Specialist Walks Iconic Purbeck Walks Selection of iconic walks around the Isle of Purbeck These iconic walks will give you the best of Purbeck as they visit the top sites and provide the best views. Venturing along the coastal paths and through the unique landscape of Purbeck, the walks will be repeated during the three days, to ensure as many people as possible get to enjoy them. We have included a mix of distances and terrains so there will be something for everybody. You can choose whether to take a longer walk and explore the area or include a few shorter walks in order to get see the whole area on foot. Either way we will be giving a prize for the most miles covered in 3 days! All walks will be lead by qualified instructors or walk leaders and must be booked in advance. You will receive a login and password to be able to book all walks and activities on-line Purbeck Nordic Walking Festival 2016 | Note: All distances & times are approximate and may change due to weather or safety issues Page 120 of Old Harry Loop from Corfe Castle Circular Bankes Arms and Back - The symbol of Purbeck, Corfe Castle with optional cream tea tends to star in many NWUK photos too! Blown up by Cromwell in the Civil War it The chalk stacks known as Old Harry sits on a mound in between two massive Rocks mark the start of the World chalk ridges surrounded by tiny cottages Heritage site of the Jurassic Coast. Old that make up the Village used in many film Harry Rocks were created through sets (including Thomas Hardy’s Mayor of thousands of years of erosion by the sea Casterbridge & Bedknobs & Broomsticks). Join us for our favourite circular loops and were originally a part of the chalk ridgeline that runs across the south coast that take in the best views of the Castle and the whole of the Isle of Purbeck. joining up with the Needles on the Isle of Wight. In Corfe Walk 1 (West Hill Loop) we will climb one of the ridges to look down The chalk ridge was formed approximately 65 million years ago but you can join on the Castle and Village from above plus taking in the delightful Copper Bridge us to walk towards the rocks and look down on them from the cliffs. This walk and views across Poole Harbour. This walk involves a steady but manageable has one steep climb but is otherwise fairly flat and has views across Studland bay climb and no stiles – one area can be muddy in wet weather and the area is and out to the Isle of Wight. predominantly used for livestock grazing so Cattle/Sheep could be encountered. Reward yourself at the end with a Cream Tea specially prepared in the Manor Walk No’s 02 / 55 / 104 | Distance: 3.3 miles | Location: H Farm tearooms for only £4 – optional extra (cream tea not available on all walks). In Corfe Walk 2 (Commoners Way) explores the intriguing Corfe Common and Walk No’s: 01 / 04 / 108 is a gentle climb towards Kingston where you can look down towards the Castle Distance: 4 – 4.5 miles before heading through the woods and back into the Village via the delightful Location: L West St. This walk involves a small road section, a rocky track and a one narrow Start at the Bankes Arms Car Park, Studland path which is knarly and sometimes muddy. The Common area is likely to be boggy in places when wet, this is a livestock grazing area and there are a couple Car parking: Free to National Trust Members (circa £4 a day for non members) stiles en route. Walk No’s 07 / 103 | Distance: 5 miles | Location: H Start and Finish of both Walks is West Street Car Park – charge £3.10 for 3 hours, or alternatively National Trust Members can park in car park just outside village for Free and walk through the square to West Street (allow 10 – 15 mins). Purbeck Nordic Walking Festival 2016 | Note: All distances & times are approximate and may change due to weather or safety issues Page 220 of Studland to Worth Matravers Agglestone Rock Coastal Path Loops Agglestone Rock is yet another unique (including Winspit and St feature of the area. Also known as the Aldhelms Chapel). Devil’s Anvil, it is a sandstone block of Experience the real essence of Purbeck on about 400 tonnes weight, perched on a these circular walks (we will have a mix of conical hill on the wild heathland that distances) which start near to the famous borders Poole Harbour. Square and Compass Pub in the beautiful village or Worth Matravers. This tranquil setting has a history of quarrying for Purbeck Your walk leader will take you through