Tour: North Dorset Cyclway (E)(EP)

GroupPublishedRoute
Map Reference51.0381, -2.27802
Ride Start on Google mapsGoogle map
Ride length118 km
Climbing1961 m
MaxGradient28.0807% (suspect calcs!)
Ride effort2910.83 tcEnergy
Added byNeil Wheadon
GPX RouteDownload whole tour as GPX file
TCX RouteDownload whole tour as TCX file

Long click or double click on map to interact. Places within 80km shown. Press the Shift key with Left Mouse button to add a Place of interest. You can zoom the map to full screen with the maps top right button.

The Rides

1: Gillingham to Sturminster Newton (E)

This is the first part of the seemingly forgotten North Dorset Cycleway. Signs are still at most junctions, but there is nothing on the web, aside a pretty poor map on the Dorset County Council website. You start at Gillingham where there is a station, but for ease, I have used the closest car park to the route. The route heads west out of town and there must have been some money spent as there is a dedicated traffic light to get you across the A road (not working in 2025). The busiest section t more ...

2: Sturminster Newton to Blandford Forum (E)

Starting at the railway gardens you ride south passing through the centre of Sturminster Newton full of cafes and shops. On the left is an interesting museum illustrating the agricultural history of the area. Having crossed the river Stour you pass Newton Mill on the right that can be visited, before climbing Glue Hill and into open countryside. A moderate climb and descent takes you into Okeford Fitzpaine which has a pub, shop and a tiny museum, next to the shop as well as the village lock up. more ...

3: Blandford to Shaftsbury (E)

4: Shaftesbury to Gillingham (E)

