Days 1- Hardy's Cottage to

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Hardy Way

Day 1: Higher Bockhampton to Culpepper Dish 10 miles 20 February 2025

Ever since moving to Dorset I have been interested in Hardy Way Trail. It is unusual, if not unique, in being an almost circular trail, from the author's birthplace in Higher Bockhampton to Stinsford Church where Hardy's heart lies buried. The Trail was created by Margaret Marande whose book is a useful accompaniment, albeit she seems to think 20+ miles walking in a day is perfectly normal!

When walking in the county, anyone will encounter the path at some point as it snakes for 215 miles, almost all of which is in Dorset. At a guess, I have walked about a third of the Trail, mostly in the latter part where it passes very close to home in Beaminster. This leaves a substantial part (mainly in eastern Dorset) of the Trail that will be new territory.

Our aim is to complete the Trail in about 18 months by a series of day walks, probably 18-20 in total. The core of our gang of walkers is Phil, Sue, Yvonne, and me though hope to attract some more of our casual walkers on certain days.

I usually post walks for individual days on my Trail blogs, but have decided this time to group a few days together as some will be short posts.

We start by driving to Culpepper Dish. I drive to the parking spot for Hardy's Cottage whence we walk through the woods to the start point.

Start point

The Trail from here works through woodland and then open farmland. We are quickly struck by the absence of finger posts. Often there are the green HW signs that indicate you are on Trial but no way markers. This Trail would be impossible without maps and difficult without GPS. We make one short-lived navigation error on some open farmland, as a result of which I am more resolute in consulting OS maps app on my iPhone. 

Having crossed the A35 and headed north and west along a track that coincides with Ridgeway path, the Trail heads into Puddletown (renamed from Piddletown reportedly due to prudish sensitivity about its former) Puddletown was home to Thomas Hardy's grandfather and great grandfather and also the powerful Martin family who had two manorial houses close by - at Athelhampton and Waterston. Hardy visited here frequently; the town was 'Weatherbury' in Far from the Madding Crowd and other novels. 

Having lunched sat in a bus stop we continue eastwards through Athelhampton. The remainder of the walk is through woodland and then heathland that Hardy calls 'Egdon Heath' where much of Tess of the d'Urbervilles is set.

Heathland east of Athelhampton

Approaching Culpepper Dish

We end at Culpepper Dish, a large sinkhole that looks rather a more significant feature on the OS map than on the ground as vegetation obscures its depth and width.

A good start to Hardy Way with plenty of scenic variety.

	Day	Cumulative
Higher Bockhampton to Culpepper Dish
Miles walked	10.0	10.0
Hours (including stops)	4	4

Day 2: Culpepper Dish to Wool 15 miles 3 March 2025

Day 2 is started by bad news that Phil is unwell and therefore unable to join us. Hopefully, he can make up the day at some point. 

Meantime, Sue, Yvonne and I meet in Church Lane at Wool at 0930. It is only 5 miles directly for me to drive us to the start point but we are held up by the railway crossing in Wool and consequently start at just after 1000. 

Route is eastwards to Bloxworth, then south to Binnegar and west to Wool. It is typical of the sinusoidal route the Hardy Way follows: one that is three times the direct distance between start and finish. The terrain is mostly heathland that featured as the entire scene of Return of the Native. 

From the car park we continue on the wooded area before passing through Briantspuddle and cross the Piddle River at Turners Puddle. Ogden Nash wrote a poem making light of the name (see below).

River Piddle

The only village of any size on today's route is Bere Regis, that featured in Tess as Kingsbere-sub-Greenhill. A local we check the route with enquires why we are heading east when Wool is south. He clearly is unaware that the Trail scarcely goes directly anywhere!

Bere Regis

We ascend Woodbury Hill, the only strenuous climb of the route today. Hardy walked in 1873 from home at Higher Bockhampton to Woodbury Hill. The walk was 13 miles to attend a sheep fair; book doesn’t say whether he walked home again afterwards!