Studland Village and out onto the stone and the landscape has been shaped by this heritage whilst the pub seems to have Heathland before a short climb takes you along a ridge towards the iconic rock changed little since it was frequented by the Quarry men (apart from having a Cider Cart where you can get up close and marvel at the magnitude before dropping down and Fossil Museum). On these walks your leaders will take you out from the Village to the towards Studland road and through the woods to the Village and the 3 stunning Coastal Trails. Note - Walk one is a fairly challenging walk and both are subject to change in the event of sea fog (alternatives have been planned). beaches of Studland bay. This is a fairly easy walk with no significant climbs on sandy heathland terrain. There is a short road section at the start.. Worth Matravers Walk 1 (Chapel Loop) will take you left towards the ancient 13th century St Aldhelm’s Chapel a tiny square building which sits on cliff top site thought to Walk No’s: 03 / 59 / 101 have religious connections way before it was built. This walk contains a mix of gravel Distance: 3 miles tracks and a narrow section where pole use is not so easy (unless you double pole) which Location L follows the cilff tops with fairly steep drops to the sea. There are also a couple of climbs Start and Finish at Middle Beach Car Park, Studland (see the profile) and one descent and climb in and out of a gully which is challenging (circa 200 steps down and a steepish climb back). There is one stile on this walk. Car parking – Free to National Trust Members Walk No’s: 05 / 107 | Distance: 5 miles (circa £4 a day for non members) Worth Matravers Walk 2 (Smugglers Way) will take you in the other direction via the East man and Seacombe. There are a couple of climbs (circa 50 steps) and one small stone ‘gap’ stile to negotiate. Walk No’s: 08 / 109 | Distance: 3 miles Both walks will finish back at the Square and Compass where the HQ team will join anyone who fancies a glass of local Cider. All walks start and finish at Worth Matravers Village Car Park – suggested donation applies. Purbeck Nordic Walking Festival 2016 | Note: All distances & times are approximate and may change due to weather or safety issues Page 320 of Kingston to Dancing Ledge Houns Tout Walk to Seacombe A stunning circular walk that provides Follow in the footsteps of the a unique view of Chapmans Pool and Dinosaurs (footprints in the rocks have the Encombe Valley which is also been found in most of the local quarries) known as the Golden Bowl. Walk along the route including Keats Quarry through a stunning valley to the coast where the footsteps are a metre in and then climb a steep uphill section diameter and belonged to a 30-metre, (via steps but does have a drop to the 30-ton Diplodocus. sea on one side) to take in the views towards Portland and Kimmeridge Bay from Houns-Tout cliff. A fairly challenging walk with steep descents (sometimes slippery) this walk Return via a ridge that provides more stunning views of the Encombe Valley captures the essence of Purbeck stone and its importance to stonemasons and (including the House, Lake and walled Gardens). fossil hunters. The Dancing Ledge itself is a platform where ships used to come to collect the stone and is so named because it is the size of a ballroom. Refresh with a drink at the Scott Arms pub which has unrivalled views of Corfe Castle. Now it also has a natural swimming pool area which was blasted out for the use by a local prep school. Sea views, old caves and the Priests way – this walk has a Walk No: 06 Distance: 4 miles bit of everything. Start at Kingston Walk No: 52 Location K Distance: 4. 5 miles Starts and Finishes at Spyway Car Park, Langton Matravers. Location: F Purbeck Nordic Walking Festival 2016 | Note: All distances & times are approximate and may change due to weather or safety issues Page 420 of Tyneham lost village Tyneham Loop 2 (Flowers Barrow) and Worbarrow Bay Also starting with a walk to the Bay this walk then crosses to the other side of the bay before a STEEP and fairly long climb up to a prehistoric ridgeway, where Today Tyneham is a ghost village and its the massive Iron Age Flowers Barrow hillfort has a tremendous outlook over school and church are given over to coastal vistas stretching from Portland to Poole. Without doubt this is one of the displays of life as it was before it was most beautiful vistas in the area.