The best MTB trails around Glanvilles Wootton

This was the part that I was longing for dry weather. The proper ridgeway from here on eastward is stunning but if less than knobby tyres you'll need to drop down.

Didn't really see any that jumped out at me to be honest, but these stocks are well cool!!!

If you think your homeowner’s association is strict, try the Almshouse of St. John the Baptist. Established in 1437, it was basically a 15th-century "assisted living" facility for the "brave and the broke." ​The rules? Absolutely medieval. You had to be "of good character," which in 1437 mostly meant "doesn’t throw mud at the Abbot." The jewel inside is the Sherborne Missal, a book so fancy it makes your iPad look like a rock. Today, it stands as a gorgeous Hamstone time capsule where history is thick, the chapel is tiny, and the vibes are strictly "pious chic."

Founded in 1550 by King Edward VI, Sherborne School is an elite boys' independent school that practically owns the town’s aesthetic. Built atop the site of a former Benedictine priory, its honey-colored Hamstone buildings blend seamlessly with the adjacent Abbey. ​It is a "Harry Potter" fever dream of cloisters and tradition, but its real prestige lies in its alumni. This is where Alan Turing solved puzzles before Enigma and where actors like Jeremy Irons and Hugh Bonneville learned their craft. It remains one of the UK’s architectural and academic heavyweights, turning out "Old Shirburnians" for nearly five centuries.

Originally a Saxon cathedral, Sherborne Abbey is a golden-stoned masterpiece of Perpendicular Gothic architecture. Its claim to fame is the fan vaulting—arguably the earliest and most spectacular in England—which spreads across the ceiling like delicate stone lace. ​The Abbey has survived fires (started by a bickering abbot and townspeople in 1437), the Dissolution of the Monasteries, and the test of time. Inside, you’ll find the tombs of West Saxon kings and the stunning Great West Window. It remains a living "lantern" of Dorset, glowing with honey-colored Hamstone and a quiet, ancient majesty that defines the town.

4. It’s Actually Quite Tiny ​If you’re expecting a massive monolith like Stonehenge, prepare to be whelmed. It’s only about four feet tall. It’s the "fun-sized" version of an ancient mystery. It’s essentially the 12th-century version of a "No Entry" sign that everyone forgot to take down. ​5. The Real Mystery: The "Hands" ​Some archaeologists think it might actually be a boundary stone marking the limits of the lands owned by Milton Abbey. The "hand" might just be a very poorly carved symbol of authority, or a pointer saying, "The pub is that way."

​2. The "Hand of God" (Or Just a Very Suggestive Signpost) ​The most famous story—because history is better with a bit of drama—involves a local priest and a miracle. Legend says a priest from nearby Yetminster was carrying the "holy elements" to a dying man when he lost them. He found them later, guarded by a miracle: a hand appeared out of nowhere to point the way (or hold the elements, depending on who’s telling the story after three pints of cider). ​The stone was supposedly erected to say, "Hey, remember that time the floating hand happened? Good times." ​3. Thomas Hardy Made It "Goth" ​If you find the spot a bit creepy, you can thank local literary legend Thomas Hardy. He featured it in Tess of the d’Urbervilles. In the book, the "Cross-in-Hand" is described as a "thing of ill-omen" where a criminal supposedly had his hand cut off before being pinned to the stone. ​Hardy basically looked at a nice piece of local history and said, "How can I make this more depressing?"

If you’re wandering through the Dorset downs and stumble upon the Cross and Hand, don’t worry—you haven't accidentally walked onto the set of a low-budget folk horror movie. ​This little limestone pillar is essentially the world’s oldest, most confusing GPS. Here’s the lowdown on this weird piece of rock: ​1. It’s a Pillar with an Identity Crisis ​Sitting on the high ridge of Batcombe Hill, the Cross and Hand is a small stone pillar that looks like it’s been through a very long, very boring war. On one side, it features a carved hand, and on the top, there’s a cross. People have been arguing about what it is for centuries. Is it a boundary marker? A waypost? A very uncomfortable stool for a tired giant? Nobody knows for sure, but "Ancient Monument" sounds way more dignified.