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Iconic Purbeck Walks

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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 119 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). and were originally a part of the chalk ridgeline that runs across the south coast Join us for our favourite circular loops that take in the best views of the Castle joining up with the Needles on the Isle of Wight. and the whole of the Isle of Purbeck. The chalk ridge was formed approximately 65 million years ago but you can join In Corfe Walk 1 (West Hill Loop) we will climb one of the ridges to look down us to walk towards the rocks and look down on them from the cliffs. This walk on the Castle and Village from above plus taking in the delightful Copper Bridge has one steep climb but is otherwise fairly flat and has views across Studland bay and views across Poole Harbour. and out to the Isle of Wight. Walk No’s 02 / 55 / 104 Reward yourself at the end with a Cream Tea specially prepared in the Manor Distance: 3.3 miles Farm tearooms for only £4 – optional extra (cream tea not available on all walks). Location: H Walk No’s: 01 / 04 / 108 In Corfe Walk 2 (Commoners Way) explore the intriguing Corfe Common with Distance: 4 – 4.5 miles a gentle climb towards Kingston where you can look down towards the Castle Location: L before heading through the woods and back into the Village via the delightful Start at the Bankes Arms Car Park, Studland West Street. Walk No’s 07 / 103 Car parking: Free to National Trust Members (circa £4 a day for non members) Distance: 5 miles Location: H Start and finish of both walks is at the West Street Car Park – charge £3.10 for 3 hours, or alternatively National Trust Members can park in car park opposite the castle for free and walk through the square to West Street. Purbeck Nordic Walking Festival 2016 | Note: All distances & times are approximate and may change due to weather or safety issues Page 219 of Studland to Worth Matravers Coastal Agglestone Rock Path Loops (including Agglestone Rock is yet another unique Winspit and St Aldhelms feature of the area. Also known as the Chapel). Devil’s Anvil, it is a sandstone block of Experience the real essence of Purbeck about 400 tonnes in weight, perched on a conical hill on the wild heathland that on these circular walks (we will have a mix of distances) which start near to the borders Poole Harbour. famous Square and Compass Pub in the Your walk leader will take you through Studland Village and out onto the beautiful village of Worth Matravers. This tranquil setting has a history of Heathland before a short climb takes you along a ridge towards the iconic rock quarrying for Purbeck stone and the landscape has been shaped by this heritage where you can get up close and marvel at the magnitude before dropping down whilst the pub seems to have changed little since it was frequented by the towards Studland road and through the woods to the Village and the 3 stunning Quarry men (apart from having a Cider Cart and Fossil Museum). On these walks beaches of Studland bay. your leaders will take you out from the Village to the Coastal Trails. Walk No’s: 03 / 59 / 101 Worth Matravers Walk 1 (Chapel Loop) will take you left towards the ancient Distance: 3 miles 13th century St Aldhelm’s Chapel a tiny square building which sits on cliff top site Location L thought to have religious connections way before it was built. Start and Finish at Middle Beach Car Park, Studland Walk No’s: 05 / 107 Car parking – Free to National Trust Members 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. 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 319 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 419 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. taken over by the MOD during the Walk No: 51 Second World War. Still part of the Distance: 4 miles extensive MOD range, time has literally Location: R stood still in this Village. The valley in which the Village sits is bordered by two chalk ridges which once Tyneham Loop 3 (Gentle Woodland Walk) climbed, give views out across Lulworth and Poole Harbour on one side and This gentle walk takes you from the Village, past the old farmyard and down to across to Kimmeridge on the other. Both ridges lead down to the secluded Worbarrow Bay on an even gravel track. We will allow time to stroll along the unspoilt beach at Worbarrow with its iconic ‘Tout’. Both ridges involve a steep beach and take in the tranquillity and views before heading back to the Village via climb but we will also have a short flat walk to the bay for those less keen on a magical woodland that typifies the unspoilt nature of this secret valley. the hill work! Walk No: 105 Tyneham Loop 1 (Brandy Bay) Distance: 2 miles This shorter walk drops from the Village into the Bay where paddle steamers Location: R used to bring Tourists to the tranquil village before it was evacuated.
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