Dorchester to Weymouth (8.5mi)
Dorchester – Winterborne Came – Sutton Poyntz – Preston – Weymouth
Page published: 5 May 2023 Page modified: 7 June 2024
Watch video without additional page content
Hello and thanks for having a look at my first ever Walks & Pubs journey.
For this, I chose to take a walk from Dorchester to Weymouth. I had visited the two towns before and thought that for the beginning, it would be good to start somewhere familiar. And what a good idea it was.
I was very lucky with the weather on that day. In the morning, it was quite a bit colder at Dorchester South railway station compared to Bournemouth, where I had started my journey, and the station platforms there were even frozen over. But quickly, the sun made most of my journey quite a pleasant one.
The Brewery Square in Dorchester right next to the rail station has something very welcoming and I could imagine spending a day or night out just there. After a stroll through the town, I headed towards Fordington.
On the train to Dorchester
Fordington
Arriving there and at St George’s Church, I was happy to find the church door open and took a look inside.
When I researched this route ahead of my walk, I discovered that there was a German War Memorial at the cemetery next to the church. I thought this was interesting as firstly, I am German myself and secondly, it would certainly be something unusual to talk about.
Searching for the memorial, I encountered a couple whose names are Jasmine and Peter. These two are amazing and a great help to me as they offered me to contact them in case I needed to know more about the region and its history. Jasmine could even speak German. What a funny coincidence to meet them.
With their help, I finally found the memorial and they gave me some more information along the way. I’m hoping to meet them again at some point.
Sign at the entrance of Fordington Cemetery
German War Memorial at Fordington Cemetery
Peter and Jasmine
Alington Avenue and Winterborne Came
After that, I went down the village and then up Alington Road. I passed Max Gate and went on until I reached Winterborne Came.
A postbox decorated for Easter
The Trumpet Major pub at Alington Avenue
Path through a small wood near Max Gate Roundabout
Forest between Dorchester and Winterborne Came
Came House from a distance
Path near Winterborne Came
Pond in Winterborne Came
Dorset Jubilee Trail, Came Wood and Chalky Road
On my further walk, I took the Jubilee Trail which I followed for 1.5mi. After I had left the trail again at Came Wood and continued into another direction, I saw ruins and ancient barrows, and enjoyed stunning views across Weymouth Bay.
The Jubilee Trail near Came House
The Jubilee Trail
A happy rambler in the fields
And me again on the Dorset Jubilee Trail
Another beautiful part of the Jubilee Trail
The obviously private Came Wood
Chalky Road
My first views of Weymouth Bay on that day
Some ruins along the way
This path took me along many ancient barrows
A barrow near Chalky Road
Weymouth from the top of the hill
Sutton Poyntz and Weymouth
After I had a rest at Sutton Poyntz, I continued to Preston and then took the bus to Weymouth with its beautiful sandy beach and cosy town centre around the Old Harbour.
Arriving at Sutton Poyntz
The Springhead pub in Sutton Poyntz
Parts of my way were ‘slightly’ muddy
A break at the duck pond in Sutton Poyntz
Weymouth Beach in all its beauty
Weymouth Beach
The King’s Statue in Weymouth
At Weymouth Harbour
The Red Lion
I concluded my walk at The Red Lion, a beautiful pub run by great people.
The Red Lion pub in Weymouth
A well-deserved pint at the end of the day
Inside The Red Lion
The video
So, if you haven’t already done so, watch my video to find out more.
The idea for my walk came from Visit Dorset and a walk called ‘West Dorset Walks – Dorchester to Weymouth Trail’.
Thanks to everyone who has helped me create this video. You are mentioned in the credits at the end of the video. The video features St Peter’s Church in Winterborne Came which is being looked after by The Churches Conservation Trust. Please consider giving them a donation.