The Trail continues through Bere Wood. Weather is perfect for walking today: sunny, cool, and clam. We make good progress all that way, averaging 2.9 mph, helped by lack of ascent; only a couple of minor navigation issues; and generally easy going. There are a few muddy patches but much of the route is on hard surface. 

Bere Wood

Bloxworth is a pretty hamlet in a remote location. This is our most easterly point today, the Trail truning sharply SSW across Bloxworth Heath. 

Bloxworth Heath

A gentle descent to the River Piddle follows, the Trail following the river for about 3 miles. The floodplain is wide here with several pools that are either natural or manmade from the gravel extraction that has been going on, ostensibly to mitigate flooding risk but with opposition from local residents. There was no sign on gravel extraction on our walk, though there is a large area adjoining the Trail that is out of bounds.

River Piddle widens into pools in several places.

The track alongside the river passes alongside a golf course and through Rockley Activity Centre and ultimately reaches the A342 at Binnegar. Half a mile along the main road we turn left and cross the railway line and River Frome.

River Frome

The final section roughly follows the river across some muddy fields to a road where we pass the remain of Lindon Abbey, founded in 12th century, and a across a field to Church Lane.

This is an excellent walk across what is by English standards remote countryside. There is plenty of interest and going is generally good, albeit with some very boggy and muddy patches. We made good time.

Culpepper Dish to Wool	Day	Cumulative
Miles walked	15.0	25.0
Hours (including stops)	5.5	9.5

Paradise for Sale
by Ogden Nash

Had I the shillings, pounds and pence,
I’d pull up stakes and hie me hence,
I’d buy that small mixed farm in Dorset
Which has an inglenook and faucet–
Kiddles Farm, Piddletrenthide,
In the valley of the River Piddle.

I’d quit these vehement environs
Of diesel fumes and horn and sirens,
This manic, fulminating ruction
Of demolition and construction
For Kiddles Farm, Piddletrenthide,
In the valley of the River Piddle.

yes, quit for quietude seraphic
Con Edison’s embrangled traffic,
To sit reflecting that the skylark,
Which once was Shelley’s now is my lark,
At Kiddles Farm, Piddletrenthide,
In the valley of the River Piddle.

I’m sure the gods could not but bless
The man who lives at that address,
And revenue agents would wash their hands
And cease to forward their demands
To Kiddle Farm, Piddletrenthide,
In the valley of the River Piddle.

Oh, the fiddles I’d fiddle,
The riddles I’d riddle,
The skittles I’d scatter,
The winks I would tiddle!
Then, hey diddle diddle diddle!
I’ll jump from the griddle
And live out my days
To the end from the middle
On Kiddles Farm, Piddletrenthide
In the valley of the River Piddle.

Day 3: Wool to Kimmeridge 14 miles 5 May 2025

We are three today: Phil, Yvonne and me. Phil caught up day 2 last week when he walked day 2 with me the reverse way, just to avoid me having to walk exactly the same route!

Meet at Kimmeridge, then Yvonne drives us to the start point near Wool church. We start at 1055 knowing it will be a fairly long day ahead. The recent dry weather continues but it is breezier and cooler today, around 10 degrees when we start. 

Across fields, we head into Cole Wood. The path is marked diagonally across the wood, but on the ground takes a line close to the edge of the wood. This is a good example of how the fine weather improves the going underfoot; the path would be muddy most of the year round in more normal weather conditions but is hard and easy today.

The route is attractive, passing through more fields and Haremere Wood before a road section near Coombe Keynes. There is a gentle climb to the edge of Burngate Wood, en route passing what presumably served as an entrance to Lulworth Castle estate. Crossing the B3071, the route descends to Belhuish Farm and rises again to Belhuish Coppice. This is an especially scenic section. There are way markers indicating we are also on the Purbeck Way, though this seems not to coincide with the route that I later find online. 

Descending to Belhuish Farm

View from Belhish Coppice

As we ascend, we have a splendid view of Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door before descending to West Lulworth. A short walk along the road brings us to what is now the ascent to continue both the South West Cost Path and Hardy Way; they coincide until Kimmeridge. The route used to go much closer to sea but landslips now draw it inland. This is about halfway so ideal for lunch stop. 

