5. Kingsettle Wood and Motcombe

Walk - approximately 5 miles

This walk can be muddy and there are several stiles, there are bluebells in the Spring, and badgers and deer are around.

Starting from the Town Hall go through the Commons and turn right into Bell Street - where the Tourist Information Centre is situated - and take the second turning to the left Haimes Lane. Turn right at the end of this street and continue in the same direction beyond the roundabout on the Warminster Road

After some distance and as you approach the Travis Perkins supplies yard on your right, look for a stile in a line of conifers with a footpath marker post on the corner of a private road on the left marked “To Heathview and Treetops”.

Cross the stile and go diagonally half-right across the field to the right hand corner of the wood.

Cross the stile, go down a short distance, and take the way-marked path (look for a waymark sign attached to a tree as you descend) to the right through the wood. Go over stile at the end into a field and straight ahead to a stile in front of a house.

Cross this, turn right through a metal gate, continue ahead and over another stile. Go straight on across the field and through a way-marked metal gate. There are wide-ranging views to your left, including the wooded Duncliffe Hill nature reserve.

Continue ahead on a grassy track until you see on your right a way-marked stile and gate into Kingsettle Wood owned by the Woodland Trust. Go straight ahead for about 250 metres, and at the top of a small rise turn left (indicated by a marker post) and follow a path down through the trees - mostly firs.

Follow this winding path through the wood until it bears left onto a narrow wooden causeway over muddy ground to a way-marked stile.

Cross and go straight ahead over rough ground to another stile. Cross this, and go over the stile facing you on the opposite side of the lane.

Go diagonally left across the field to cross another stile to the left of some trees.

Go straight on to a small gate and stile in the middle of the hedge opposite. Continue across the field to a line of trees; go over two stiles under the oak tree. Carry on ahead to a waymarked timber bridge in a slight dip. Cross this, and follow the fence on the left up the field.

There are views of the Shaftesbury sky-line and Duncliffe Hill on the left.

Where the fence ends bear left along the hedge to a stile on to the road. Turn left along the road and almost immediately go through a stile on the right signposted 'Motcombe'. Go straight across the field heading towards the church tower.

Go straight through a hunting gate, across the sports field and to the left of the Village Hall through to the road. Turn left down the road and bear left in the village along the road to Shaftesbury.

Just before the last 30 mph restriction sign turn right and cross a stile onto a footpath signposted "Latchmore Pond and Shaftesbury". Continue along the path to a field gate and stile.

Go straight ahead across the field to a footbridge over a stream. Cross this, go over the stile and bear left, making for the left hand end of the hedge.

Follow the footpath sign down to a tiny pack horse bridge - which probably dates from the 18th century. Cross this, and go half-left across the field to a gate in the hedge where it is crossed by electricity cables.

Go straight ahead on a semi-made-up track through the next three fields: there is a transformer station in the third field. Where the track turns right, carry straight on over a stile next to a metal gate into a field.

Walk up the rise with the house and fence on your right to the top right hand corner of the field. Go over the waymarked stile to another stile next to an oak tree beside the road. Go over this and cross the road to the lane opposite. BEWARE OF FAST TRAFFIC.

Go to the top of this lane, across into a cul-de-sac and through to the A30. Cross and go up the road opposite.

Take the first turning to the left - Yeatmans Lane - and at the end turn left and climb up Tout Hill. This was one of the five turnpike roads which converged on Shaftesbury and extra horses were needed to get carriages up it.

At the top turn right along the Commons and back to the Town Hall.

Map 5. Kingsettle Wood and Motcombe