Pentridge is a hamlet some ten miles north east of Blandford Forum. The name Pentridge is Celtic and means "Hill of the wild boar".
This walk is just over 6.5 miles starting and finishing by St Rumbold Church in Pentridge. There is room for one or two cars here but not enough for a crowd.
We walked along the road and past Manor Farm. Somewhat amusingly there was a sign (March 2013) at the farm saying something to the effect "Your GPS is taking you the wrong way. There is no through road here". There is in fact only a rather muddy track leading to the top of Pentridge Hill. Inspite of this several cars and lorries have apparently found themselves in trouble on this impassable route.
For walkers it is a bit of a climb but well worth it as there are some excellent views to be seen from the top. It was a shame that we happened to choose a day that turned out to be rather dull and cloudy. It was nevertheless very enjoyable. The views continue as the route takes you southwest towards Bokerly Ditch, built by the Romano-British as a defence against Saxon invaders, and the disused rifle range. We stopped for our coffee break just on the edge of Blagdon Plantation and had a minor fright when a bird scarer in the field went off with a surprisingly loud bang. We were rather close! There are quite a few paths around the rifle range that are not marked on the map so some care needs to be taken to avoid setting off in the wrong direction. Once past this point the path is easy to follow. There is a small official diversion that takes you around the edge of Bokerley Farm rather than through the farm yard.
The unusually named church at Pentridge, St Rumbold, is a grade II listed building with a chancel built in 1815.
We returned to the Lamb's Green Inn at Corfe Mullen for a two course lunch for which we all had shepherd's pie as the main. A useful pub to know as it is a Vintage Inn and is open for meals all day.
This walk is just over 6.5 miles starting and finishing by St Rumbold Church in Pentridge. There is room for one or two cars here but not enough for a crowd.
We walked along the road and past Manor Farm. Somewhat amusingly there was a sign (March 2013) at the farm saying something to the effect "Your GPS is taking you the wrong way. There is no through road here". There is in fact only a rather muddy track leading to the top of Pentridge Hill. Inspite of this several cars and lorries have apparently found themselves in trouble on this impassable route.
For walkers it is a bit of a climb but well worth it as there are some excellent views to be seen from the top. It was a shame that we happened to choose a day that turned out to be rather dull and cloudy. It was nevertheless very enjoyable. The views continue as the route takes you southwest towards Bokerly Ditch, built by the Romano-British as a defence against Saxon invaders, and the disused rifle range. We stopped for our coffee break just on the edge of Blagdon Plantation and had a minor fright when a bird scarer in the field went off with a surprisingly loud bang. We were rather close! There are quite a few paths around the rifle range that are not marked on the map so some care needs to be taken to avoid setting off in the wrong direction. Once past this point the path is easy to follow. There is a small official diversion that takes you around the edge of Bokerley Farm rather than through the farm yard.
The unusually named church at Pentridge, St Rumbold, is a grade II listed building with a chancel built in 1815.
We returned to the Lamb's Green Inn at Corfe Mullen for a two course lunch for which we all had shepherd's pie as the main. A useful pub to know as it is a Vintage Inn and is open for meals all day.