Walks in Dorset by train
MapA day hike in the countryside is just a simple train journey away — explore the most charmingly located railway stations in Dorset and plan your next day of green.
Wool Circular via Lulworth Cove
15 minutes direct from Poole.
Rolling Thomas Hardy Country pastures, large woods, dairy farms, remote scenic coombes, steep chalk clifftops, rock stacks, limestone arches, caves, beautiful coves, parkland, heath and bluebell woods.
Time: 9h (7h walking, 1h30 lunch, 30m break)
Warnings: Can be muddy.
Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).
Dorchester Circular via Hardy's Cottage
30 minutes direct from Poole.
Thomas Hardy country east of Dorchester — his thatched birthplace cottage and the woodland and heathland of Thorncombe Wood.
Hardy's Cottage: The thatched cottage birthplace of writer Thomas Hardy, set within Thorncombe Wood nature reserve and cared for by the National Trust.
Thorncombe Wood: A mixed woodland nature reserve surrounding Hardy's Cottage with waymarked trails and heathland.
Time: 4h30 (3h walking, 1h30 lunch)
Lunch: The Under the Greenwood Tree cafe at the Hardy's Cottage visitor centre; pubs and cafes in Dorchester.
Warnings: Hardy's Cottage can only be visited on a guided tour; check National Trust opening arrangements before setting out.
Walk details: Visit Dorset (tips, photos and local insights).
Maiden Newton Circular via Cerne Abbas
1 hour from Poole, with one change.
Chalk downland, dry hanging valleys, rounded hills, broad ridges, chalk streams, picturesque villages and historic churches.
Time: 8h30 (7h walking, 1h30 lunch)
Warnings: Six hilly ascents.
Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).
Weymouth to Dorchester
45 minutes direct from Poole.
Recommended: The huge view of Weymouth Bay and over to Portland opens up suddenly and exhilaratingly from the top of the South Dorset Ridgeway; the views are spectacular. Undulating but easy walking, mostly on tracks across intensively farmed arable hills and with a roady margin leaving Dorchester. Climbs to the South Dorset Ridgeway before dropping through a holiday park to the coast and a long promenade walk. Follows the Hardy Way and the Jubilee Trail. Passes a reedy bird reserve behind the coast path. Trains roughly two-hourly. Worth a diversion to view the Osmington White Horse.
Hardy's House, Max Gate (National Trust)
Time: 5h30 (4h walking, 1h30 lunch)
Lunch: A couple of pubs on the way, and plenty of chip shops on the Weymouth seafront.
Walk details: Slow Ways.
Yetminster to Maiden Newton
1 hour 15 minutes from Poole, with one change.
Recommended: Some great views. Mostly across fields, some arable and some pasture but largely empty and with stretches of quiet lane walking. Well maintained and easy to follow. The ground can develop short muddy sections in winter. Mostly follows the Macmillan Way, so it is well waymarked. Passes through the landscaped estate of Melbury Park.
Time: 6h (4h30 walking, 1h30 lunch)
Walk details: Slow Ways.
Chetnole to Maiden Newton
1 hour 15 minutes from Poole, with one change.
Great views; picturesque. Hill and moorland paths and with substantial climbs.
Hilly: a quarter on high ground, rising above the surrounding land.
Time: 6h30 (5h walking, 1h30 lunch)
Walk details: Railwalks.