.

4 stages · OS Map: Explorer 116, 117, 118

Sturminster Newton to Poole: 37 miles on former railway trackbed

The North Dorset Trailway follows the former Somerset and Dorset Railway trackbed from Sturminster Newton to Poole — 37 miles of largely flat, traffic-free trail through the Blackmore Vale, Blandford Forum, and the Stour Valley. The route is surfaced for much of its length and is suitable for walking, cycling, and horse riding. The trail passes through some of the finest market town scenery in Dorset — Sturminster Newton (Thomas Hardy's 'Stourcastle'), Blandford Forum (the Georgian market town rebuilt after the fire of 1731), and Wimborne Minster (the collegiate church with the chained library). The flat, traffic-free nature of the trail makes it excellent for families and dogs.

3 stages · OS Map: Explorer 118, OL22

Osmington to Abbotsbury: ancient chalk ridge above the coast

The South Dorset Ridgeway follows the chalk escarpment above the coast from Osmington (east of Weymouth) to Abbotsbury (west of Weymouth) — approximately 10 miles of open chalk downland with continuous views to the coast and the Fleet Lagoon below. The route passes the Hardy Monument (the obelisk commemorating Vice-Admiral Hardy, Nelson's flag captain at Trafalgar, not Thomas Hardy the novelist) on Blackdown Hill — the highest point on the South Dorset Ridgeway at 237 metres. The views from the monument take in Portland Bill, Chesil Beach, the Fleet, and on clear days the Isle of Wight. The ridge is an ancient trackway — the South Dorset Ridgeway has been used since the Bronze Age and is lined with barrows and earthworks throughout.

2 stages · OS Map: Explorer OL15

Wareham to Bovington: T.E. Lawrence's Dorset

The Lawrence of Arabia Trail is a 28-mile waymarked trail linking the places associated with T.E. Lawrence in his later years in Dorset — from Wareham through Bovington (where he served as a private in the Tank Corps under the assumed name Shaw), Clouds Hill (his cottage, now National Trust), and the Purbeck heathland he loved. Lawrence came to Dorset after the First World War and the Paris Peace Conference, seeking anonymity and simplicity. He found both, and the landscape of the Purbeck heathland — the same heath that Hardy described as Egdon — appears in his writing as a place of recovery and peace. He died in 1935 in a motorcycle accident on the lane near Clouds Hill; the cottage where he lived is preserved as he left it.

4 stages · OS Map: Explorer OL15

Forde Abbey to Bokerley Dyke: 90 miles across Dorset

The Jubilee Trail crosses Dorset from west to east — 90 miles from Forde Abbey near Chard in Somerset to Bokerley Dyke on the Hampshire border. Created in 1977 to mark the Queen's Silver Jubilee, the trail uses ancient trackways, bridleways, and footpaths through the full range of Dorset landscapes: the Marshwood Vale, the chalk downland, the Blackmore Vale, Cranborne Chase, and the eastern heathland. The trail is less well-known than the SWCP but offers a more varied and quieter experience of the county — passing through villages, market towns, and landscapes that see very few visitors. It is an excellent way to understand the breadth of Dorset beyond the coast.

5 stages · OS Map: Explorer 116, 117, 118, OL22

Poole to Ringwood: 16 miles on the old railway

The Castleman Trailway follows the trackbed of the former Southampton and Dorchester Railway (nicknamed the 'Castleman's Corkscrew' after its promoter Charles Castleman) from Poole to Ringwood — 16 miles of largely flat, traffic-free trail through the heathland and woodland of east Dorset. The trail passes through Wimborne Minster, West Moors, and the heathland of the Avon Valley. It is surfaced for much of its length and is suitable for walking, cycling, and horse riding. The flat, traffic-free nature of the trail makes it excellent for families, dogs, and those wanting a straightforward linear walk with easy transport connections at each end.

2 stages · OS Map: Explorer OL22