West Lulworth

Lulworth Cove was Lulwind Cove in Hardy's works. It featured in Far From The Madding Crowd when Sergeant Troy is swept out to sea. It was landing point for contraband; Hardy was interested in smuggling and wrote short stories and poems featuring Lulwind Cove in this context, example being:

    Out there on the verge, where a path waivers through

    Dark figures, filed singly, thrid quickly the view

    Yet heavily laden; land carriers are they

    In the hire of the smugglers from some nearest bay.

    Each bears his two tubs, slung across, one in front one behind,

    To a further snug hiding, which none but themselves are to find.

The Trail is very difficult to follow from here. The rerouting of the path and the plethora of paths on the hill mean we miss descending to Lulworth Cove and instead head along the ridge to Bindon Hill. This is shorter and less ascent. I don't like going wrong as a rule, but Phil and Yvonne are content to continue on the ridge, and I have walked the official route with Mike and Steve in 2014 when the SWCP was easier to follow, so don't feel too bad about taking a short cut, especially as I have not walked the ridge before and it offers fine views inland as well as out to sea.

After about 3/4 mile, we rejoin the Hardy Way and tackle the tough climb to Flower's Barrow, one of the steepest ascents on SWCP. I brought my walking poles specifically for this and the later descent and ascent to and from Tyneham. 

Flower's Barrow and Arish Mell beach

The very steep descent to Wolbarrow Bay is almost as tough as the ascent that I negotiated a few weeks ago as part of a West Dorset Ramblers walk. We walk to Tyneham and are disappointed that the refreshment van is closed today for an inexplicable reason. 

Wolbarrow Bay

Our final section is one I have walked twice before: ascent to Gad Cliff, then descend to end at Kimmeridge Bay, passing the small oil well. Clavell Tower is on the skyline. Hardy drew a sketch of a couple walking hand in hand on a path to the tower; at the time he was engaged to Eliza Nicholls who lived nearby. The engagement didn't last, but Hardy wrote a sonnet: She to Him I at the time. 

Kimmeridge Oil Well

This is a fantastic section with lots of variety: fields, woods; villages ascents and descents; stunning views; and arguably one of the very finest sections of SWCP to end with. It will be hard to beat. 

Wool to Kimmeridge	Day	Cumulative
Miles walked	14.0	39.0
Hours (including stops)	5.5	15.0

Day 4: Kimmeridge to Wareham 12 miles 26 May 2025

It is Yvonne, Phil and me again today; Sue would prefer to rejoin us when we get to the west.

Having met in Corfe (of which more later), it is a short drive to the car park in a disused quarry, useful as it avoids £6 parking charge, and a somewhat tedious ascent from the bay to here that we have all done more than once. 

A gravel path leads to a ridge overlooking Kimmeridge Bay in one direction and Poole Harbour in the other. 

View over Kimmeridge Bay

Rain threatens from the west, and seems heavy over Portland but luckily avoids us. I have not brought a waterproof, relying on the weather forecast that said none was due. It is very breezy, with temperatures in mid teens. Going is good as there has been little rain for several weeks.

At a viewpoint about a mile eastwards, the ridge and path take a 90 degree turn north eastwards on an easy going grass path. We meet several day trippers on this Bank Holiday Monday.

The path exits onto a road by a small car park and leads thorough a wood to Kingston, that features as Little Enckworth in The Hand of Elberta  Kingscreech in the story Old Mrs Chundle. 

As we head northwards from Kingston to wards Corfe, with the fine views over Corfe Common, it becomes evident that we should not have parked in Corfe. I have no idea why I chose Corfe, but to end here would mean only a 5 mile walk. I suggest we take a bus to or from Wareham so we can continue the intended itinerary for today and, fortunately, there is a no. 40 bus due at 1220, taking just 20 minutes to Wareham. We have our lunch en route. 

