This hilly walk rewards your efforts with far-reaching views across Dorset
Mixed arable and dairy farms and scattered remnants of woods and coppices proliferate in the chalk hills and dry valleys south-west of Piddlehinton, presenting ever-changing vistas for walkers to enjoy. However, upon venturing into this delightful Dorset countryside, horizontal surfaces become somewhat elusive, only occurring for short distances when transitioning from down to up in valley bottoms, and from up to down on ridge tops, the highest of which is 450ft above sea level. Though this is challenging, the wide and far reaching views on this walk really are outstanding.
The Walk
1. The handsomely decorated tower of St Mary’s Church dates from the 15th century. The chancel and part of the nave are 16th century, extensions and alterations were done in 1867. From St Mary’s path, walk down Rectory Road, over the River Piddle’s bridge dated 1834, and past right Paddock House and Manor House drive.
At the left stone and flint banded 16th-century cottage with the central gable and three carved panels, join the raised left pavement along The Old Rectory’s tile-topped garden wall. When the pavement ends, take the right bridleway-signed track between cottages ‘To The Millennium Green’. Past gardens left and fields right, reach the Millennium Green with a right footpath but follow the bridleway-track bending left-right. In 80 yards, take the left, un-arrowed but bridleway, half-gate into Coombe Bottom valley field. Follow the right hedge rising through this field, through the facing gate and the next field, totalling ¾ mile, to the end un-arrowed gate. Through onto the wide cross-valley farm track, turn left, rising more steeply and bending right at the two-way bridleway-signed corner.
2. Continue ascending the hedged track. The rectangular wood across the valley is Heave Coppice. Up to a T-junction, continue around the left bend, still rising, to pass right barns and farm buildings. At a two-way bridleway post at the roads edge, with twin cottages right, cross into the hedged track.
Through ‘Holcombe Barn Farm’ 1½ gates, follow the hedged concrete track, down for a change, into Holcombe Bottom, past the farm buildings and up the other side, not concrete now, with open fields both sides. Half-way up, between the facing hedge’s bridleway gate-posts, continue with hedge left and open field right to the top left bend. Here, turn off half-right on the unsigned bridleway across the large field, usually well hoof-printed and tractor-marked, aiming for the hedge-gap 80 yards before the field corner, with several trees on its left.
3. Through the un-arrowed gap, follow the left hedge around the corner and over the field (with Hardy Monument distantly ahead) to the corner gateway’s four-way arrowed sleeper-post. Go left into the hazel coppice and follow the path to the bridleway-arrowed opening into the high field.
Through, go left and follow the fence’s green track down the steep field with Wolfeton Clump astride the valley bottom on your right. Meeting a farm track on a bend at a three-way footpath-post, turn left onto the track, undulating and meandering, and between some sparse trees, across another valley and on to the facing hedge-gap. Go through and continue past a large green World War II Nissen hut, a newer barn and other farming constructions right. A few yards past the Nissen hut, take the left hedge’s four-way bridleway-signed gateway into another vast field.
4. Sometimes the path is clear through early crop-growth but, whatever, it goes 30 degrees north-north-east, or very slightly right, aiming for the horizon point about 50 yards left of the top right hedge’s left end. Take it slowly. It’s a long way. Looking behind you, you’ll see Poundbury and Hardy Monument distantly beyond the Nissen hut’s front face. Nearing the top, see the solitary wind-turbine at Bere Regis over on your right. Reaching the top-hedge, go through the green-bank’s un-arrowed gap and continue in the same direction of 30 degrees north-north-east across the next field, whatever is growing in it, aiming for a barn/silo a few fields ahead. Reaching your field’s left hedge at an acute angle, go to the empty gateway with a bridleway-post. Through, walk ¾-right to the fence’s bottom corner bridleway-gate.
5. Through, follow the left hedge into the long valley’s top end. Then, veering towards the right fence below right slopes, find the clearest track down the valley centre until, nearing the bottom, walk to the left fence’s wooden bridleway-gate into a short grass ‘corridor’. Go through the end gate into fenced vineyards and tracks’ junction. The main track continues down to Muston Farm but go through the left galvanised kissing-gate and follow the angled path through rows of vines up to the far hedge’s footpath kissing-gate. Through, turn right down the field’s right hedge. Continue down past a right bridleway-gate and into the field corner. Go left following the hoof-printed right wire fence to two bridleway-gates straddling a deep hedge.
6. Through, go straight across the Piddle River field to the fence’s two-way bridleway half-gate left of the Environment Agency enclosure. Through, turn left on the track with the river bridge right. Bending right, continue between farm fences, then left past the left brick cottage and right thatched cottage. Ignore the facing bridleway-gate but go right on grass to another bridleway-gate.
Through, cross the narrow field to the far hedge’s un-arrowed gate. Through, cross the field up to the top corner gate, un-arrowed. Through, follow the left hedge over the field, with St Mary’s Church forward-right, to the left corner gate. Through, turn right along the tree-line to the corner bridleway half-gate. Through, follow the path through trees onto the drive between right stables and left ‘Honeypuddle’ house and down to Rectory Road, bridleway-signed back. Turn right down the hill back to St Mary’s where you started.
Compass Points
Distance: 5 miles/8 km
Time: 2½ hours
Start: Church of St Mary the Virgin, Piddlehinton (Grid Ref: SY716972). Park in Rectory Road or thoughtfully in Paynes Close (first right off Rectory Road) or in left lay-by past Paynes Close
Exertion: Fairly strenuous. Some slow ascents
Map: OS Landranger Sheet 194
Public Transport: None
Dogs: On leads on roads and when requested, abide by The Country Code
Refreshments: The Thimble Inn, Piddlehinton, dog-friendly bar area, real ales, good veggie and vegan food options
