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Twitter Wareham, Dorset - the gateway to Purbeck

Walks near Wareham...

Thanks to shefoni.com for the image

Let's get out and about !

Beyond Wareham's Saxon walls, there is beautiful countryside in all directions, from Poole Harbour in the East to the incredible Purbeck Ridge in the South and unspoilt wild heathland almost everywhere else ! Almost all of this countryside is accessible for walking or cycling and there are even a few urban walks like the Castleman Trail for those days when the weather isn't so great.

We recommend you start here with the excellent 'Walks 4 Softies' website.

The Good, the Bad and the Gory: Wareham Town Walks

The walk takes about 90 minutes (but usually over-runs!) Explore the ancient town’s colourful history, taking in the site of the Castle, numerous churches, the Saxon Walls, sites of bloody deeds, relics and evidence from numerous wars, and much more. Hear about some of Wareham’s past inhabitants, invaders, writers. See how the modern town owes its layout and architecture to past events including Wareham’s Great Fire of 1762.

The Guide is David Kemp, who in spite of being a newcomer to Purbeck (a mere 29yrs), has assembled a wealth of interesting information and anecdotes about Wareham. He has worked in education locally for Dorset and the National Trust, and since 2007 has been a member of the Information Centre team.’

The walks are every Wed at 2pm, costing £3. Meet at Discover Purbeck Information Centre, Wareham Library. Pre-booking is recommended. July - Sept.

Walking in PurbeckWalking in Purbeck
by Andrew Bibby - £6.95

We found this a really handy pocket-sized book describing 15 circular walks in Purbeck from 2 to 9 miles in length. Each walk is marked on the relevant section of a 1:25,000 OS map and is graded by difficulty with pictures and lots of background information.

Available here from Amazon

Cycling - The Sika Trail, Arne and StudlandThe Sika Cycle Trail runs for about 7 miles through woodland and heath in the beautifully quiet Wareham Forest. It links up with the Northport Greenway providing a safe, off-road route from Wareham to the Forest, the slightly odd Silent Woman pub, Woolsbarrow Iron-Age fort and beyond.

The RSPB nature reserve at Arne a couple of miles south of Wareham, offers several miles of off-road trails and a very secluded little beach at Shipstal Point opposite Long Island.

Rempstone Forest, between Corfe Castle and Studland can be accessed from the Norden Park & Ride a few miles further south. The forest offers several trails and some quite incredible scenery - as well as views of the steam train ! Ironic really that it is directly above western Europe's largest onshore oil field - Wytch Farm.

Hire a bike from Cyclexperience at Wareham station - they even deliver !