prettiest villages in the county. exciting river and one of the fort, ancient woodland, an standing stones, a bronze-age destination for walkers: a Tor, which make Devon a prime R (East). Where major rocks of Nose. Continue to summit. Go 2 1 drive with shed R. L at junction. After 1km reach R field-edge to road. Turn R, past cross, across 2 stiles, along church, go L through lych-gate,

metres of Bowerman’s Nose. The famous rock formation Walk up the lane toward the Start km 20 0 40 0 60 0 Turn L up to Bowerman’s 1¼ miles/1.9km 0 0

most of the elements This route offers LEN BANISTER CHOSEN BY… 01 u Distance: 9½ miles/15.2km u 9½ miles/15.2km Distance: 2

MANATON DEVON 4

6 boulders and requires care. [This crossing is over large posts indicate river crossing. – continue at junction. Finger then R to ‘Horsham Steps’ alongside Horsham Farm stream, forward to go L to main track, cross to track. At fingerpost fork L. Keep to lower path, drop down R at house along hedged lane. Forge’, L at footpath sign, 3 along field to road. through waymarked gate along R field-edge. Continue field to lane. Turn L, R over stile over stile, diagonally R across gate at bottom, join drive. Go L on clear track. Go L through this Tor cease, go diagonally L GR ADIENT PROFILE Go R. Fork L before ‘The 2½ miles/3.8km 8 Time: 5 hours u 5 hours Time: 10

12

Grade: Challenging

LEN BANISTER LEN PHOTO: taking the alternative route river path can be avoided by branches. Whilst exciting, the scrambling and ducking under involves vague paths, Following the River Bovey 14 Landranger 191 Maps OS Explorer OL28; Public Public both near the church. and pub in Lustleigh – Refreshments A tea room Newton Abbot Nearest PLANNING Stiles 8 when wet paths. Best avoided steep climbs over rough There are a couple of in text at end of point 3. Is it for me? See advice grid ref SX750812 near Manaton Church, park (donation requested) Start/parking A village car ROUTE PLAN YOUR WALK YOUR PLAN transport None toilets None 16 towns

A

B 18

20 ➥

SOUTH WEST ✁ WALK dramatic sight and, despite long Purbeck ridge, it is a Commanding a break in the destruction to prevent reuse. guile and Cromwell ordered its the castle was defeated by Although stoutly defended, Royalists during the Civil War. Lacey, who sided with Bankes family of Kingston It was later bought by the a hunting base for the king. while was a royal favourite – Saxon defence and for a stone. It occupies an earlier earliest in England built of is one of the impressive, overlooking the its ruinous state, remains metres km 20 0 40 0 60 0 0 0 William’s conquest, Begun shortly after DENNIS KELSALL CHOSEN BY… 02 u Distance: 7 miles/11.3km u 2 4

CORFE CASTLE

6 from the chalk downs above. and wildlife are very different wetland wood, whose flowers leads through heath and superb views, while the return ridge to opens shadow. The walk along the village that prospered in its Cocknowle Farm. After 800m, around West Hill towards couple of gates to continue 2 1 opposite and keep L. to a lane. Cross to a bridge to a path, the way leads down Trust tea rooms. Narrowing turn L in front of the National head towards castle, but then GR ADIENT PROFILE From the cross in the square, Start The way rises through a ¼ mile/500m Time: 3 hours u 3 hours Time:

8 The impressive ruins of Corfe Castle. 10

Grade: Moderate Grade: 12

DENNIS KELSALL DENNIS PHOTO: ultimately falling to meet lane. Keep ahead along the ridge, waymark six radiating paths. memorial, which serves to eventually reaching a small on through a couple of gates, ridge of Knowle Hill. Carry up the slope onto the long branch R at a fork and slant 14 ROUTE Landranger 195 Maps OS Explorer OL15; rail to Corfe Castle Public toiletsPublic By car parks Rooms, all close to castle Inn Bankes Arms & NT Tea Refreshments Greyhound Nearest town Wareham PLANNING Stiles 1 Suitable for active walkers and woodland paths. Is it for me? Clear down grid ref SY960821 around Corfe Castle, of the car parks signed Start/parking Use one PLAN YOUR WALK YOUR PLAN Bus and transport Bus and 16 18

