Hiking Collection by Dan Hobson
Conquer the longest inland trail in England — Monarch’s Way: Part 3
15 days
5-7 h/day
367km
5,320m
5,310m
From Charmouth on the Jurassic Coast, the Way takes you 228 miles (367 km) along the coastline and through the Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB); through Somerset, Wiltshire and into the Cranborne Chase AONB; and finally into Hampshire and through the heart of the South Downs National Park.
Along the way, you experience countless breathtaking views, most notably from Golden Cap, the highest point on the South Coast of England. You also explore many Bronze Age and Iron Age hill forts, crumbling castles, weathered churches, grand cathedrals, sleepy villages, vibrant cities, nature reserves, chalk grasslands, vast woodlands, and more.
The Monarch’s Way traces the escape route taken by King Charles II after his defeat at the Battle of Worcester in 1651, the final battle of the civil war between the Royalists and Parliamentarians. At 615 miles (990 km) in total, it is the longest inland trail in England.
After Charles’ attempt to flee on a boat from Charmouth had failed, he went on the run once again. After six weeks dodging Cromwell’s armies, Charles finally managed to board a ship from Shoreham and landed in France at Fécamp, near Le Havre, on the morning of 16 October, 1651. Two hours after the ship had set sail, troops arrived in Shoreham to arrest the King.
The trail is waymarked throughout and follows well-maintained paths. The hiking is generally quite leisurely but there are some challenging sections, making it a good choice for all abilities.
In this Collection, we split the route into 15 stages, each averaging 15.2 miles (24.5 km). Of course, you can divide each stage into as many days as you are comfortable with. You can also walk any single stage, or couple of stages, in isolation. Any hikes that are dramatically above average distance have a suggestion on how you can split or tweak them.
Every stage finishes close to accommodation, even if there are only a few options nearby. However, places to stay are not always abundant so it is worth planning in advance and scheduling any rest days accordingly.
To get to the start of the trail, you can catch a train to Axminster, which has direct links to London and connecting services around the country. You would then need either the X51 or X53 bus service to Charmouth. At the end of the trail, Shoreham has excellent public transport links.
For more information about the Monarch’s Way, visit: monarchsway.50megs.com.
For the X51 bus timetable, visit: bustimes.org/services/x51-dorchester-bridport-axminster.
For the X53 bus timetable, visit: bustimes.org/services/x53-weymouth-bridport-axminster.
For train timetables and tickets, visit: thetrainline.com.
Click the links below for more Collections on the Monarch’s Way.
Part 1: komoot.com/collection/911739/conquer-the-longest-inland-trail-in-england-monarchs-way-part-1.
Part 2: komoot.com/collection/914707/conquer-the-longest-inland-trail-in-england-monarchs-way-part-2.
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Monarch's Way
950km
11,920m
11,930m
Last updated: November 28, 2024
Do it yourself!
Premium
Ready to get going? Create and customize your own version of this adventure using the full route below as a template.
Plan your own version of this adventure in the multi-day planner based on the stages suggested in this Collection.
Activities
1. Stage 1: Charmouth to North Chideock — Monarch's Way
22.7km
06:33
590m
510m
Expert hike. Very good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.
2. Stage 2: North Chideock to Chedington — Monarch's Way
26.4km
07:27
590m
480m
Expert hike. Very good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.
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3. Stage 3: Chedington to Yeovil — Monarch's Way
18.9km
05:04
170m
310m
Expert hike. Very good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.
4. Stage 4: Yeovil to Charlton Horethorne — Monarch's Way
21.8km
05:56
340m
270m
Expert hike. Very good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.
5. Stage 5: Charlton Horethorne to Mere — Monarch's Way
24.6km
06:37
300m
310m
Expert hike. Very good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.
6. Stage 6: Mere to Teffont Magna — Monarch's Way
23.1km
06:06
260m
200m
Expert hike. Very good fitness required. Mostly accessible paths. Sure-footedness required.
7. Stage 7: Teffont Magna to Little Durnford — Monarch's Way
20.8km
05:37
230m
330m
Expert hike. Very good fitness required. Mostly accessible paths. Sure-footedness required.
8. Stage 8: Little Durnford to Houghton — Monarch's Way
27.1km
07:19
340m
380m
Expert hike. Very good fitness required. Mostly accessible paths. Sure-footedness required.
9. Stage 9: Houghton to Winchester — Monarch's Way
28.1km
07:23
230m
230m
Expert hike. Very good fitness required. Mostly accessible paths. Sure-footedness required.
10. Stage 10: Winchester to Warnford — Monarch's Way
27.6km
07:30
420m
370m
Expert hike. Very good fitness required. Mostly accessible paths. Sure-footedness required.
11. Stage 11: Warnford to Horndean — Monarch's Way
23.1km
06:17
330m
330m
Expert hike. Very good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.
12. Stage 12: Horndean to East Dean — Monarch's Way
26.5km
07:16
440m
410m
Expert hike. Very good fitness required. Mostly accessible paths. Sure-footedness required.
13. Stage 13: East Dean to Arundel — Monarch's Way
22.9km
06:19
350m
450m
Expert hike. Very good fitness required. Mostly accessible paths. Sure-footedness required.
14. Stage 14: Arundel to Bramber — Monarch's Way
24.8km
06:47
390m
390m
Expert hike. Very good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.
15. Stage 15: Bramber to Shoreham — Monarch's Way
28.2km
07:35
340m
350m
Expert hike. Very good fitness required. Mostly accessible paths. Sure-footedness required.
Collection Stats
Activities
15
Distance
367 km
Duration
99:45 h
Elevation
5,320 m
5,310 m
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