WALK No 8.

Long Bredy Church
Make for the village of Martinstown, about 3 miles S.W. of Dorchester. At the end of the village turn left by stone walls (S.P. Hardys Monument). This road takes you up past the monument where pause for a few moments to enjoy the wide ranging views. Then continue along this road to come out at a cross roads (Portesham Hill Cross). Go straight across on to minor road (S.P. Gorwell), and in about a mile where the road turns sharp left park on the outside of the bend, well back from the road.(G.R. 588866)
Start the walk by going back eastwards for a few yards then turn left for Gorwell farm, but almost immediately turn right up gravel track. Then very soon right again on to long straight track with a hedge on your right, passing a board "Bridleway only No vehicular traffic". After about 3/4 mile along this track and just before reaching farm buildings, go left through waymarked steel gate. Continue close to trees on your right and soon go through two more gates. You come out on to open grassy area where you head approximately north to go roughly midway between a water trough on your left and woods on your right. You soon join a grassy track which skirts the top of a dip to your right, then goes downhill, following the curve of the hill to go between trees. See the house and gardens of Bridehead to your left, and pass to the left of cricket pitch.
You then come out on to a minor road where you turn left, then almost at once right up track into wood (Whitehill Wood). Turn left on reaching road at the top and in a few yards reach road junction . On its western side there are two bridleways and you take the left hand one, going through rusty gate (S.P. Long Bredy Hut), and head slightly uphill. Further along this track a hedge joins from the left and you next come out to the edge of a large, chalky field. The path goes straight ahead here, across the middle of the field and almost due west to two gates at the far side .The gates are not very obvious at first (They are a bit to the left of the Tumulus), but become quite clear once you are down in the dip in the middle of the field. Go through the metal gate at the top of the hill (You have to be elfin thin to get through the wooden one).
Continue along the left hand edge of several fields, though another gate then downhill through yet another gate. Straight on through wooden gate (Waymarked 'Macmillan Way' and old board 'Kingston Russell'). Downhill then slightly uphill to go through steel gate, then almost straight across to go up track to the right of an embankment topped with old motor tyres, plus a few stunted trees. Later the track swings right to further wide gate. But here turn left through narrow gate (Enormous gate posts made of old railway sleepers G.R. 575907). Becoming steep downhill into narrow gully. Lower down see Long Bredy Church (14th cent tower, 13th cent chancel) nestling in a quiet corner to your right. Come out on to a metalled lane and shortly swing left on to wider road, and head in a southerly direction through the village. Then when the road turns sharp right, go straight ahead (S.P. Kingston Russell House). In a little while you can see the approach to the house on your left. It is not open to the public. When you reach some farm buildings turn left (S.P. Kingston Russell ) to go up a narrow tarred lane between hedges. At the entrance to 'Watergate' on your left follow the lane to the right, and in a short distance leave the lane by going through a newish kissing gate (Waymarked 'Macmillan Way' G.R. 572892). If you finish up in farm buildings you have overshot the turnoff.
Cross a field, skirt along the edge of a wood, then through a narrow gate to go up through the wood. The path near the gate is home to some deep,slimy, black mud which probably lingers long after paths out in the open have dried out. Through the wood then head south through further gates, aiming for a large,isolated sycamore tree on the upper slopes. Go left just before the tree then go up on rutted track following the curve of the hill. Near the top of the hill is a waymarked stile on your left, but ignore this one. Instead continue up the hill, and just over the top turn left through waymarked steel gate. Keep near fence on your right and soon pass Kingston Russell Stone Circle on your left. Then in corner of field go through metal gate. This has arrows pointing in all directions (Five rights of way meet here - G.R. 578878). Just through the gate , tucked away on the left, is a sign for the Stone Circle. You now have a pleasant walk, on the level ,along the right hand side of grassy fields, for about a mile. You pass two signs warning of low flying aircraft (!), then at the end of field go through gate on to rough track. In a few yards this emerges on to narrow lane where you turn left. Then in a few yards turn right, to reach your parked car a little further on.
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