Admire one of Britain’s greatest geological marvels on this walk at Ringstead Hill and Poxwell Old Quarry.
At 468ft above sea level, South Down affords expansive views over Weymouth Bay to Portland, surely one of the best views in Dorset and, from this vantage point, we begin this informative walk.
In low winter sunshine, the downs, valleys and fields appear as a green blanket laid over slightly hummocky ground. The walk passes through two workingfarms, one with a deserted medieval settlement virtually on its doorstep and, at one stage, just off the bridleway down to Poxwell Old Quarry, a diversionto a stone ‘cairn’ that overlooks Poxwell Manor House.
For years, geology students have studied Poxwell Pericline, the finest example of an eroded pericline in Britain – this is where layers of horizontal rock have been folded into a shape resembling an upturned boat.
In Poxwell’s case, the Portland and Purbeck limestone beds were folded during the same massive earth movements that created the famous Lulworth Crumple.
Over millions of years, the top of the ‘hull of the upturned boat’ has been eroded away, leaving a valley with scarp slopes of Portland and Purbeck stone dipping downwards from the valley on both sides. Long ditchlike quarries have been worked along the pericline’s parallel linear exposures, and visible layers and outcrops of limestone still protrude into adjacent fields.
Half-way round the walk, we visit Poxwell Old Quarry, a RIGS (Regionally Important Geological Sites) site, which cuts across the section, dramatically revealing the strata.
Briefly, massive Portland limestone is at the base of the exposure followed upwards by thinner limestones at the base of the Purbeck Beds. The bed, which is partly covered with vegetation at the top of the section, is algal limestone (secreted by algae) and is the horizon of the famous ‘Fossil Forest’ exposed at Lulworth Cove.
THE WALK
1. There are outstanding views over Ringstead to Weymouth Bay and the Isle of Portland from the car park, but enjoy those when you return here.
Walk straight through the car park to the ‘No Cars’ bridleway and footpath-gate. Through, continue between fenced fields with White Nothe prominent ahead. Down to the gateway with a two-way bridleway-arrow post, take the left track (before right bend ahead), banked and rising with fine views right over the valley towards West Chaldon.
Past a right barn and track, continue up with banked hedges and left fences to top Holworth Reservoir. Over, continue down the sunken track. Pass right ‘Holworth Farmhouse’ track.
The farmhouse is 17th century and deserted medieval Holworth settlement is next to it (out of sight and on private land).
It was formerly a detached part of Milton Abbey’s lands after King Athelstan granted six hides at Holworth to Milton Abbey in 933AD. The last reference to the settlement was the Lay Subsidy Roll of 1333 when 14 persons were listed.
When the Black Death arrived at nearby Melcombe (Weymouth) in 1348 it spread outwards like ripples on a pond.
2. Past right North Holworth Farm Cottage, barns, stone cottages and a post box, take the left bridleway-signed gate after left holly bushes. Through into the field, walk straight up ahead and over the field to the far end of the wood ahead left.
Then, continue along the field’s edge to the left corner thicket. Through the bridleway half-gate in the bushes, follow the left fence/bushes path to gorse and scrub. Meander through to emerge into an open shallow valley, rising ahead with scrub and gorse right. Keep straight on, eventually joining a track coming up from your left. Continue up to 1½ hedge-gates.
Through into a complicated junction with multiple cattle-pens and gates, go half-left and through 1½ bridleway-arrowed gates into a small paddock. Cross to the exit gate onto a green track along Poxwell Pericline’s sloping side.
Through the gate, veer slightly left to the higher fence’s half-gate.
3. Through, keep the same line, with Moigns Down barrow and O.S. trig point 50 yards left, up to the facing fence’s left corner-post, then along the nowright fence to the facing fence’s bridleway half-gate. Through, walk straight on, slightly left of the ridge to the facing fence’s 1½ bridleway-gates.
Through, follow the left fence to the corner bridleway half-gate. Through this, follow the path, keeping left of the field’s high centre, with the old linear quarry and ditch below left.
Joining a proper green track, continue down through scrub, but do divert right first up into the field to find the stone cairn/circle whose stones marked the circumference of a 14ft diameter barrow, probably Bronze Age.
From the circle, there is an excellent view of Poxwell Manor House built around 1600.
Re-joining the track, continue down through the wood to 1½ bridleway-gates. Through, pass the limekiln right, then take the right path to the half-gate to explore Poxwell Old Quarry.
4. Continue to the A353 and turn left. Past The Lodge, turn left down the stone-walled drive, footpath-signed on the signpost opposite. Passing the leftwhite thatched cottage, continue down between fields, noticing Portland distant right.
Through the cattle-grid/gate and over Upton stream’s bridge, continue on Upton Lower Dairy Farm’s concrete track and yard round to the left with trees left and multiple barns and cattle-sheds right.
Then, bending right, join the fence-enclosed concreteslab track and ascend, long and slow, between fields and past a left fork, to the footpath-arrowed gateway onto the Ringstead lane. Turn left up the hill. Past right ‘Ringstead Bay and Beach 1’ signpost, continue up the hedged lane.
When the lane is fenced again with views back to Poxwell Pericline and right to Portland, pass two left barrows and one right barrow. Continue to N.T. Ringstead Bay car park where we started.
COMPASS POINTS
Distance: 4½ miles/7.25 km
Time: 3 hours
Start: Ringstead Hill National Trust Car Park, South Down (Grid Ref:SY760823). Turn off A352 south of Poxwell, signed ‘Ringstead’ continue through Upton, past ‘Beach and Café’ turning and into NT car park.
Exertion: Quite strenuous. Wear suitable winter footwear
Map: OS Landranger Sheet 194
Public Transport: None
Dogs: On leads in fields with livestock abide by The Countryside Code
Refreshments: The Black Dog, A352 at Broadmayne, for good meals and real ale
