WALK No. 13
Inland Coast Path from Bronkham Hill.
Maiden Castle Round Walk.
A walk of about 8 miles - a circular walk around the castle could be added.
Park at Maiden Castle carpark (G.R. 668889). From the carpark ascend on the footpath with a field fence on the right,(dont take the main track which takes you up to the castle) pass a post with blue arrow on the left, on with fence on left and hedge on right, turn right at fingerpost ( bridleway to Monkeys Jump), down track with fence on both sides to where tracks cross with fingerpost on left, indicating bridleway to Martinstown.
Turn left through gate following track through farmyard, Clandon Farm, with farmhouse on left and barns on right, bear right here, then bear left through gate with blue arrow on post, barn on left and hoppers on right, along the track, with tumuli on hillock on left, on to a bend on the mainroad. Carefully cross the road to Bats Lane and fingerpost ( bridleway to Martinstown ), pass through a small gate with hedge and trees on left on to another gate in left corner of field. Pass through and along path with bungalows on the left, to reach a gate on a track. Turn left and down to the road, turn right here to reach the green in front of Martinstown Church. (There is a shop and Pub a little further on).
Cross the road to footbridge with bridleway sign, up the track past engineering works on right, through gateway, on to fingerpast on corner,with small gate, take the Great Hill and Hardy monument direction across field to small gate. Onward with fir trees on either side to a large gate, forward to reach a track, bear left to to a large gate on right with blue arrow on it. Pass through and up a small rise, along with fence on right to another gate, go along with fence on left to an electric pylon, then bear right, down to a gate with barn on right.
Pass through on to a broken fingerpost, bear left passing barn and houses on right - Pen Barn. Through gates up the rise under two sets of power lines to reach on right a fingerpost at corner of gate ( footpath to Hardys monument), follow track with one tumulus on left and two on right. Keep fence on left. Follow the track uphill through a gate, to top of rise and on to reach a stone wall with fingerpost near a small gate. Do NOT go through. Take the left direction to Bincombe, along with small wall to right, to reach a large gate, onwards on track with gorse on either side to reach another gate, with small quarry and cylindrical tanks on left. From here on a fine day the Isle of Wight can be seen ahead on the far horizon.
On following track through a small gate, fingerpost on right, keep on the Bincombe direction with stone wall on right, under electric pylons to another fingerpost , ahead on Inland Route East with stone wall on right,to a fingerpost with Bincombe Osmington sign, beat left and turn right through a gate. Pass between tumuli, follow track alongside fence to reach a fingerpost at a gateway, take bridleway to Martinstown direction diagonally across field to the right to corner gate with fingerpost. Take bridleway to Martinstown direction diagonally left across field ( a help is to aim at the right hand side of line of barrows then at an electric post with Maiden Castle as backdrop). Reaching a gate with blue arrow,pass through gate, turn left, and follow edge of field to reach a gate at the bottom with horse trough on the left. Pass through gate and again through a gate immediately on right, in the field bear diagonally left passing two electric posts to a gate at the right hand corner (usually muddy).
Pass through gate, byres on the left, another agate into Higher Ashton Farm. Ahead past the farm houses down a lane to the road, bear left, best to cross the road, down to a turning right :fingerpost ( Winterbourne Moncton ). Along tarmac road over a small cross roads past Martinstown cricket pitch on right , on to a gate on left :fingerpost ( bridleway to Dorchester ), ascend path with Maiden Castle on the right, to a gate. Along this path passing an access gate to Maiden Castle (where there is an opportunity to walk around for the excellent views). The walk is completed by following the path down through a gate, passing a fingerpost on the left, down the slope to the carpark.
Contributed by Tom Johns.
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