On Foot

On Foot MARTINSTOWN AND MAIDEN CASTLE

Emma Tabor and Paul Newman

Distance: 5 miles Time: Approx. 2½ hours Park: By St Martin’s church in Martinstown Walk Features: A straightforward, linear route from Martinstown to nearby Maiden Castle. There are some impressive burial mounds to see en-route, giving you a flavour of the age of this ancient, settled landscape, one of the richest in Britain. The route to Maiden Castle is fairly level with a small climb as you enter the earthworks. There are good views across to Dorchester (Durnovaria), which the Romans settled after conquering and then eventually abandoning Maiden Castle. Refreshments: The Brewer’s Arms, Martinstown >

Each month we devise a walk for you to try with your family and friends (including four-legged members) pointing out a few interesting things along the way, be it flora, fauna, architecture, history, the unusual and sometimes the unfamiliar. For February we take in some of the ancient remains which mark the landscape in this corner of Dorset. It’s a landscape scattered with features from the Neolithic, Bronze and Iron Ages, as well as some Romano-British activity, including the outline of a Roman temple within the confines of Maiden Castle. The southern ramparts of Maiden Castle are particularly dramatic when delineated against a low winter light. It’s also worth visiting Dorchester after your walk to visit the impressive remains of the Roman townhouse at Colliton Park; the townhouse was built in the fourth century AD and has some fine mosaics as well as a hypocaust.

Directions Start: SY 647 889 1 Park outside St Martin’s church in Martinstown. 2 With the church on your left, follow the main road in the direction of Dorchester and after 100 yards look for a bridleway sign on the left, by Fisher’s

Barn. Turn left up this track and pass between houses. After a few yards, just after a bungalow, you will see a footpath and bridleway sign on your right and a small metal gate. Go through this to go along the right-hand edge of a field. In the far right-hand corner you come to another small metal gate. Pass through this into the next field, keeping to the right-hand edge of the field. Again, in the far right-hand corner, go through a small wooden gate and onto a side road. 3 Head diagonally across the side road and then the main road. After crossing the road, follow the bridleway and footpath signs up a stony track.

Head up the track and soon, on your right, you will see Clandon Barrow burial mound. Keep straight ahead and after 250 yards you will reach

farm buildings. Follow the blue footpath and cycle path signs located on telegraph poles and the sides of the farm buildings as the track threads between the buildings. As you approach an old barn, the track goes to the right and then left around the barn to meet the farmhouse. Go straight past the farmhouse and stay on the track, with Maiden

Castle now visible on your right. Follow the track, passing a huge burial mound on your left and walk for another 500 yards to meet the road coming from Dorchester to Maiden Castle. Here, turn right and sharply back on yourself, heading towards the car park near the west entrance of

Maiden Castle. 4 From here, it’s up to you which way round the hillfort you go but one option is to leave the car park from the top left corner and follow the narrow footpath which goes left and heads up steeply into the castle, then start to make your way clockwise around the fort. You’ll soon come across the remains of a Roman Temple. There are various information boards sited around the castle pointing out different features. The south side of the castle is particularly impressive, with the ramparts and ditches making dramatic patterns of contrast and shade in low light.

Continue clockwise around the fort. 5 Leave Maiden Castle via the west entrance, looking for the track which comes up from the car park.

Instead of heading down this track, walk across to a small wooden gate set in a fence, with the west entrance behind you. Go through this gate and turn right, following the path beside the fence between trees and bushes as it heads down towards the car park. After a few yards leave this path and turn sharp left, then slightly back on yourself before bending right and heading back towards the bridleway you walked along earlier. From here, turn left to follow the route back to Martinstown.