At the time of King John (1199 to 1216), Cranborne Chase was divided into two districts, the Inner Bounds and the surrounding Outer Bounds. During the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1558 - 1603), the whole area was controlled by a Lord Warden (the Earl of Pembroke). This position ceased when the Chase passed out of royal hands, and the Chase Ranger became the senior post. By the 17th century, the Chase had been subdivided into eight ‘walks’, five of which were in the Inner Bounds. One of these was Cobley, which we will be visiting on this route. The woodland area of each ‘walk’ was divided into coppices, mostly growing hazel for fencing (hurdles) and charcoal. Cobley, with Cobley Lodge just inside Dorset, had over 50 coppices, each individually named as shown on Thomas Aldwell’s 1618 map. One of these was ‘Maplebury’, now known as Mistleberry Wood, which we will be passing through and where an unfinished hillfort is located. Cobley Lodge was where the present Cobley houses stand, with ploughed-out remnants of the westward extension of Bokerley Ditch in the surrounding fields.

The lane leaving Cobley at the start of the walk. The lane leaving Cobley at the start of the walk. (Image: Edward Griffiths) The Walk

1. Most of Garston Wood Nature Reserve is part of the ancient ‘walks’ woodland and has been managed, including maintaining hazel coppice, by the RSPB since 1986. From the car park, turn left along the road. In 100 yards, take the right ‘Footpath to Cobley’ stile. Into the field corner, follow the grass track up along the left hedge/trees and then bending right alongside the left wood. See distant Penbury Knoll wooded hillfort forward-right. Past the left wood’s gates, keep straight onto a tracks’ T-junction. Note: footpath and bridleway arrows, and pointers are scarce for a while, so follow these instructions carefully. Turn left through trees and along the left deer-fenced wood. Swinging right, keep following the track down, undulating with fields both sides, sometimes hedged right. Down past the right track, continue into the valley and bend right at the cottage garden. Do not go straight on towards West Woodyates Manor. The Manor House was built before the 17th century, the south-east front was remodelled in the 18th century.

Cobley House Cobley House (Image: Edward Griffiths) 2. Take the left grassy track before the corner rendered cottage. Ascend past that cottage, now right, with field left and trees right. Bending left by a right woodland track, continue meandering, with the left field tapering towards the far end. After the wood ends, continue on the track with right trees and go through the facing tree-gap into a field. Notice Cobley’s houses in front but go instantly through the right hedge gap into the next field. Then, turn left along the now-left hedge. With Cobley House to your left, continue to the corner footpath-arrowed stile. Over into the hedged lane, turn left. Past right Cobley House, a cottage and two tracks, continue along the hedged lane, slowly rising for ½ mile. With 250 yards to go to the right chevron bend, you pass into Wiltshire. On that bend, East Chase Farm is right with barns/stables ahead. Turn left onto the hedged track (footpath but unsigned), passing the right wood and farm gate.

Stonedown Wood. Stonedown Wood. (Image: Edward Griffiths) 3. Keep straight on for ½ mile, very straight, all in Wiltshire, with firm flint cobbles in the grass track. In the far-left distance, see the tall blocks of flats on Bournemouth Overcliff. Passing through the long thin wood, the track becomes Tarmac drive from the right farmhouse and barns for ¼ mile with right hedge and left open field with long views. Continue past the left barn, and another in the right trees, to the crossing road with Wiltshire County Council (WCC) footpath and bridleway signpost. Cross over, with cream cottages on the right corner, into the bridleway through trees, then with right field. Past a left track to Middle Chase Farm, walk to the facing field-gate. The left turn is a bridleway, but not for us. Go through the facing gate (footpath but unsigned). Follow the left line of beech trees and fence/hedge over the large field. Down into the bottom corner with facing Stonedown Wood’s gate, go through the left Dorset County Council (DCC) bridleway half-gate into the field corner.

4. The O.S. map shows Stonedown Wood in Wiltshire with ¾ mile to go before we’re back in Dorset but, from here on, all arrows are DCC’s. Continue, parallel with the wood which drops steeply away into a long valley. Through the next fence’s bridleway half-gate, keep following the right wood, with your field sloping upwards left. Through the next fence’s bridleway half-gate (arrow on the fencepost), continue to the corner bridleway half-gate. Through into Stonedown Wood’s inside edge, follow the enclosed path straight on for ¼ mile before starting to descend along the valley’s side to meet Stonedown Wood valley floor track from your right. Keep straight on along the high garden fence to Dean Lane with a facing three-way bridleway/footpath signpost, and the right house and ‘By-Way’ and ‘West Chase Farm’ gateway.

Evidence of Mistleberry Wood's hillfort. Evidence of Mistleberry Wood's hillfort. (Image: Edward Griffiths) 5. Before the lane, double-back left into the narrow footpath-arrowed path climbing up inside the wood’s edge. Keep to the meandering leaf-strewn path, right fenced in parts, through the wood. Continue along the left hedge/bank/fence and pass the right deer-fenced enclosure. In 200 yards, see Mistleberry Wood hillfort’s banks and ditches right. After this, continue along the wood’s edge path to a bridleway-arrowed junction of paths with a gate opposite. Turn left. At the nearby bridleway-gate (coming from Middle Chase Farm), turn right, arrowed ‘Footpath’ and ‘Sixpenny Handley Round Walk’. Follow this path, with RSPB Garston Wood deer fence right and fenced bank left all the way down to the road, footpath-signed back. Turn right along the road back to Garston Wood car park where you started.

Approaching Garston Wood, an RSPB nature reserve. Approaching Garston Wood, an RSPB nature reserve. (Image: Edward Griffiths) Compass Points

Distance: 5¼ miles/8.25 km

Time: 3½ hours

Exertion: Moderate: Gentle ascents. No stiles

Start: RSPB Garston Wood Nature Reserve car park (Grid Ref: SU003194). Take Broad Chalke road north out of Sixpenny Handley and keep right at ‘Deanland’ fork

Map: OS Landranger Sheet 184

Public Transport: None

Dogs: On leads in Nature Reserve and on farmland. Abide by The Countryside Code

Refreshments: Cranborne Garden Centre Tea Rooms for light lunches and teas

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‘Cobley had over 50 coppices, each individually named as shown on Thomas Aldwell’s 1618 map’

‘Cobley had over 50 coppices, each individually named’