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The Purbeck peninsula has long been an officially designated Area of
Outstanding Natural Beauty, and as part of the 'Jurassic Coast' of Dorset
and East Devon, has now been awarded the coveted status of World Heritage
Site by UNESCO, putting it on a par with such wonders as the Great Barrier
Reef and the Giant's Causeway.
Between White Nothe and Studland coastal footpaths (part of the
South West Peninsula Coast Path national trail) pass rugged sea
cliffs, headlands, sea stacks, natural arches, rocky coves and
sandy beaches. The beauty of the coastline is protected by the
Purbeck Heritage Coast Project. Inland ancient ridgeway paths
follow the crests of chalk and limestone ridges. The jagged ruins
of Corfe Castle punctuate a gap in the chalk ridge. Little Norman
churches, village greens with duck ponds and country pubs typify
England at its best.
Dorset is known for its mild and sunny climate and is a good place
to hike at any time of year. Route-finding is easy with our detailed
route descriptions, and the days of 12 to 20km (8 to 12 miles)
are not strenuous, although there are some steep gradients. The
tour is therefore suitable for those with little or no previous
experience of walking tours. The Day 3 walk from Lulworth Cove
to Kimmeridge crosses a military zone which is only open to the
public at weekends and holidays. So the starting day is generally
restricted to Thursday or Friday, except at holiday periods (see
dates below).
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Reports from previous customers on our Dorset Coast
and Purbeck Ridgeway tour
‘...the rich variety
of bed and breakfasts... The magnificent scenery...It was good
to walk from one meal to another, feeling like a real connoisseur
in a place you never were before...it was very well organised...
we met jealous comments from fellow walkers (heav[il]y loaded)
about our "very refined" way of doing a walking tour
- when they spotted the taxi driver coming to collect our luggage’.
‘...all in all: a
very nice vacation, Well arranged. [We particularly liked] the
nature, the suroundings, the weather, the nice people. [The accommodation
at Corfe Castle was] wonderfully hospitable.’ Mr,
Mrs and Miss Snippe.
‘ ...comprehensive
information package on the walking route. Your care in sending
us all the information...though we booked only shortly in advance.’
Mr Zeun and Ms Kremm.
'.[We particularly liked]
the beautiful scenery, the sheep, stiles, sunny unspoiled landscape.
The path itself, the small cosy villages...the peaceful quietness'
Mrs and Ms Blusse.
' We particularly liked - the
very good organisation: maps, luggage transfer etc. - fabulous
walks and views.' Mrs van Halem, Mrs ter Maaten.
‘We had a wonderful holiday, great walks, fine
weather with lots of sunshine and good accommodations with nice
people.’ C Remmelts and W Strijker, August 2006.
‘[I particularly liked] the views, along the
coast path and on the ridge. The walk through the range on Sunday
morning was paradise, no-one to be seen until 11am…Thank you very
much for this well-documented tour.’ M Mauve, September 2006.
Dorset Coast path and Purbeck
Ridgeway - tour details 2008
A Discerning
Traveller self - led hiking tour
Duration: 5 or 7 nights.
Tour code:
D5 or D7.
Dates. Available all year except late December. In 2008
start any Thursday or Friday except: 24-25 January, 13-14 March, 3-4 April,
17-18 July, 2-3 October, 13-14 November. The ranges are also open during
the main school holiday periods, so during the periods Wednesday 19 March
to Friday 28 March (Easter), Thursday 22 May to Friday 30 May (spring
bank holiday) and Thursday 24 July to Friday 29 August (summer holiday)
2007 the tour can start any day. All dates are inclusive.
The reason for these restrictions is that the third day (Day
3) of the tour crosses a military training area which is only
open to the public at weekends (excepting 6 weekends per year)
and at main holiday periods. And Day 3 - along the very best of
the Purbeck Heritage Coast, some of the finest scenery in England
- should not be missed!
Note that accommodation in this area tends to be heavily booked
in peak holiday periods, especially in late May, late July and
August, so book early!
Grade: Easy
to moderate hiking, some steep gradients. Routefinding straightforward.
For explanation see Grading and difficulty
page.
Nearest international airports: Southampton, London Gatwick,
London Heathrow.
Train stations: start
of tour: Wool; end of tour Wareham. Hourly direct train service
from London Waterloo via Southampton airport.
Overnight stops:
5 night tour: 1,2 West Lulworth (Lulworth Cove); 3,4 Kimmeridge;
5 Corfe Castle. 7 night tour: as 5 night tour, then: 6,7 Studland.
Accommodation:
Accommodation: small guest houses (B&Bs),
usually including 1 or 2 nights in a farm guest house; some nights
with en-suite or private facilities, which can be guaranteed throughout
for a supplement.
Extra Nights: We recommend an extra night at Corfe Castle.
Meals included:
7 or 5 breakfasts; evening meals can be obtained locally without
pre-booking. Packed/picnic lunches are obtainable locally from
village shops or from the accommodation.
Factsheets.
These are more detailed information sheets,
one for each tour, which can be obtained from The Discerning
Traveller before booking. The
Factsheet code for our Dorset tour is FSD. Enquiry
form
Reading. Thomas Hardy is well
known as the great Dorset novelist - his less frequently read
novel The Hand of Ethelberta is set among the limestone
quarries of Purbeck.
Dorset Coast Path & Purbeck Ridgeway - tour prices 2008
D5 (5 night tour): £400. Single room supplement: £70.
Single traveller supplement: £85.
D7 (7 night tour): £480. Single room supplement: £90.
Single traveller supplement: £115
D5E (5 night tour, en-suite or private facilities throughout): £440.
Single room supplement: £90. Single traveller supplement: £105
D7E (7 night tour, en-suite or private facilities throughout): £520.
Single room supplement: £110. Single traveller supplement: £135.
Extra nights on all Dorset (‘D’) tours: £40 per person per night.
Note 1. Maximum of 1 single room per booking.
Note 2: Extra night prices may be higher for single rooms.
Note 3: This tour is available for single travellers paying the single
traveller supplement.
Prices quoted are per person on basis of two people in double or twin-bedded
rooms. Included in the price are bed and breakfast each night, with baggage
transfers, maps and route directions. ‘ES’ (en suite) facilities means
that there is a private bathroom with shower or tub and toilet within
the main door of your room. ‘Private facilities’ means that the private
bathroom may be outside the main door of your room. When the booking is
made for a party of 3 or 5 customers, a single room supplement is payable.
When the booking is made for a single traveller, a single traveller supplement
is payable. Normally there is a maximum of one single room per booking.
For more walking in Dorset and Devon see Jurassic
Coast.
We offer other coastal walking tours in North Pembrokeshire and Cornwall
(Lands End and Tintagel
Coast)
Other ‘easy’ grade walks are available
in England in the Cotswolds and the
Lake District
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Home Page.
About self-led hiking and walking tours
Our postal address is The
Discerning Traveller, 24 Cardigan Street, OXFORD
OX2 6BP, United Kingdom.
Telephone and fax 0(044) 1865 515618. E-mail:info@discerningtraveller.co.uk
www.discerningtraveller.co.uk
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