Corfe Castle from Corfe Common

It seems strange to walk the 'wrong direction' but after some faffing about navigation wise by me we settle on walking the south side of River Frome once disembarked. I am not having a good day: on top of going to wrong end point and nearly setting off from wrong bank of River Frome, my water bottle leaked its entire contents in my small rucksack so I buy a Coke and ask the pub to fill it. 

HW is designed to be walked one way only: birthplace to burial site of the heart of the author and poet. Consequently, there is little way marking in the direction we are now taking. Armed with my OS maps app, this is not a big problem but we do need to look at the opposite side of a few gates for the reassuring green way markers to check we are on Trail. 

After a mile on the river bank, the Trail turns southwards on a road to and through Stoborough. Past the village, the Trail crosses Stoborough Heath, passes over the railway line and across Creech Heath. I have not been aware of just how much heathland there is in this part of Dorset, much of it protected as SSSI.

Stoborough Heath

Creech Heath

We exit onto a B road for over a mile, passing by another SSSI - the Blue Pool - and encountering a memorial to the members of GHQ Auxiliary Unit, a small band of men who would operate behind enemy lines in case of invasion in WW2.

A steep ascent off the road leads to Knowle Hill, a second ridge today offering fine views in all directions. We are glad the wind is south westerly in our backs as it is chilly. 

Atop Knowle Ridge

A gradual descent from the ridge brings Corfe Castle into view.

Corfe Castle

Corfe was 'Corvsgate' Castle in Desperate Remedies. As Ethelberta approaches Corvsgate to attend an archaeological meeting "The towers of the notable ruin to be visited rose out of the furthermost shoulder of the upland as she advanced, its site being the slope and crest of a smoothly nibbled mount at the toe of the ridge she had followed.".

 Thus ends a unique experience for me: walking to a midpoint of a linear Trail from both ends! It worked and means we can continue in the intended anti clockwise direction from Wareham next time. 

It is a fantastic section of the Trail with just about everything: sea views, ridges, villages, heathland, woodland, literature, and history.  

Kimmeridge to Wareham	Day	Cumulative
Miles walked	12.0	51.0
Hours	4.4	19.4

Day 5: Wareham to Sturminster Marshall 12 miles 18 June 2025

After the embarrassing mistake last time when parked in Corfe rather than Wareham, I ensure we all know where to park this time!

 Phil and I meet Yvonne in Balls Road Sturminster Marshall. Chose this as it is close to the bus stop if we choose to catch bus to Poole and thence to Wareham but decide it is too much of a faff and instead drive to Wareham.

 Parking is not available near the bridge; instead find long stay car park and start walking at 1040.

Leaving 'Anglebury', we head into the final section of heathland, on Hardy Way which features in The Hand of Ethelberta, where the title character follows a hawk to Decoy Heath, described by Margaret Marande thus: 

    "Few truly wild parts of the heath remain, but the Decoy Heath with its pools and bogs still retains         the primitive spirit that Hardy recognised and loved."

Decoy Heath

I had previously cycled around her a month ago so am familiar with the gravel paths ideal for off road cycling. 

We pass Morden Bog National Nature Reserve. Temperature is rising; it is very warm walking with the sun reflecting from the gravel path. 

Morden Bog NNR

 

A section of the Trail through Wareham Forest provides some welcome shelter and pass the Iron Age settlement of Woolbarrow Fort. After an unexpectedly and unwelcome dangerous section along the A35, we have lunch in the woodland.

The remaining section of the Trail to Sturminster Marshall is mostly road walking. East Morden has some attractive large residences and a lovely church.

East Morden church

Ascending gently from the village, the land is cultivated and grazed; the heathland is behind us now.

Cropped field north of East Morden

In the distance, we can just see Charborough Tower that, according to Marande, is the focal setting in Two on a Tower for the love affair of Lady Viviette Constantine and the young astronomer Swithin St. Cleeve who uses the tower as an observatory.

Sturminster Marshall is one of Dorset's less attractive villages, functional rather than pretty. It housed the second largest cheese factory in Europe in 1960s but closed in 1975. We are glad it has a Spar where Coke and ice cream make a good end to the day.

