WALKS IN DORSET at COMPTON ABBAS (& MELBURY HILL) [4K]

This is another video in my series “ Walks in Dorset” accompanied by my Whippet (Logan). In this episode, I visit the village of Compton Abbas which is located 3 miles to the South of Shaftesbury in Dorset.

Whilst my walk started in fairly thick mist & fog, it soon lifted and it became a very sunny day indeed.

I parked my car at a free car park at the top of Spread Eagle Hill, just to the South of the village of Melbury Abbas. My 4 mile circular (-ish) walk started with a stroll along the top of Compton Down which gave me great views to North & East as well as Melbury Abbas in the valley below.

I then started my climb up Melbury Hill – one of the highest points in Dorset – to the site of the old “Beacon” at the summit. There were some spectacular 360 degree views all around including over to Shaftesbury in the North.

My route then took me back down Melbury Hill and along a footpath at the bottom of a valley towards the hamlet of East Compton where I got to explore the remains of the “old” St Marys church.

A change in direction followed – Westwards towards Compton Abbas (a village full of pretty houses & cottages). After exploring the “new” St Marys church (inside & out), I followed a footpath to the South which took me to the foot of Fontmell Down. Along the way I passed a delightful little chalk stream & walked along an atmospheric sunken track.

My final leg of the walk took me up Fontmell Down (where once again I enjoyed some stunning landscape views) and then the historic Clubmen's Down before I made it back to my car.

There is a cafe at the Compton Airfield (open to the public) which is on the opposite side of the road not far from the car park for this walk.

Map courtesy of Google Maps.
Aerial pictures courtesy of Google Maps.
OS Maps. Media License.
Music from the Youtube Audio library.
Historic Maps NLS Maps 'Reproduced with the permission of the National Library of Scotland'  https://maps.nls.uk/index.html

Information Sources: Wikipedia, Dorset Churches, Historic England, British History Online & Dorset OPC.


For further videos in the series, please go to:    / @daveford  

My Facebook page is:   / davescountrysidewalks  

I use a GOPRO HERO 7, 8 or 10 Black Action Camera (sometimes with a Gimbal) & a Rode microphone (either a “Shotgun” or a Rode Wireless Go) together with a Canon Powershot SX530 HS.