This is about as good as it gets if you're looking for a traffic-free ride with peace and quiet in glorious gently rolling countryside. Distances are intentionally kind allowing plenty of space for jolly down time or other activities. It's perfect for a family cycling holiday or romantic time together with inns and hotels we love, that are fun and individual in characterful settings.
Using forest tracks, bridleways we've checked out (of course!), disused railway lines and a few quiet back lanes, discover Dorset's stunning Jurassic coast and inland beauty that inspired authors whose haunts and homes you can explore. Often far from the madding crowd but with just enough lovely or quirky refreshments spots to enthuse and hidden gems to uncover, you will love this jolly!
Holiday details
Price
- Classic
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from £1,555 per person
Ask us for rates with children
Based on two people sharing a room
What’s included?
Mountain bikes and train hop on Day 3. See what’s included as standard
Duration
6 nights
Start & Finish
Starts Fridays and is circular from Wareham. Wareham is on the mainline to London
Hotels
- Classic
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3 special inns, a manor house and a boutique hotel
Holiday type
Self-guided
This tour is priced without a guide and you are free to explore on your own. If you would like a guide for part or all of your trip, we are happy to provide a knowledgeable, local guide
Activity level
Gentle cycling (2) More info...
Electric bikes
E mountain bikes available
Mileage
6 days of cycling 7- 21 miles (11- 34 km)
Terrain
Largely flattish. Some hills on Day 5
Traffic-free
60% and the rest on quiet back lanes
Options
- Ask us for an upgrade to luxury hotels
- Add a night on your last day of cycling with a stay in either unique Corfe Castle or Wareham
- Ask us about activites available during the trip - horse riding, canoeing, fly fishing, paddleboarding, coasteering, scuba, surfing, kayaking and ceramic making
Itinerary day-by-day
Classic
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1. Day one
Arrive Wareham
Arrive in Wareham and check into your inn in this small and charming market town where you stay 2 nights. With over 200 listed buildings and the River Frome providing the centre piece of the town with a pretty quay and boats to hire if you wish, there is plenty to explore here. Your Host will meet you tonight or tomorrow after breakfast to run through your itinerary and answer any questions.
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2. Day two
Wareham to Swanage or Studland Bay and back
Your cycling equipment will be delivered to you this morning ready for you to explore the Isle of Purbeck which lies to the south of Wareham. Blessed with glorious unspoilt beaches, this tucked away corner of Dorset – not an island proper, is famous for its stunning coastline and steep ridge of hills. Your ride wonderfully skirts the hills whether you choose to go to Swanage on the shorter route or Studland on the longer ride. Pedal to the train station for a return steam (if available) or diesel hop to enjoy both Corfe Castle and Swanage on foot or take an off road cycle route through pretty woodland to reach the village and beaches of Studland. Both Swanage and Studland offer additional activities that can be booked in advance.
7 or 21 miles (11 or 34 km)
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3. Day three
Wareham to Blandford Forum
The day starts with an 8 minute train hop from Wareham. Then pedal a disused railway line to the charming town of Wimborne Minster worthy of a long coffee stop and a poke around. Beyond lie tiny back lanes in the beautiful Stour valley with old water mills, weeping willows, ice creams we adore and grand Kingston Lacy house and garden. Cross the river Stour as you enter Blandford and find your inn in the heart of this characterful county town. For activities on offer here, see your Adventure Handbook.
16 miles (26km)
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4. Day four
Blandford Forum to Sturmintser Newton
Enjoy a soaring traffic free ride for most of today courtesy of a defunct railway line with far reaching vistas over downs and meadows. Pause in the unassuming town of Sturminster Newton – a farming town with a few nice shops and pick up some refreshments. Don't miss the working water mill as you leave and not far beyond, hidden in the wilds, lies your manor house hotel. This is a glorious spot to relax.
11 miles (18 km)
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5. Day five
Sturminster Newton to Evershot
Deepest Dorset beckons today with a delightful cycle ride through a rural patchwork of downs and thatched hamlets that inspired Thomas Hardy and in some ways is little changed today. This is a day of ups and downs, the most demanding ride of the trip as you pedal quiet back lanes, a hidden bridleway and a route through an area so far from the madding crowd that refreshment stops are few but glorious when you reach them! The day ends in charming Evershot village, where the historic inn, your stay for the night, features in Tess of the D’Urbervilles.
17 miles (27 km)
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6. Day six
Evershot to Dorchester
Your pedal to Dorchester is downhill through the pretty Frome valley and its isolated villages set against a backdrop of rolling hills and ridges supporting a myriad of woodland and pasture. Take a picnic to enjoy en route as this is remote country with a beautiful traffic free ride to reach the edges of Dorchester. Forever linked with Thomas Hardy – visit the house he designed as well as adjacent Poundbury conceived by King Charles. Dorchester where you spend the night is a historic gem with many Roman features remaining.
16 or 19 mile (26 or 30 km)
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7. Day seven
Dorchester to Wareham and depart
Your last day is a beauty as you head back to Wareham riding along two river valleys. Weave along bridleways and across fords and forests to find hamlets and churches seemingly miles from anywhere. Drop into Lawrence of Arabia's country retreat and return to Wareham refreshed by the delights of this Dorset jolly. Say farewell to your steed and find your bags waiting for you as you depart.
21 miles (33 km)