We agree that today has not been as good as previous ones on the Trail, but perhaps we have been spoilt by the stunning coastline that we shall not revisit for 100 miles or so. 

Wareham to Sturminster Marshall	Day	Cumulative
Miles walked	12.0	63.0
Hours	4.4	23.8

Day 6: Sturminster Marshall to  Witchampton12.5 miles 7 July 2025

We are settled now into the Gang of 3: Phil, Yvonne and me. Sue finds the travel to East Dorset too far, and Paul has been ill with bipolar. Hope both (and maybe some others) will join us later in the journey.

It is another dry and mainly sunny day. 2025 has been very dry since February. The upside of the weather is virtually no mud; the downside dehydration and need for protection. On balance, the positive outweighs the negative for me. Today, though, the pros and cons are balanced, as there is a lot of road walking, and most of the off road is on gravel paths. 

We start with 2 miles road walking north of Sturminster Marshall and east towards Wimborne Minster. We cross the River Stour on White Mill Bridge with National Trust owned White Mill by the riverside.

River Stour from White Mill Bridge

Frightening sign on the bridge!

The Trail skirts the edge of Kingston Lacy, the largest bequest the National Trust has ever had when Ralph Bankes died in 1981. Hardy and Florence visited in 1926. The Trail goes along Pamphill Green, a distinctive avenue of 150 year old oak trees.

We join the Stour Valley Way en route to Wimborne Minster. The Trail performs a tight U turn in the town such that around two miles walking could be short cut to about 500 metres, an extreme example of how Hardy Way winds through Dorset.

Along the Stour not far from where Hardy and Emma settled in 1881 after the author's serious illness there is now an ongoing expensive housing development. Hardy disliked some of the development of the Minster, and wrote a sardonic poem - The Levelled Churchyard - about the practice of removing and repurposing tombstones.

Expensive housing at River's Edge with 4-6 bedroomed houses going for £1.5-2.0 million

Leaving Wimborne via the B3082 towards Blandford, the Trail forks right and heads north-eastwards (Wimborne is the most easterly point of Hardy Way) on a minor road that becomes a gravel track. We are glad of the breeze as there is no shade and the sun reflects off the light surface.

King Down

Yvonne et moi

We are making impressive progress due to being naturally fast walkers, the easy going on hard surfaces, and lack of ascent so stop for lunch after walking for over 7 miles. 

The highlight of the final 5.5 miles is Badbury Rings, an Iron Age hillfort. Hardy refers to the Rings in The Trumpet Major, not in this case changing the name of the feature. Romans settled here and the fort is a junction of two Roman Roads. We follow the dead straight Roman road, partly road, partly track, from Dorchester to Salisbury towards Witchampton. We detour to visit the trig point and struggle to cross the embankments before realising there are periodic steps built into the embankments. 

We finish in 4:20 walking time at 3.1mph (the actual distance walked was 13 miles due to exploring Badbury Rings and a slight navigation error near Wimborne), probably the fastest section of any Trail I have walked. Interesting and scenically varied, this is a good section of Trail. 

Sturminster Marshall to Witchampton	Day	Cumulative
Miles walked	12.5	75.5
Hours	4.3	28.1

 Day 7: Witchampton to Sixpenny Handley 14 miles 29 July 2025

We meet just north of Sixpenny Handley on a junction of minor roads. Phil and I are delayed by roadworks en route to Shaftesbury, and a road closure between there and Sixpenny Handley. Nevertheless, we start walking at 1035 and make quick early progress as once again the dry weather is ideal for walking. 

We entre Crichel Estate on a permissive path. The Trail winds through woodland and fields before a road section. 

Farringdon Clump. There are several coppices in the middle of fields on this section

The route leaves the road for Brockington Lane, easy going through fields, followed by more road walking around Wimborne St. Giles. Leaving the road, we head along Ringwood Lane, one of several sunken paths we encounter today. The Trail coincides with Jubilee Trail for much of the remaining walk today.

