벌스턴‬에서 가장 멋진 ‪5‬개의 천연기념물

건조한 날씨를 바랐던 구간입니다. 여기서부터 동쪽으로 이어지는 제대로 된 능선길은 멋지지만, 타이어가 덜 울퉁불퉁하다면 내려가야 할 것입니다.

The ‘Dish’ is a ‘swallet’ (sinkhole) about 90m in diameter, 40m deep with steep sides. It was named after the herbalist Nicholas Culpepper (1616-1654). It is impossible to photograph it in entirety due to the size of the mature trees growing in it! Swallet holes, or dolines, are circular depressions formed when the underlying chalk is dissolved by the overlying acid sands and gravels which eventually collapse to form an inverted cone.

Once you're at this well-known junction, also known as the Dorsetshire Gap, it doesn't matter which direction you head because the landscape in this area is breathtaking.

Right next to the Wessex Ridgeway, near the Dorset Gap, you can see this square earthwork, approximately 25 meters in length on each side and 1 meter above the flat ground.

Bulbarrow Hill is situated within the Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, which is known for its scenic landscapes and diverse ecosystems. The hill is part of the Dorset Downs, a range of chalk hills that extend across the county. It is one of the highest points in Dorset, with an elevation of around 274 meters (899 feet) above sea level. Due to its height, it provides panoramic views of the surrounding countryside, including the rolling hills, farmland, and picturesque villages that make up the Dorset landscape.

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.

A square earthwork, about 25m each side, a raised bank about 1m above the flat surrounding ground, immediately adjacent to the Wessex Ridgeway. The reason for the earthworks has not yet been determined.

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.