Cerne Valley Trail

Home , Cerne Abbas, Charminster, Godmanstone, Hilfield, Minterne Magna, Nether Cerne

William Barnes, to verse. to Barnes, William

inspired the Dorset dialect poet, dialect Dorset the inspired

along the chalk streams they even they streams chalk the along

flowers, so evocative of balmy days balmy of evocative so flowers,

Crowfoot is bright with drifts of white of drifts with bright is Crowfoot

abounds and, in summer, the Water the summer, in and, abounds

comeback on Dorset's rivers. Plant life Plant rivers. Dorset's on comeback

glimpsing of an Otter - now making a making now - Otter an of glimpsing

juicy stems. There's even the chance of chance the even There's stems. juicy

riverbank, delicately nibbling one of the of one nibbling delicately riverbank,

may spot a Water Vole sitting on the on sitting Vole Water a spot may

rafts of Water Crowfoot where you you where Crowfoot Water of rafts

On the quiet reaches scan the dense the scan reaches quiet the On

the Cerne attractive to anglers. to attractive Cerne the

Brown Trout and Grayling which makes which Grayling and Trout Brown

home to a range of fish: including the including fish: of range a to home

characteristic purity. The water itself is itself water The purity. characteristic

a natural filter that gives the water its water the gives that filter natural a

rising and winding through the chalk, chalk, the through winding and rising

The River Cerne is a chalk stream, stream, chalk a is Cerne River The

The River Cerne River The

Brown and home to the Churchill family. family. Churchill the to home and Brown

landscaped in manner of Capability of manner in landscaped

Magna. The Minterne Valley is Valley Minterne The Magna.

The Trail then takes you up to Minterne to up you takes then Trail The

varied habitats along this chalk stream. chalk this along habitats varied

marriage for unmarried women. women. unmarried for marriage and back to Dorchester. Dorchester. to back and

the river closely, exploring the rich and rich the exploring closely, river the

on the Giant will ensure a future a ensure will Giant the on You will rejoin the path at Charminster at path the rejoin will You

The eastern arm of the route parallels route the of arm eastern The

unknown. Folklore states that sleeping that states Folklore unknown. wealth of downland flora and fauna. fauna. and flora downland of wealth

the Giant and its exact origins are origins exact its and Giant the opening up the superb views and the and views superb the up opening

117, and following the waymarkers. waymarkers. the following and 117,

There are lots of legends surrounding legends of lots are There the chalk hills that frame the valley, the frame that hills chalk the

using the relevant OS map, Explorer map, OS relevant the using

Cerne Giant, Britian's largest hill figure. hill largest Britian's Giant, Cerne The trail then takes you back through back you takes then trail The

length. It is advisable to walk the trail the walk to advisable is It length.

Cerne Abbas. Here you will pass the pass will you Here Abbas. Cerne

The trail is waymarked along it's entire it's along waymarked is trail The

Continue on from Godmanstone to Godmanstone from on Continue you are there. there. are you

the Duke of Burgundy butterfly while butterfly Burgundy of Duke the

in Dorchester Town Centre. Centre. Town Dorchester in

in England. England. in lunch. You may be lucky enough to see to enough lucky be may You lunch.

Parking is available at public car parks car public at available is Parking

claims to be one of the smallest pubs pubs smallest the of one be to claims heath and is an ideal place to stop for stop to place ideal an is and heath

to walk the entire length of the trail. the of length entire the walk to

Smith's Arms in Godmanstone which Godmanstone in Arms Smith's contains a small remnant of rare chalk rare of remnant small a contains

starting from Dorchester will enable you enable will Dorchester from starting

You may wish to stop and visit the visit and stop to wish may You Local Nature Reserve. This reserve This Reserve. Nature Local

The Trail can be started at any point but point any at started be can Trail The

through Forston and Godmanstone. and Forston through with the road below the Hillfield Hill Hillfield the below road the with

Cerne Valley Trail Trail Valley Cerne As you follow the river you will pass will you river the follow you As Now head west and you will meet up meet will you and west head Now

The Cerne Valley Trail is a circular route of 26 miles taking in the villages and hamlets of Minterne Magna, Cerne Abbas, Nether Cerne, Godmanstone, Forston and Charminster. The route follows the course of the river, from near its Contacts: source in the basin formed by the hills Dorset Countryside of High Stoy and Dogbury to its The Barracks Cerne Valley Trail Bridport Road confluence with the Frome, in the Dorchester water meadows below Charminster. Dorset DT1 1RN 01305 756794 [email protected] www.dorsetforyou.com

Dorset County Council and the Environment Agency in partnership:

Text by Emma Pitcher

Cover photograph by Mark Simons

All leaflets can be made available in audio tape, large print and Braille, or Recycled paper alternative languages on request. A 352 Cerne Valley Trail

Hilfield Hill LNR Minterne House Minterne Magna Holywell

Cerne Abbas

Piddletrenthide

3 Minterne House 52 Cerne Giant

Sydling

Marsh Fritillary

Nether Cerne

Smith's Arms - Smallest pub Smith’s Arms Banded in England Godmanstone Demoiselle

Horseriders in the Cerne nex Forston to Charminster Church

Kingfisher and Water crowfoot

Charminster

7 A 3

Poundbury Camp

Dorchester

Grass Snake Great Western train passing under Poundbury Camp

Water Vole

Key Cerne Valley Trail Follow the waymarkers