Brit hop!

Mark Sutcliffe walks through the scenic Brit Valley from the newly refurbished Bridport Bingham Grange Club Campsite

Mangerton Mill Museum

Dorset is one of England’s most consistently over-looked counties – there’s much more to this beautifully bucolic part of the world than the bright lights of Bournemouth and ferries to France.

One example is West Bay, a wonderfully unspoiled little harbour town that combines the salty delights of a working port with a superb beach. It’s the perfect destination for a traditional family getaway and if the weather is less than ideal for sunbathing, a walk along the Brit Valley offers picture postcard scenery and a chance to catch a glimpse of the original River Cottage, former home of chef and food campaigner Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and the setting for three of his early TV shows.

The cottage – which used to be a gamekeeper’s lodge – is less than half a mile north of Bridport Bingham Grange Club Campsite, nestling right beside the River Brit on the Slape Manor Estate. There is no public access, but it is visible from the footpath.

This walk follows sections of the Brit Valley circular walk and the Thomas Hardy Way. Look out for the signage and you won’t go far wrong.

Directions

1. Head out of the back gate of the site and keep to the path along a hedgerow to reach the River Brit. This is private land with no established right of way across it, so please keep dogs on a lead when leaving the site via this gate. Cross the river and turn right onto the footpath heading upstream through the water meadows. Continue up the Brit Valley, following the marker posts to reach the edge of the hamlet of Waytown.

2. 1.8km – At the lane, go over the stile and head right, crossing the River Brit. Continue along the quiet lane, climbing gently as you skirt the edge of Oxbridge. At a post box, continue straight ahead onto a gravel bridleway and through the garden of the cottage, then through a gate.

3. 2.2km – Veer left along a hedgerow, then across a small paddock and through a gate into some woodland. Continue through the woodland, climbing steadily to emerge between two gates. Go through the right-hand gate and follow the bridleway to a quiet lane. Turn left to reach the main road.

4. 3.1km – Be mindful of traffic here. Cross with care, head right onto a quiet lane and straight ahead onto a bridleway. Continue on the bridleway, following a path running left of an ancient wooded holloway.

5. 4.4km – Exit the long paddock via a gate and between some farm buildings, leading to the village of Mangerton. At the farm, continue slightly right into the village and past Mangerton Mill Museum. Refreshments are available here.

6. 4.6km – Continue on the road for another 150m and take a footpath on the left through the gate immediately after the cottage. Head immediately left and through a gap in a hedge, then diagonally across the next field and over a footbridge next to a stream.

7. 5.2km – Follow the path alongside the stream skirting the woodland, then across a series of fields to Bradpole. Parts of this route can get overgrown in late spring, so bringing a stick or walking pole may be a good idea.

8. 6.4km – At the lane through the village head right, continuing straight ahead on the suburban footpath through the village to reach a busy main road. Cross with care onto a quiet lane on the far side.

9. 7.4km – Continue along the lane for 250m. Next to the first cottage on the right at the edge of the village, take the footpath on the right. Follow a grassy track for just under a mile through fields to return to the back gate of the Club campsite.

Download this route and others to your smartphone or GPS device from the Club’s Outdoor Active page at: out.ac/JaNAH

About the route

• Start/finish: Bridport Bingham Grange Club Campsite, Melplash, Bridport, Dorset DT6 3TT.
• Distance: 5.6miles/9km.
• Time: 3hrs.
• Level: Suitable for regular walkers with a reasonable level of fitness.
• Terrain: Field paths, quiet country lanes and woodland trails.
• Landscape: Undulating – some steep but relatively short climbs.
• Refreshments: Mangerton Mill Museum, Mangerton, or the Pymore Inn, Bridport.

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The Caravan and Motorhome Club make no warranties concerning the accuracy or completeness of the routes published, which to the best of our knowledge were correct at the time of publication. Your use of the routes is at your own risk and we accept no responsibility for the suitability or safety of any routes published. Routes may be out of date or affected by changes to the physical environment and, to the extent permitted by law, we accept no responsibility for personal injury or property damage caused by your use of the routes.