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Melcombe Horsey

The Dorsetshire Gap

Highlight • Viewpoint

The Dorsetshire Gap

Recommended by 8 cyclists out of 9

This Highlight is in a protected area

Please check local regulations for: Dorset National Landscape

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    Top cycling routes to The Dorsetshire Gap

    4.0

    (1)

    10

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    1. View from Bulbarrow Hill – Poundbury Hill Fort loop from Dorchester South

    77.0km

    05:25

    990m

    1,000m

    Expert bike ride. Very good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels.

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    Expert

    Expert bike ride. Very good fitness required. You may need to push your bike for some segments of this route.

    Expert

    Expert bike ride. Good fitness required. You may need to push your bike for some segments of this route.

    Expert

    Tips

    June 18, 2020

    The Dorsetshire Gap is, or Dorset Gap as it's known for short, is a dip in the Dorset Downs chalk ridge between Nordon Hill and Nettleton Tout, close to the settlement of Higher Melcombe.

    A number of different bridleways run through and over this pass, including the ancient Wessex Ridgeway.

    It's thought that this point was part of a network of trading routes that date back as far as the Middle Ages.

      July 1, 2023

      The Dorsetshire Gap is a very atmospheric location, very easy to imagine Medieval traders passing through it. Be aware that the bridleways too and from it are tough, the tracks marked on the maps may not exist on the ground, cycling can be hard an slow, Still worth a visit.

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        Elevation 210 m

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        Location: Melcombe Horsey, West Dorset, Dorset, South West England, England, United Kingdom

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