The Purbeck Way
The Purbeck Way is a spectacular walk within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).
Some of the highlights along the route include visiting the delightful town of Wareham surrounded by saxon walls. Then the landscape and its wildlife completely changes across Stoborough Heath and Creech Heath to Corfe Castle - find out about the village's long and eventful history dating back well before the castle itself. Enjoy the magnificent views from the chalk ridge of Ballard Down across Poole Harbour on your way to Old Harry or Swanage.
Part of the journey includes walking by the River Frome, linking with the Frome Valley Trail. You might be lucky enough to see a kingfisher or beautiful demoiselle damselfly along the river bank.
| Start point: | Wareham Quay Postcode: BH20 4LP or grid ref: SY 923 872 |
| End point: | Ballard Down - grid reference: SZ 049 815 or Chapman's Pool - grid reference: SY 963 778 |
| Relevant Ordnance Survey map: | Explorer map No.OL15 (Purbeck and South Dorset).
Ordnance Survey (opens in a new window) |
| Distance: | The route travels from Wareham to Corfe Castle, then eastwards to Ballard Down, then south and westwards along the South West Coast path to Chapman's Pool, then north to Corfe Castle. This is 27 ¾ miles in total (including 11 ½ miles of Coast Path). However the route can be split into small sections and can be walked in either direction:
This route is signposted |
| Footwear: | Walking boots recommended all year - wellington boots are better in winter and after heavy rain. |
| Accessibility: | The first 0.5 mile of the Purbeck Way has recently been improved for wheelchair access so that it is a fairly level, well surfaced path with extra seating. At Wareham Quay there is access into Priory Meadow which is also wheelchair/mobility scooter friendly (gravel paths). The rest of the route is on public rights of way with stiles and gates. |
| Public transport: |
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| Parking: | Long stay parking is available in Streche Road Car Park, Wareham or at Norden Park and Ride , Corfe Castle. |
| Facilities and Refreshments: | There are
pubs and cafes (opens in a new window)  along the route at Wareham, Corfe Castle, Swanage and Worth Matravers. The nearest public toilets at the start of the route are found on The Quay. |
| Other activities in the area: | Wareham Walls , The Wareham Two Rivers Walks, Northport Greenway and Sika Trail, Purbeck Cycle Rides, South West Coast Path,
Wareham Forest (opens in a new window) |
Extending the route
You can also walk the extended route by combining The Purbeck Way with The Purbeck Way West Route to explore the whole of south Purbeck using the South West Coast Path or Wareham to link the two routes. If you want to take your time to really explore the area, the walks can easily be split into smaller sections and accommodation can be found in each village. Altogether the walks can take between 5 and 10 days depending on how much time you want to spend in each village.
Maps
Pick up a copy of The Purbeck Way leaflet (for a small charge) and an Ordnance Survey map from the Discover Purbeck Information Centre or you can download a copy of the
leaflet (pdf, 704kb) (opens in a new window) . If you would like a copy of the leaflet for printing double-sided on A3 paper, please email: heritage@purbeck-dc.gov.uk
Who is the route managed by?
The Purbeck Way is managed by The Coastal Ranger Team for Dorset Countryside - the ranger service for Dorset County Council in partnership with Purbeck District Council.
This walk, along with The Purbeck Way West Route, The Lawrence or Arabia Trail, Wareham Forest Way and Wareham Two Rivers Walks have been created by the Purbeck Heritage Committee. For information contact the Countryside Officer.
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Name: Discover Purbeck Information Centre
Email: tic@purbeck-dc.gov.uk
Tel: 01929 552740
Fax: 01929 554491
Full details for Discover Purbeck Information Centre
