The best traffic-free bike rides around Purbeck

Things must have improved! Great cycling on quiet lanes in April 2026

If you’re looking for a town that feels like a giant, historical treasure chest, Wimborne MinsterClick to open side panel for more information is the place to be. It’s a quirky mix of ancient legends, beautiful architecture, and a slightly obsession with things being very, very small. The Heart of the Town The town is dominated by the Wimborne Minster Parish OfficeClick to open side panel for more information and the stunning church itself, which has been standing for over 1,300 years. It’s famous for its unique "twinned" towers and some seriously cool interior features. The Chained Library: It’s home to one of the few surviving chained libraries in the world, where the books are literally locked to the shelves to stop medieval students from "borrowing" them forever. The Quarter Jack: Keep an eye on the exterior clock; a colorful figure known as the Quarter Jack strikes the bells every fifteen minutes. He’s been on duty since 1612! The Man in the Wall: Look for the tomb of Anthony Ettrick, who was convinced he’d die in a specific year and had his coffin built into the wall of the church so he wouldn't be buried "in" or "outside" the consecrated ground.

nice ride

At 650 feet (198 metres), Povington Hill is one of the highest of the Purbeck Hills. Views extend to Worbarrow Bay, the abandoned village of Tyneham, St. Aldhelm’s Head, Swyre Head and the English Channel beyond Gad Cliff to the south.

White Mill is an 18th-century water powered corn mill near Sturminster Marshall in Dorset on the River Stour which is in the care of the National Trust. The first record of a mill on the site is from Domesday Book; the current watermill was rebuilt in 1776 and extensively repaired in 1994. It still retains its original elm and applewood machinery though this can no longer be used. The mill and house are both built of brick with tiled roofs. The mill house has two stories whist the mill has three with an attic. The house has a single story lean-to extension and a timber porch. The machinery and mill stones remain but the two water wheels are no longer present. The present mill is thought to be on the site of an earlier one, probably one of those mentioned in Domesday Book. The current mill was rebuilt in 1776 on older foundations. The tenancy of the mill was the held by successive members of the Joyce family. The mill worked under water power until 1866 when a severe winter flood caused damage that was deemed beyond economic repair. The miller at the time was also a baker and he converted half of the mill to run from a portable steam engine to supply his bakery with flour. The last miller retired at the end of the 19th-century and the mill was not used again

There are documentary references to the building of "A Bridge on the River Stour adjacent to the White Mill" in the year 1175. Although the bridge you'll see today is probably a sixteenth century structure (somewhat hacked around by the Victorians). It is known, from an investigation of the foundations a few years ago, that the bridge stands on timber pilings which have themselves been carbon dated to the twelfth century. This is alleged to be the oldest bridge site in Dorset. Note the bridge warning plate "Any person wilfully damaging any part of this County Bridge will be guilty of Felony and upon conviction liable to be Transported For Life by the court"

1/10th scale model of the town's streets, shops and gardens as they looked in the 1950s, plus cafe. open 7 days a week 10 am til 5 pm. Adult £10.00 Seniors & Students £9.00 Junior (3-17 yrs) £7.00 Under 3 Free Family 2 Adults & 2 Juniors £30.00 Family 1 Adult & 3 Juniors £27.00

Wimborne Minster is the parish church of Wimborne, Dorset, England. The minster has existed for over 1300 years and is recognised for its unusual chained library (one of only a few surviving chained libraries in the world). The minster is a former monastery and Benedictine nunnery, and King Æthelred of Wessex is buried there. The Chained library is located upstairs, up a very windy stone staircase. No lifts to it. Until it was confiscated during Henry VIII's reign, the old Treasury held the wealth of the minster and numerous artefacts such as (reputed to be) a piece of the true cross, wood from the Manger and cloth from the Shroud. Since 1686 it has housed an important chained library. The chained library was one of the first public libraries in the UK, and it remains the second-largest. Some of the collections of the library include a manuscript written on lambskin in 1343, a book bound for the Court of Henry VIII, an incunabulum printed in 1495 on the works of Saint Anselm, and a Paraphrase of Erasmus printed in 1522 with a title page designed by Holbein. The library is run by volunteers and remains open to the public on week days 10.30-12.30 & 2-4 (closed in winter season). The Bells Since 1911 the west tower at the minster has been home to a ring of ten bells. The original tenor bell was housed in the central tower and was cast in 1385. The central tower was considered too structurally weak to add much more additional weight, so in 1464 the west tower was constructed in order to house five bells. In 1629 the tenor bell was recast. Besides the tenor, the minster at this time was home to the 'Bell of St. Cuthburga', 'The Fyfer Bell', 'The Jesus Bell' and 'The Morrow Mass Bell'; presumably all housed in the west tower. In 2012, the bells were augmented to 12 by Whitechapel Bell Foundry, with an additional semitone bell cast to make a total of 13 bells. Tombs The most important tomb in the church is that of King Ethelred, the brother of Alfred the Great. Ethelred was mortally wounded in a battle at Martin, near Cranborne. The exact location of the tomb however is unknown, though sources and legend indicate that it resides somewhere near the altar.