Dor FEB 12 Walk 2 Gussage All Saints and Harley Wood

By Sarah Gerc on January 23rd 2012

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Gussage All Saints and Harley Wood

Following ancient tracks, Edward Griffiths explores the royal hunting grounds of Cranborne Chase, finishing with a riverside stroll by the Allen

The high chalk downs and ancient royal hunting grounds of Cranborne Chase are always a pleasure to walk; with lovely views (keep an eye out for deer), ancient tracks and the Roman Ackling Dyke still running straight and true even after nearly 2000 years of exposure to wind, rain, snow and ice. This walk follows these old tracks and paths over Brockington Down, Tenantry Down and Harley Down, passing through ancient woods and large coppices. We meet the River Allen and Gussage Stream and enjoy a sit-down at Gussage St Michael. The hills aren’t too steep so, even on a breezy winter’s day, go out and enjoy this walk.

The Walk

1 From the village’s fine new sign, walk along the road, past the 17th-century Mill House and the much-weathered stocks. Over the River Allen’s Bull Bridge, pass the right ‘Sixpenny Handley’ turning and continue up the road out of the village. Pass most of Bailey’s Hill Dairy, then go over the footpath-stile by the twin-gates into the yard. Turn right. Through the nearby footpath-gate, follow the fenced track between fields, ignoring the left parallel track. Walk up to the narrow wood, cross the tracks’ junction to the footpath-arrowed gateway. Into the opposite field, follow the left fence and trees through the long field.

2 Meeting another tracks’ junction, continue through the trees onto the track which leads down, through a gate and past 1 Brockington Cottages, to the road. Keep straight on with Brockington Farm left. Round the left bend, take the right footpath-arrowed track past Cottages 2 ands 3. In 100 yards (92m), bear right onto the footpath along an ancient route, sunken slightly and ‘hazelled’ between fields. Soon, you see Knowlton’s ruined church back-left. In about ½ mile, Horton Tower is away to your left. Reaching the Gussage Stream, follow it to the bridge.

3 Out onto the lane, turn right, ascending past two left houses. Reaching Amen Corner, turn right up the ‘Cranborne’ hill. In 200 yards (184m), go through the footpath-gate by two locked gates. Cross the paddock and keep left of the fence. Over the corner stile, follow the path, passing fenced enclosures, to a cross-track. Bear right to the opposite footpath-stile. Over this, follow the left-fenced path over the field to the corner stile. Continue onto the drive from the right house. Past College Farm’s barns, go through the end gates. The walk turns right up Harley Lane, but turn left first to visit All Saints’ Church and relax on the seat by the war memorial.

4 The wide, sunken, hedged track soon levels out with superb views left over fields with Ackling Dyke following the hedge-line parallel with your track. Descending to another bridleway-tracks’ crossing, turn left down between fields. The hedged track bends right after ¼ mile, then ascends slowly for 3/8 mile to the edge of ancient Harley Wood. Here it bends left, meandering alongside the coppice to an open field corner. Follow the left hedge to the bridleway-track. Turn right. This track follows the ditch which was dug for construction materials during the building of Ackling Dyke, but now filling in due to erosion. Continue for ½ mile, rising to Harley Gap, where a crossing bridleway-track cuts through the Dyke.

5 Turn right to continue through the woods and along the level left-hedged track across a huge field with superb views left to Pentridge Hill. Notice the river-rolled pebbles of the Bagshot Beds. In ¾ mile, turn right as a lesser bridleway turns left. Still walking alongside the left hedge, turn left in another 100 yards. Continue into trees, bending slightly left at a right bridleway. Keep straight on down past right barns and down the drive past houses. Reaching the road, with a left bend, continue along the banked lane, passing left watercress beds and the River Allen in the meadows. Pass a left turn to a bridge and continue past houses and The Bull Inn to Bull Bridge. Turn left and pass the stocks back to the start.

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