Places of Interest

Distance (km)CategoryTitleDescription
0.0bike/shopWheels of Dorset (Gillingham)Station Road, Gillingham, Dorset, SP8 4QA
0.0food/cafeThe Filling Station (Gillingham)2 Station Rd, Gillingham SP8 4QA
0.0food/gardenCentreOrchard Park Garden Centre (Gillingham)Kingsmead Business Park, Shaftesbury Rd, Gillingham SP8 5JG
0.0interest/museumGillingham Museum (Gillingham)Chantry Fields, Gillingham SP8 4UA The Museum tells the story of the town, the immediate parishes and their people. Many generations have seen this corner of the Blackmore Vale grow from a Neolithic s ...
0.0travel/carParkingGas Lane Car Park (Gillingham)St Marys Pl, Gillingham SP8 4AT Pay and Display
0.0travel/carParkingHigh Street Car Park (Gillingham)Rawson Ct, Gillingham SP8 4RZ Pay and Display
0.0travel/railStationGillingham Station (Gillingham)Gillingham Station Station Yard, Gillingham SP8 4PZ
1.0food/cafeThe Old Brewery Cafe and Kitchen (Gillingham)The Old Brewery, Rd, Wyke Rd, Gillingham SP8 4NW
1.0food/gardenCentreThorngrove Garden Centre & Secret Garden Cafe (Gillingham)Common Mead Ln, Gillingham SP8 4RE
1.0stay/cycleCampingMilton Farm Campsite (Milton on Stour)Unit 1, The Old Dairy, Milton on Stour, Gillingham SP8 5PX 2024 - GBP12-GBP14/night
5.3food/pubThe Stapleton Arms (Buckhorn Weston)Church Hill, Buckhorn Weston, Gillingham SP8 5HS
12.3food/pubThe Blackmore Vale Inn (Marnhull)Burton St, Marnhull, Sturminster Newton DT10 1JJ
12.3food/shopRobin Hill Stores & Post Office (Marnhull)Burton St, Marnhull, Sturminster Newton DT10 1PH
12.3travel/mapMap - Ride from Marnhull18 Miles This route takes you through Marnhull and Stalbridge, crossing the River Stour as you go round. Stop and admire the former Kings Mill, now a private residence
19.5food/bakeryOxfords bakery (Sturminster Newton)1 Market Cross, Sturminster Newton DT10 1BB
19.5food/cafeJoshua's Coffee Shop (Sturminster Newton)Sturminster Newton DT10 1AN
19.5food/cafeSweet Pea Cafe (Sturminster Newton)Sweet Pea Cafe, Market Cross, Sturminster Newton DT10 1AN
19.5food/cafePoets Corner cafe (Sturminster Newton)Station Rd, Sturminster Newton DT10 1BB Set in the old market town of Sturminster Newton, in the heart of the Blackmore Vale, with car parking only a minute away. Our menu comprises of hot and cold fo ...
19.5interest/museumSturminster Newton MuseumOld Market Cross House, Market Cross, Sturminster Newton DT10 1AN Sturminster Newton's Museum Society was formed in 1984, prompted by the death of Ray Rogers, former registrar of Sturminster Newton, a ...
19.5misc/bcqBCQ Question BCQ041This is a BCQ challedge location near Sturminster Newton in the couny of Dorset of South West England.See here for details of the BCQ challenge.OS map 194 ST 7864 1407.Question number: BCQ041.Question ...
19.5travel/carParkingStation Rd Car Park (Sturminster Newton)3 Barnes Cl, Sturminster Newton DT10 1BN
19.5travel/mapMap - Sturminster Newton Cycle Ride13 Miles This route starts in the old market town of Sturminster Newton and takes you through two of North Dorset's picturesque villages, Hinton St. Mary and Manston
19.5travel/mapMap - Ride from Sturminster Newton to Ibberton 18 Miles As one of the pack's longer routes, this ride will take you through the quiet villages of Ibberton and Okeford Fitzpaine Interesting places to stop: Sturminster Newton was once home to the bi ...
28.7travel/mapIbberton - Bonsley Common12 Miles Experience a scenic off road cycle ride around Blandford Forest and Turnworth with an opportunity to see a wealth of wildlife all-year-round
36.3misc/bcqBCQ Question BCQ043This is a BCQ challedge location near Milton Abbas in the couny of Dorset of South West England. See here for details of the BCQ challenge. OS map 194 ST 8063 0181. Question number: BCQ043. Question: ...
46.8food/cafeForum Cafe (Blandford Forum)34 Salisbury St, Blandford Forum DT11 7RG
46.8interest/museumBlandford Fashion Museum (Blandford Forum)Lime Tree House, The Plocks, Blandford Forum DT11 7AA The late Mrs. Betty Penny MBE founded the Blandford Fashion museum, located in Lime Tree House, in 1996. The house is a beautiful Georgian propert ...
46.8interest/museumThe Blandford Town Museum (Blandford Forum)Blandford Town Museum, Bere's Yard, Blandford Forum Dorset, DT11 7HQ About the Blandford Town Museum The Museum holds a wealth of artefacts and archives from Prehistoric to the present day. We hold ar ...
47.8food/cafeThe Whistlestop (Blandford Forum)Milldown Rd, Blandford Forum DT11 7DE
47.8interest/vintageRailwayNorth Dorset Trailway Blandford (Blandford Forum)Blandford Forum DT11 7QR Buffers and a mid point to the North Dorste Trailway
47.8travel/carParkingStation Court Car Park (Blandford Forum)Blandford Forum DT11 7QN Useful for Tarilway Parking Charges apply
47.8travel/mapMap - Blandford Route16 Miles An easy ride from Blandford through the Kingston Lacy estate and some of Dorset's most unspoilt villages
51.1interest/gardenKeyeston Mill (Tarrant Keyneston)Keyneston Mill, Tarrant Keyneston, Blandford Forum DT11 9HZ Part of a Botonist/Plant centre. The cafe is more of a Bistro Temporarily closed - May 2023 - marked faulty
51.1interest/historicSpetisbury RingsSpetisbury, Blandford Forum DT11 9DW This is an impressive but reasonably small iron age hill fort. Very nice views across the Stour Valley and the Dorset country side. There isn't any parking close b ...
51.1interest/vintageRailwaySpetisbury Station Project (Spetisbury)Spetisbury Cl, Spetisbury, Bournemouth BH9 3QU Spetisbury station was opened by the Dorset Central Railway in 1860 and later became part of the much loved Somerset & Dorset Railway. Until its closure ...
53.2stay/campsiteThe True Lovers Knot (Tarrant Keyneston)Tarrant Keyneston, Blandford Forum DT11 9JG Cyclecamper (2025) Stayed at the True Lovers Knot pub/campsite last night - it's now GBP20 per pitch and seemed very basic, more suited to motorhomes. Think ...
60.4travel/mapWitchampton Ride
81.5food/cafeThe Cafe at Compton Abbas Airfield (Salisbury)Compton Abbas Airfield, Salisbury SP5 5AP
84.6food/cafeFontmell Magna cafe (Fontmell Magna)Also the village shop and post office Church St, Fontmell Magna, Shaftesbury SP7 0NY A delightful Dorset village shop and Post Office serving the community it represents with a lovely garden cafe at t ...
89.7food/cafeJailhouse Cafe (Guy's Marsh)Guys Marsh Jailhouse Cafe, Shaftesbury, SP7 0AH, Dorset At the Jailhouse we aim to serve good quality cafe food at reasonable prices. The Jailhouse Cafe Guys Marsh is situated in the heart of the Dors ...
91.8food/cafeGold Hill Museum (Shaftesbury)
91.8food/cafeKing Alfred's Kitchen (Shaftesbury)17 High St, Shaftesbury SP7 8JS
91.8interest/miscGold Hill (Shaftesbury)Seen the Hovis ad, here it is, steep pretty street Come and stand on the ancient cobbles of Gold Hill, Shaftesbury, a steep, picturesque street made famous after featuring in the popular 1970s TV adve ...
91.8interest/museumShaftesbury Abbey, museum (Shaftesbury)Park Walk, Shaftesbury SP7 8JR Shaftesbury Abbey Museum is situated in a commanding position overlooking the beautiful Blackmore Vale and close to the famous Gold Hill. Shaftesbury held one of the mos ...
92.8food/cafeMap - Overview of cycleroutes in the area
95.9food/cafeMotcombe community shop and cafe (Motcombe)Motcombe Community Shop, The Street, Motcombe, Dorset SP7 9PF You can enjoy a variety of hot and cold drinks from our cafe, either inside or outdoors. The inside has recently been refurbished and upda ...
99.1stay/campsiteTwo Counties Farm (Mere)Shaftesbury Rd, Mere, Warminster BA12 6BJ GBP25/night even for a single camper
102.2food/cafeMap - Gillingham and ShaftesburyAn overview of the area
102.2travel/mapMap - Gillingham Ride16 Miles This challenging ride will take you through some pretty villages on the outskirts of Gillingham

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