with retired Dorset rights of way officer CHRIS SLADE

This is a long and windy walk which will be especially appreciated by geocachers, although muggles will enjoy it too.

It’s about six miles in all.

Start near the Church, which will probably be open.

Then walk up the road through the village in a north easterly direction for half a mile. It then turns right and takes you through the hamlet of New Town.

Here you join a footpath that takes you over the River Allen (a tributary of the Stour) which is the parish boundary.

Join a bridleway heading north north east across a field, then left, west, along a farm track.

When you’re getting near the farm turn left, south west and cross the River Allen again, which flows out of the Crichel Lake. Follow the path westward until it turns left, south and leads you through a gateway out of the Crichel Estate and onto a familiar road.

You soon come to a junction where you turn right and head west to join Crichel Lane which takes you north for half a mile and curves left, west for about 600 yards.

There, by an old school, you join a bridleway, Rowbarrow Lane, that takes you south for half a mile to join a road, Sheephouse Drove.

This takes you south eastwards past Downley Coppice to a junction where you turn left and right to join the road down to the village where you left your car.