Walks you can reach from Wool by train

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.

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).

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.

Time: 4h–8h

Lunch: A couple of pubs on the way, and plenty of chip shops on the Weymouth seafront.

Walk details: Slow Ways.

Coastal path.

Walk details: Railwalks.

Coastal path, with a long section from the station to reach the coast.

Walk details: Railwalks.

Time: 3h30–6h30

Warnings: Follows a busy road for a fifth of the walk.

Walk details: Slow Ways.

The beautiful Barton Common (with grazing New Forest ponies); the coast along from Barton is quite rugged and wild. A varied route taking in coast, New Forest countryside, common land with grazing ponies, the town of Lymington and with a ploughed-field crossing that gets very muddy in winter and an exposed clifftop path. The approach into Lymington is along a busy main road on a pavement. Lymington has a regular shuttle train back into the New Forest.

Time: 3h30–7h

Lunch: Food, drink and supplies available at the New Milton start.

Warnings: The clifftop path along from Barton is very exposed and on permissive land with active cliff erosion. Crossing the ploughed field between Lymington Road and Lymington Lane is very muddy in winter. The A337 (Milford Road) approach to Lymington is a busy main road, hard to cross, with a pavement on only one side.

Walk details: Slow Ways.

Reverse direction: Railwalks.

Chalk downland, Cerne Valley, historic Dorchester city centre and two modest climbs with fine views.

Warnings: Hilly ascents.

Source: An alternative variant of Maiden Newton Circular or to Dorchester – the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).