Welcome to the North Dorset Group. Our area covers Evershot in the West of the county, Shaftesbury in the East, and South to Blandford Forum. There isn’t a corner of Dorset that we don’t explore, and you will also find us heading out to South Somerset and South West Wiltshire. We welcome members and visitors alike – so why not give us a try?
Mission Statement: At North Dorset Ramblers, our mission is to encourage and enable people of all ages and backgrounds to enjoy the outdoors through walking. We are dedicated to protecting and promoting access to the beautiful footpaths, landscapes, and natural heritage of North Dorset. Our aim is to foster a welcoming and supportive walking community and thereby leading to a healthy lifestyle, friendship and a shared commitment to preserving our countryside for future generations. This will be done by developing a varied and interesting Walks Programme open to a range of abilities aimed to be inclusive to all. Outreach to Area and other local Walking groups will be undertaken with an aim of recruiting new members to the Group.
When you come across a problem on a footpath - a broken stile, a locked gate, barbed wire or an electric fence blocking the right of way - contact Dorset Council who will check the problem and prioritise action. This will ensure that problems can be resolved for walkers in the future.
The website automatically generates an 'MNT' number which you can use to access updates.
It might take a while for the problem to be assessed, Dorset Council has a large number of footpaths to maintain, but all reports are followed up.
If the problem is within your own parish, Parish Councils often have Rights of Way officers who you might wish to contact separately.
We typically put on two walks each week, on Wednesdays and Sundays. The distance for either ranges between 6 and 10 miles, with an occasional longer walk. We try to avoid ‘route-marches’, but rather take time to enjoy the sights and sounds (and smells!) of the countryside.
We provide walks with 'added interest' when possible, taking in historic sites in town, village or countryside, or visits to nature reserves. Our area encompasses the Blackmore Vale, and part of Cranborne Chase, giving access to limestone hills, clay vales, chalk ridges, wooded chalk downlands and valley pastures – a wonderful variety.
As well as our twice-weekly walks, our group works to ensure that paths are kept open and accessible, and routes are well signed. Working with others, we promote the health benefits of walking and having access to the countryside and green space. Becoming a member of the Rambler makes a difference:
Our group organises varied social events, to offer something convivial to all members. We also run training days, to encourage participation in the running of the group, and inspire new and existing walk leaders, to equip them with the knowledge, tools and confidence for leading enjoyable walks for members and the wider walking community.
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Walking is a simple pleasure that should be open to everyone, so we campaign to remove barriers to walking and we protect the places we love to wander.
