Weydor one

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I agree with the previous reviewer. This is an excellent Slow Way. I walked Dorchester to Weymouth, using the train to get back. Wonderful territory to walk in terrain-wise, once you have escaped the roady margin of Dorchester. Undulating but easy walking, mostly on tracks. Also easy to navigate and the huge view of Weymouth Bay and over to Portland opens up suddenly and exhilaratingly from the top of the South Dorset Ridgeway. Then, once you’ve made your way through the caravan park, there’s a lovely long walk along the promenade in the briny breeze to a quality old fashioned bucket-and-spade ending. Definitely recommended. The only thing that got me down a little bit was the sheer extent of the intensive arable farming in the first half. Miles of wheat and Oilseed rape, and a sea of rye grass on the hill tops. Wildlife mainly confined to a few woods, any ground too steep to plough or to prehistoric monuments (great set of barrows, I agree). The Slow Way uses the Hardy Way but I don't suppose folk from that era would recognise the country now. But there is a quality reedy bird reserve behind the coast path.

A couple of pubs on the way and all the chips you can eat on the coast. Trains roughly 2 hourly.

I walked this route from Dorchester to Weymouth, and what a wonderful walk it is.

Leaving Dorchester is not the most pretty walk, but it is safe and direct to get to the edge of town and on to the Hardy Way. I had no problems navigating. Once on to the Hardy Way, the paths are very clearly marked and well used. I was quickly past Winterborne Came and on to the Jubliee Trail. This takes you to Came Wood where you leave that trail and head along the edge of the woods, onto a short piece of road walking. I'll forgive this though because the path takes you via the astonishing Bronze Age barrows and tumuli here - the Bank Barrow is amazing - this must have been a special place. It still is, because the views are spectacular even on a slightly hazy day like today.

The route down in to Sutton Poyntz is easily followed. It is worth taking a diversion here to get a view of the Osmington White Horse - seems a shame to come all this way and not take a look.

The path through the Holiday Park was fairly obvious - much better than they sometimes are. And then the walk into Weymouth follows the coastpath and along the Esplanade. Theere is a section after Bowleaze where you may come across a sign that says "use at own risk - alternative route available" - use the alternative route (this is the way the gpx file here takes you - but it is easy to not follow that exactly at this point).

Overall, this is a first class Slow Way. One of my favourites so far. I will definitely be walking it again.

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