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Main Instructor:

Chris Pole

Hosted By:

Chris Pole

Walk Description:

A 5.5 mile almost flat walk with plenty of variety. There are four roads to cross and an urban section on pavements.

Starting from The Angel Inn we cross the road at the pedestrian lights to go down Angel lane onto Pompeys Lane. This skirts the edge of Ferndown common nature reserve. If this area is flooded a detour will be made around Ferndown Common.

Into Hampreston woods which are managed by the Erica trust, this part of the walk has a lot of tree roots/wet in winter.

From the woods over a field, then crossing the road near Haskins and onto a small lane to the back of Longham lakes.

The route goes round the largest lake (the smaller lake is for people to fish) and there is an abundance of birdlife to see. Feel free to bring binoculars.

I have seen otters here!

The lakes are naturalised man made lakes that form part of the fresh water supply. They are thirty feet deep.

It is often breezy here but supremely peaceful. 

Exiting down a path to the main road and crossing over near the Bridge house hotel to reach the river Stour. This is a beautiful fast flowing river with what used to be Dudsbury golf course on the other side of the path. This is now going to be a housing estate.

There is a small hill section to gain elevation above the river where a diversion takes us to the site of the Dudsbury Iron age hill fort high above a bend in the river.

The British Iron age followed Bronze age Britain so about 3,000 years ago!

There are beautiful views from here.

If you stayed on this path it reaches The Pear which serves good food.

Over another road and a five minute pavement walk takes us to Poor common which is full of peaceful leafy glades and seems a million miles from anywhere. There are some undulating slopes but on good paths to reach the end of our walk.

Option for coffee at the pub after. Please have paws for the road section and around the lakes as this is paved.

Please bring water.

Approx 2.5 hrs long.

Location Notes:

Please park in the pub carpark if going in for coffee at the end of the walk . Otherwise plenty of on road parking by the railings outside pub. Paws on poles needed for road section.