• Shaftesbury is seven miles south of the A303
• Ashmore is five miles south-east of that
• Meet 10.30am: bring lunch and a drink (for you and your hounds)
• the walk is five gentle miles mainly through lovely woods

Ashmore duck pond, in the centre of the village.

Deep in the woods.

This is glorious country on the edge of Cranborne Chase, five miles south-east of Shaftesbury, Dorset, with Gold Hill – the Hovis ad – its most well-known feature. Most of the walk is in woods with narrow paths and wider forest trails to catch the hot Wiltshire BBQ sun. This walk is a most gentle five miles. There is one stretch of muddy path but we finish through a field of long grass so you and your hounds should be clean by the time we finish.

We start from the neat village of Ashmore, by the duck-pond. There is no designated parking place so we will have to park (tidily) around this beautifully kept thatched village. For those who don't like hills, the walk is largely flat, with just one wee hill towards the end, when you're nicely warmed up. The first part is along a gravelly bridleway (Halfpenny Lane) till we enter Ashmore Woods which gently drop down to the Wessex Ridgway along the edge of the wood. We perambulate down to Stubhampton Bottom then along a very flat ride to the byway then comes the short climb and back to Ashmore. The last ¼ mile is along the road, but we should be able to let the hounds off lead nearly all the rest of the way.

To reach the start, most people will be approaching off the A303 near Wincanton via Gillingham, or from the A30 to Shaftesbury. Either way you will arrive at a large roundabout. Take the right hand lane following directions to A350 Poole/Blandford. Carry straight on at next small roundabout (Signed All Routes. Cemetery (think about that one). At the next large roundabout you will see the Half Moon pub straight across the roundabout. Turn left on the A30 (dual carriageway) signed to Salisbury then immediately right (south) along the B3081 signed to Melbury Abbas and Tollard Royal. Follow this road that drops and twists narrowly through Melbury Abbas, then up to a straight level stretch with long views to the right and the woods on your left. Ignore all left turns till you see the sign below to Ashmore.

You will see a sign "single track with passing places" but it is quite wide enough. Drive for another mile to reach the village. We will meet by (not in) the duck pond at 10.30am.

The map reference is ST 912178. Click here to be taken to a map.