The Isle of Purbeck and Corfe Castle Cycle Tour

A gentle start to our ride through Rempstone Heath where we can see Corfe Castle in the distance, leading up to our first steep climb up onto Purbecks Hills where we find the Grange Arch. The arch was built by Denis Bond (1676-1747) to terminate a vista from his Creech Grange home. The route will take us on a high chalky ridge with 360 stunning views of Dorset, dropping down for our lunch stop at Corfe Castle. The keep at Corfe Castle was built in the early 12th century for King Henry I, William the Conqueror’s son. It was designed to be impressive – and it certainly was. Standing 21 metres tall and positioned atop a 55-metre-high hill, this gleaming tower of Purbeck limestone could be seen from miles around. Leaving the village behind we head towards a long climb on top of Brenscombe Hill, looking out for the steam train from Swanage Railway. A chalk bridleway takes us to Ballard Down where we can see Old Harry Rocks in front of us.Thousands of years ago, Old Harry and The Needles (another chalk rock formation) on the Isle of Wight were linked by a line of chalk hills that eroded away during the last ice age.

Terrain: Roads, bridleways and byways including roots and loose stones.