Dog-friendly walks in Portesham

Hardy Monument and Bronkham Hill barrows

An easy 4.4-mile out and back along the South Dorset Ridgeway from the Hardy Monument, two hours on springy heath and a stony bridleway past a line of forty bronze age barrows, with only 120 metres of climb and views to Portland the whole way. Start at the free Dorset Council car park below the monument on Black Down, which is small, exposed and holds perhaps twenty-five cars, with a second National Trust car park nearby on restricted hours. Cattle grids at the entrance are a warning: stock roam the down, so leads are needed on the open sections, and there is no water anywhere on the ridge, which is a real consideration on a hot day.