Routes

Planner

Features

Updates

App

Get the App

Routes

Mountain biking trails

Thomas Hardy's Cottage – Puddletown Forest loop from Athelhampton and Puddletown

Routes

Mountain biking trails

Thomas Hardy's Cottage – Puddletown Forest loop from Athelhampton and Puddletown

Easy

riders

Thomas Hardy's Cottage – Puddletown Forest loop from Athelhampton and Puddletown

01:14

16.3km

160m

Mountain biking

Easy mountain bike ride. Great for any fitness level. Suitable for all skill levels. The starting point of the route is accessible with public transport.

Last updated: July 18, 2026

Tips

Includes a segment in which cycling is not permitted

After 7.62 km for 272 m

Waypoints

Start point

Bus stop

Get Directions

1.36 km

Dorset Singletrack Trail

Highlight • MTB Park

Go looking and you will find some of the best riding in this area. What it is lacking in elevation it makes up for in technicality

Tip by

2.77 km

Thomas Hardy's Cottage

Highlight • Historical Site

Built in 1800, this stunning thatched cottage was the birthplace of the famous writer, Thomas Hardy. Built by his great-grandfather, Hardy lived here for over 30 years and wrote some …

Tip by

3.27 km

Hardy's Cottage

Highlight • Cafe

If you are a Thomas Hardy enthusiast this is a must - the small cottage where he was born and grew up, writing his early novels. The garden is large …

Tip by

4.99 km

Bockhampton Bridge

Highlight • Bridge

lovely humped back bridge over the River Frome

Tip by

8.17 km

Dorchester (Casterbridge in Thomas Hardy's Novels)

Highlight • Historical Site

One of the best preserved towns in the UK, Dorchester (AKA Casterbridge if you're Thomas Hardy) is beautiful.

There's historic buildings on either side of you, narrow streets and some …

Tip by

9.30 km

Greys Bridge

Highlight • Bridge

Carries London Road over the River Frome towhich stood a few hundred feet to the north. Two metal plaques threaten transportation for life for anyone found guilty of wilfully damaging …

Tip by

10.2 km

Kingston Maurward Bridleway

Highlight (Segment) • Cycleway

Few gates but nice way across to bottom of Dorchester (Grey's Bridge). Runs alongside river and near to Stinsford. Thomas Hardy buried in Stinsford Church. You can come off Bockhampton …

Tip by

15.7 km

Puddletown Forest

Highlight • Trail

Puddletown Woods in Dorset offers Mountain Bikers lots of short natural singletracks, downhill sections, crazy jumps even a sort of 4X track.

Tip by

16.3 km

End point

Bus stop

Way Types & Surfaces

Way Types

5.75 km

5.56 km

3.99 km

1.03 km

Surfaces

4.50 km

3.85 km

3.60 km

2.66 km

1.24 km

488 m

Elevation

Nothing selected – click and drag below to see the stats for a specific part of the route.

Highest point (120 m)

Lowest point (50 m)

Weather

Wednesday 12 August

33°C

18°C

0 %

Additional weather tips

Max wind speed: 13.0 km/h

to get more detailed weather forecasts along your route

Comments

Want to know more?

Our route recommendations are based on thousands of hikes, rides, and runs completed by other people on komoot.

Navigate

Send to Phone

Save

Edit route

Download GPX

Move start point

Embed on a website

Report an Issue

Report restricted access

Nearby routes

Moderate

4.7

187

Isle of Purbeck: Corfe Castle & Old Harry Rocks Loop

03:26h

45.5km

460m

Moderate

4.3

Purbeck Hills MTB Loop

02:50h

35.5km

610m

Moderate

2.0

Hardy Monument & South West Coast Path loop from Bridport

03:31h

44.2km

620m

Moderate

4.3

Hod Hill & Hambledon Hill from Sturminster Newton

02:29h

29.5km

330m

Moderate

3.0

South Dorset Ridgeway and Chaldon Herring Loop

03:46h

43.6km

590m

Moderate

5.0

Dorchester & Minterne Magna loop

03:52h

46.4km

680m

Moderate

4.0

Tarrent Rawston & Witchampton loop from Blandford Forum

02:44h

36.8km

390m

Hard

4.7

173

View of Old Harry Rocks – Old Harry Rocks loop from Corfe Castle

02:30h

29.4km

420m

Moderate

4.2

View of Old Harry Rocks – Old Harry Rocks loop from Sandbanks

03:22h

42.4km

600m

Hard

4.8

Grange Hill Off-Road Descent – View of Kimmeridge Bay loop from Studland

03:54h

50.3km

730m

Moderate

4.3

118

Ashley Heath Halt – Castleman Trailway loop from Wimborne Minster

03:00h

39.7km

190m

Easy

4.6

Canford Heath Singletrack – Canford Bridge loop from Wimborne Minster

01:38h

22.5km

170m

Thomas Hardy's Cottage – Puddletown Forest loop from Athelhampton and Puddletown

Dorset Singletrack Trail

Thomas Hardy's Cottage

Hardy's Cottage

Bockhampton Bridge

Dorchester (Casterbridge in Thomas Hardy's Novels)

Greys Bridge

Kingston Maurward Bridleway

Puddletown Forest

Nearby routes

Sign up or log in to keep exploring this route

We value your privacy ⛰️

We value your privacy ⛰️