Weather warms up as we reach Cranborne for lunch stop after 8 miles. Cranborne is home to Fleur de Lys pub that was Flower de Luce in Tess of the d'Urbevilles. Tess meets Alec d'Urbeville at the inn after walking from Tartridge (Pentridge) to Chaseborough (Cranborne). 

The best part of today's walk follows. Leaving Cranborne on a sunken track, the Trail climbs steadily along a chalk track. We only get glimpses of fine views through the hedges either side. A couple of miles further on, we approach Pentridge Knoll along the top of a ridge, affording splendid views over Cranborne Chase. Marande claims this and the following section pass through 'some of the most splendid scenery in Dorset and Wiltshire'.

View from Pentridge Hill across Cranborne Chase

The Jubilee Trail continues to its end point at Bokerley Dyke, but the Hardy Way passes through the wooded Penbury Knoll and descends to Pentridge (Tantridge in the novel). 

View from Penbury Knoll

The descent from Penbury Knoll

Chocolate box house at Pentridge

The route descends to A354. For the first time in nearly 100 miles I have mapped the route incorrectly so we take amore direct path to the main road. A local advises us that we cannot easily exit from this but we plough on regardless and find a gap in the hedge bordering the road where we can rejoin the Trail near a hand car wash outlet. An unremarkable final mile across fields leads to Sixpenny Handley. 

This is a 7/10 walk. Pentridge Hill is splendid, Cranborne an attractive red bricked village, the remainder a pleasant but sometimes frustrating (due to height of bushes either side obscuring the views) dally through Dorset countryside: never boring but only occasionally scintillating. 

Witchampton to Sixpenny Handley	Day	Cumulative
Miles walked	14.0	89.5
Hours	5.0	33.1

Day 8: Sixpenny Handley to Shaftesbury 13 miles 8 August 2025

Steve joins us today for first time. His journey from Limpley Stoke to Shaftesbury is shorter than ours. It is a 25 minute journey to the road junction at Sixpenny Handley, my favourite placename and made even better by the road sign:

I love '6D Handley' - lost on many younger folk!

Today is a continuation of the section in North Dorset and Wiltshire described by Margaret Marande as a "remote, windswept downs dotted with evidence of prehistoric man to deep tranquil combes where time seems to have been suspended". I have walked some of the Trail round here before, but it is one of those walks you cannot do too often. 

Continuing the road to Deanland, the Trail moves into Rushmore Estate. The paths are wide and grassy and seem quite remote. There is evidence of 3 day eventing. The Trail follows the border with Wiltshire through Chase Wood, exiting onto Rushmore Park Golf Course, the well watered greens contrasting with parched fairways.

Rushmore Park Golf Course

The section through the Park is a lovely mix of grassland and woodland.

Rushmore Park woodland

Scenery changes once leave the park and pass through Tollard Royal. The path continues along a valley, coinciding for a mile with the Wessex Ridgeway that Steve and I walked with Mike 7 years ago. It is long ascent on a chalk track from the point where the Trails part company into open chalk downland. 

The Trail from Tollard Royal to Win Green.

Reaching Win Green, we realise we should have left the grave path earlier and are faced with a climb over fence to access the beauty spot where we have lunch. 

There is just over 5 miles to finish the walk today, starting with a gradual and scenic descent to Ludwell. 

View from Win Green

Newly harvested fields 

Descent with Shaftesbury in distance

Eastwards view on descent from Win Green

A winding route thorough Ludwell leads to a minor road that is left at Middle Combe. The final two miles pass lakes and pass through the dry valley of Long Bottom. We enter Shaftesbury (featuring in Tess of the d'Urbervilles and Jude the Obscure and known as 'Shaston' to Hardy) and thereby are back in Dorset for the duration of the rest of the Trail. An uninspiring walk through residential areas leads us to today's end point in the centre of this lovely town. 

This is real classic walk. Marande's poetic words do justice to it. The scenery is fantastic, the walking easy going despite the relatively high amount of ascent (509m), and there is plenty of variety: a real 10/10 hike. 

Sixpenny Handley to Shaftesbury	Day	Cumulative
Miles walked	13.0	102.5
Hours	4.3	37.4