20 ➥

SOUTH WEST DATE WALKED TIME TAKEN YOUR RATING

© Country Walking March 2018

MARCH 2018

5 6 IN ASSOCIATION WITH OS MAPS OS lfto.com/cwroutes 8½ miles/13.6km river bridge over Cross OS MAPS ONLINE: VIEW ON THE WALK drive. After ponds turn L. After drive. go R. gate Soon after R over fourth. R over cattle R over fourth. R over start. L to grid. Join lane, 7 fields and diagonally along three then L into wood. Go L along wood. then L into R, – as this veers track concrete turn Later, gate. go L through go L gate, After ‘Manton’. R to

ROUTE ALTERNATIVE 4 7 6½ miles/10.4km fingerpost. Go L, R at At gate, go forward, keep keep go forward, gate, At go R on ridge, climbing. Once higher main to Keep along wall. with Hill plateau reach track; outcrop rock before Just Fort. then R along gate go R through gradually, Descend field-edge. along farm, past gate, through through village orchard. village orchard. through Fork bridge and climb. Cross use boulders junction, R at Go R through stream. crossing diagonally L up pasture. gate, in sharp L along wall Turn field. Join hedged second lane. to forward Keep path. on hedged L. Continue Turn road. to path 6 3 Buy maps at: ordnancesurvey.co.uk/shop

START 1

DEVON MANATON 3½ miles/5.6km turn R to river, Cross Go R, L at junction, R at junction, Go R, L at 5 miles/8km 2 OS Explorer map OL28 u

follow bank for ¾ km. Reach ¾ km. Reach bank for follow go don’t cross, footbridge, R at Fork river. from L away then L uphill. Keep fingerpost descending gate, to forward road. to path on walled indicated on the map. The walk walk The on the map. indicated avoiding by can be shortened turning along by the river and rejoining Neadon Cleave 7.] point beyond just the route 4 5 next. At T-junction go R, L at T-junction At next. church up toward Walk next. L; pub R), go L past Room (Tea forward Keep Office. old Post u 01 007/18 MEDIA SURVEY. ORDNANCE 2018 COPYRIGHT ©CROWN

SOUTH WEST ✁ DATE WALKED TIME TAKEN YOUR RATING

© Country Walking March 2018

MARCH 2018 1

2 START IN ASSOCIATION WITH OS MAPS OS lfto.com/cwroutes 5¾ miles/9.25km L, eventually walk There, OS MAPS ONLINE: VIEW ON THE WALK 7 edge of the wood. Watch for for Watch edge of the wood. on the shortly leaving a path across R and head away the fields towards grazing Hill. skirt of Knowle wooded passing through a gate. Keep L Keep a gate. through passing and continue gate a second to a passing open pasture, across Instead, the road. meet barn to path go R on a gravel however, in time River, Corfe above Cross a bridge. L to forking outward your and reverse the village. back to route

7 6 5¼ miles/8.25km Eventually meeting a meeting Eventually 4½ miles/6.75km in along the drive Turn rejoining the lane, which a the lane, rejoining the on passes farther little the Blue Pool. to entrance 5 6 R into more wetland wood, wood, wetland more R into bridging duckboards of marsh. patches occasional and keep ahead past the car ahead past and keep to entrance park and garden on a a gate through continue the perimeter by path wooded bear R through a fork, At fence. Heath, Norden onto a gate metres L a few branching with the remain on to farther the across Strike Purbeck Way. find a kissing to open heath corner. in the distant gate go beyond, metres A few go L, later curving beside the go L, later crossing path before a pool, before path crossing 4 Buy maps at: ordnancesurvey.co.uk/shop

5 3

DORSET CASTLE CORFE 3½ miles/5.5km a war Go L, passing 2¼ miles/3.5km it briefly ahead, Follow OS Explorer map OL15 u

path off L. The way delves delves way off L. The path soon wood, wetland through on the R, but immediately on the R, but immediately a narrower abandon it for memorial to the Creech Seven, Seven, the Creech memorial to a junction R at then keep and the Blue Pool towards the next at Leave Wareham. bend, taking a bridletrack u 3 4 branching off with track onto onto off with track branching a gate Hill. Reaching Ridgeway R swing way, barring onward the head of adjacent across base of at track Leave combe. a tumulus on making for dip, Bear Down. of Stonehill top along gently R and continue later snout, a path falling leads that developing a stile to steeply ever-more and gate back onto the lane. back onto and gate 02 007/18 MEDIA SURVEY. ORDNANCE 2018 COPYRIGHT ©CROWN

SOUTH WEST