Our drawing of the route, over road and path data from OpenStreetMap. It shows where the walk goes and what it goes through. It is not a survey and not a navigation aid — carry OS Explorer on the hill.
A four-mile two-hour circuit out of the Georgian town over the species-rich chalk grassland of the Milldown, down to the Stour and back along the river past Bryanston woods, with 120 metres of climb on mown grass, stony track and riverside path. Easy underfoot, though the meadow section floods in winter. Start from the Marsh and Ham car park by the bridge in Blandford, pay and display, several hundred spaces and rarely full; the Milldown is a fifteen-minute walk uphill from it. The Milldown is a Dorset Council nature reserve where the grassland is grazed and mown for orchids, so leads across the sward when stock are in, but the river path gives easy shallow access for a swim below the bridge.
Hall and Woodhouse's Georgian hotel by the Stour bridge in Blandford, with a garden running down to the river. Dog-friendly rooms mean there is no need to leave a dog at home, and the team will bring a bowl of water or a treat. Ring ahead if you are bringing a dog so a suitable room is allocated.
Characterful pub on Blandford's Market Place, sport on the screens and a warm welcome for four-legged friends in its own words. A town-centre local rather than a dining pub, in the handsomest Georgian market square in Dorset. Good stop off the Stour valley walks.
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