Walks near Dorchester by train
Stations: Dorchester West · Dorchester South
MapA day hike in the countryside is just a simple train journey away — explore the most charmingly located railway stations near Dorchester and plan your next day of green.
Alternatively, view walks directly from Dorchester.
Lymington Town to Brockenhurst (Hampshire)
1 hour direct from Dorchester South.
Recommended
Time: 3h30–7h
1 lunch spot: the Fleur de Lys (1h–1h30 in)
2 end-of-walk rewards: the Snakecatcher Pub, or the Huntsman
Warnings: Can be EXTREME mud in Lymington Reeds Beds Nature Reserve.
Adapted from: The Rough Guide to Walks in London & the South East (3rd edition).
Reverse direction: the Saturday Walkers Club and Slow Ways (inc. GPX).
Maiden Newton Circular via Cerne Abbas (Dorset)
15 minutes direct from Dorchester West.
Chalk downland, dry hanging valleys, rounded hills, broad ridges, chalk streams, picturesque villages and historic churches.
Time: 7h
Warnings: Six hilly ascents.
Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).
Wool Circular via Lulworth Cove (Dorset)
15 minutes direct from Dorchester South.
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: 7h
Warnings: Can be muddy.
Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).
Castle Cary Circular via Cadbury Castle (Camelot) (Somerset)
45 minutes direct from Dorchester West.
Somerset Levels fringes, hillock, quiet residential streets, charming market town, dry green valley, ancient holloway, pastures, shallow river valley, hillfort plateau, steep ascents, large WWII airfield remains and broad plateau with views.
Time: 7h
Warnings: Steep ascents and descents.
Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).
Bruton Circular via Stourhead Estate (Somerset)
1 hour direct from Dorchester West.
South Somerset pastures, wooded ridge forming the Wiltshire/Somerset boundary, hanging woods, landscaped estate gardens with lakeside walks, grassy U-shaped valley and honey-coloured stone-built town.
Time: 5h30
Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).
Brockenhurst Circular via Lyndhurst (Hampshire)
1 hour direct from Dorchester South.
Forest inclosures and heath between the villages of Lyndhurst and Brockenhurst, with Lymington River bathing spots and spring bluebells. Strenuous.
Walk details: New Forest Walks (tips, photos, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).
Ashurst New Forest to Brockenhurst (Hampshire)
1 hour direct from Dorchester South.
Ancient woodland, open heath and inclosures, crossing the Beaulieu River past Matley and Denny Woods. Strenuous.
Matley Wood: A small but beautiful tract of ancient and ornamental New Forest woodland reached across open heath.
Denny Wood: An ancient and ornamental woodland of beech and oak flanked by ferns and surrounded by heath and wetland habitats.
Warnings: Some roadside walking with limited footpath; take care.
Walk details: New Forest Walks (tips, photos, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).
Sway to Brockenhurst (Hampshire)
1 hour direct from Dorchester South.
Open heath and forest inclosures, a caravan park and a dead-straight stretch of the disused Castleman Corkscrew railway, now a cycle route. Strenuous.
Warnings: Some short road sections have no footpath; watch for traffic.
Walk details: New Forest Walks (tips, photos, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).
Yetminster to Maiden Newton (Dorset)
30 minutes direct from Dorchester West.
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: 4h30–9h30
Walk details: Slow Ways.
Chetnole to Maiden Newton (Dorset)
30 minutes direct from Dorchester West.
Yetminster to Sherborne (Dorset)
30 minutes direct from Dorchester West.
Fine views over the surrounding countryside. A very rural route following the Macmillan Way: pasture and arable farmland, quiet lanes and footpaths through Honeycombe Wood. Poorly maintained and overgrown in places, with muddy fields and field exits and fine countryside views. Follows the Macmillan Way; combines well with the Yetminster-to-Crewkerne route.
Time: 2h30–5h
Warnings: The trail is poorly maintained: expect overgrown stretches and stiles, many through reclaiming hedgerow (difficult and low for tall walkers), and nettles. Fields and Honeycombe Wood get very muddy in the wet, and some paths are hard to spot. Cattle (including a bull on one occasion) graze some fields.
Walk details: Slow Ways.
Reverse direction: Visit Dorset.
Bournemouth to Poole (Hampshire)
45 minutes direct from Dorchester South.
Coastal path.
Walk details: Railwalks.