6. Duncliffe Hill and Wood

Walk - approximately 2 ¾ miles

This walk starts about two and a half miles west of Shaftesbury on the outskirts of the village of Stour Row which can be reached by driving up the High Street past the Town Hall and taking the first turning on the left beyond the Grosvenor Hotel (Bimport). Go down St. John's Hill at the end of this road and at the bottom turn right by St. James' Church (signposted 'Stour Row Todber Marnhull'). After approximately one mile take the left fork (signposted as before), and after about half a mile park in a small lay-by on the right handside of the road just before a track leading to Jadewood Farm. There is a wooden signpost by the hedge.

It can be muddy in the wood but in Spring it is full of bluebells, followed by foxgloves, and many badgers and deer inhabit the area. This is ancient woodland which, after many years' of' neglect is now owned by the Woodland Trust which is evolving a practical management plan. You will see much new planting. The appeal for money to purchase the wood attracted the support of many individual donors and you will see a number of posts indicating areas designated as memorials.

Take the track indicated by the signpost from the lay-by and go through a field gate at the end.

Turn right, and walk up the field to double gates ahead.

Go through the hunting gate into the woods and follow the path up the hill ignoring crossing paths. This is a steep incline.

Just before the top of the hill go through a hunting gate on to the
summit clearing. Turn left and follow the wire fence until you come to an Ordnance triangulation pillar

There are views to the north, from Somerset to Salisbury Plain.

Go through the hunting gate on your left and re-enter the wood. The path descends quite steeply and crosses an area where badger setts can be seen.

Keep going downhill ignoring crossing paths, and about ten metres after the path bears left and is crossed by a fence, go through a hunting gate on your right into a field.

Continue downhill keeping the wood on your left and at the bottom of the field turn left through a hunting gate.

Go straight across the field and through a gap in the hedge to the next field.

Go straight across this field to a hard track. (NB. These fields are private property and you are requested not to stop and picnic in them).

Turn left on this through a hunting gate, and continue straight on up the track. At the top of the hill take the path on your right, opposite a gravel clearing. Follow this path (which has a rail and post horse barrier after 30 metres) for some distance through the wood and at the end take the narrow path on the left of two metal containers.

There is a commemorative tablet on your left to 'Sir Arthur Norman, one time Chairman of the World Wildlife Fund UK'.

Continue on this path for some way keeping a wire fence on your right. The path bears left at the corner of the wood. Continue on it, still keeping the boundary on your right, and ignoring crossing paths, until it comes up to a wider path coming in from the left. Turn right and follow this path down hill into the wood past commemorative posts to ‘Commander E.J.C. Edwards D.S.C.’ and ‘Nicolette M Shawyer’. (These are on the right hand side and hard to spot.)

Approximately 20 metres beyond the second post where the path starts to rise, turn right and follow this path through the wood.

On reaching the main firm track, turn right and go down to the gate.

Go through this, walk up the rise and then across the field to a wooden field gate at the lower end with a bungalow behind.

There are good views ahead of Win Green, 'The Caterpillar' and Melbury Beacon.

Go through the gate and back down the lane to the lay-by from which the walk started.

Map 6. Duncliffe Hill and Wood