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Corfe Castle Circular Walk

...Starting from Corfe Village, a wide grassy path leads gradually up the side of Rollington Hill. Follow the crest of the down to Brenscombe Hill before descending to a quiet valley road at Woolgarston. After taking a footpath to Little Woolgarston, a path through Corfe Common Nature Reserve returns you to the square in Corfe...

Distance: 

Time: 

Difficulty:

Start Point:

4.5 Miles

2 Hours

Medium

National Trust Car Park, East St, Corfe Castle, Wareham BH20 5DR

Pub/Restaurant:

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1. Leaving the National Trust car park, turn left and follow the road towards Corfe with the ruins of the castle to your right. Continue straight passing the B3351 to Studland on your left. When the road rises, cross over, turn left up Sandy Hill Lane and cross under a railway bridge. Continue up the lane passing a footpath on your left.

2. Just past a parking area, turn left through a gate and follow the bridleway leading up to the Down. As you gain height, look back at the splendid views of the castle and the Western Downs.

3. Where the path divides at a marker stone, keep ahead following the sign for 'Ridge Path for Rollingston Hill'. As you walk, wide views unfold, north over Studland Heath and Poole Harbour, and South over valleys dotted with small villages and farms towards the final seaward facing ridge of the Purbeck Hills.

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4. Passing a tall mast on your left, go through a gate and follow the path bearing a little left uphill. Pass the stone marked 'Little Woolgarston'. Keep ahead over the Down for about a mile to Bernscombe Hill and the next stone marked just 'Woolgarston'

5. Turn right and follow the track downhill through a gate. The track bears a little right to bring you to a lane. Turn right and follow the lane for about 0.25 miles to a footpath on the left sign 'Little Woolgarston'

6. Turn left over a stile and bear a little left down the field to cross double stiles. Continue over the next field following the direction of the yellow arrow footpath sign. Climb more double stiles, cross the field ahead and go over a stile and a wooden footbridge. A path leads through the trees to go up steps to a lane.

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7. Turn left and go through the gate of 'Little Wollgarston Farm'. After a few yards turn right through a gate and follow the sign to Corfe Castle 2 miles.

8. There is no path at this point but walk up the hill to a gate at the top a few yards to your left opening into the National Trust owned Nature Reserve. Follow the path downhill and continue with a hedge on your right. The path bears half-left downhill past a post supporting power cables.

9. Keep to the same path as it curves right past a green arrowed National Trust sign, runs a little uphill and then bears left with a fence about 30 yards away on the right.

10. The path drops downhill to take you along a boardwalk, through a gate and under the railway. Go through the next gate and bear right following the direction of a green arrow. The path winds beside a meadow, then between hedges before dropping downhill to cross a stream. Keep straight ahead past a path on the right and go through a gate to Corfe Castle Village.

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11. Turn right and walk through the village to the Square. Turn left across the Square then follow the sign pointing right to the castle entrance. Go past a barrier and cross the bridge over the moat. Just before the gateway to the castle, look for a narrow footpath on your right leading through a small gate marked by a National Trust sign. Turn right through the gate and follow the path leading round the castle mound with the ramparts on your left. Go through a gate at the foot of the mound and turn right onto the road, turning left at the end to retrace your steps to your car.

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