Routes

Planner

Features

Updates

App

Get the App

Routes

Mountain biking trails

Puddletown Forest – Thomas Hardy's Cottage loop from Dorchester South

Routes

Mountain biking trails

Puddletown Forest – Thomas Hardy's Cottage loop from Dorchester South

Easy

4.0

(2)

riders

Puddletown Forest – Thomas Hardy's Cottage loop from Dorchester South

01:25

19.0km

180m

Mountain biking

Easy mountain bike ride. Great for any fitness level. Suitable for all skill levels. The starting point of the route is accessible with public transport.

Last updated: June 24, 2026

Tips

Includes a segment in which cycling is not permitted

After 3.37 km for 220 m

Waypoints

Start point

Train Station

Get Directions

2.41 km

Kingston Maurward Bridleway

Highlight (Segment) • Cycleway

Few gates but nice way across to bottom of Dorchester (Grey's Bridge). Runs alongside river and near to Stinsford. Thomas Hardy buried in Stinsford Church. You can come off Bockhampton …

Tip by

4.39 km

Countryside Footpath Near Kingston Maurward

Highlight (Segment) • Natural

Open fields. Be prepared for several gate stops & one bike lift. Once you reach the road at the lower end you can go straight across and you will arrive …

Tip by

5.49 km

Hardy's Cottage

Highlight • Cafe

If you are a Thomas Hardy enthusiast this is a must - the small cottage where he was born and grew up, writing his early novels. The garden is large …

Tip by

7.61 km

Dorset Singletrack Trail

Highlight • MTB Park

Go looking and you will find some of the best riding in this area. What it is lacking in elevation it makes up for in technicality

Tip by

8.38 km

Puddletown Forest

Highlight • Trail

Puddletown Woods in Dorset offers Mountain Bikers lots of short natural singletracks, downhill sections, crazy jumps even a sort of 4X track.

Tip by

9.98 km

Puddletown Forest Car Park

Highlight • Forest

Make sure not to leave any valuables in view in your car

Tip by

11.8 km

Viewpoint Over Puddletown Forest

Highlight • Viewpoint

At the edge of what can be ridden at puddletown. Lots of down options from here, down teep and narrow or wide and cruisey

Tip by

13.2 km

Thomas Hardy's Cottage

Highlight • Historical Site

Built in 1800, this stunning thatched cottage was the birthplace of the famous writer, Thomas Hardy. Built by his great-grandfather, Hardy lived here for over 30 years and wrote some …

Tip by

19.0 km

End point

Train Station

Way Types & Surfaces

Way Types

6.10 km

5.54 km

5.37 km

1.99 km

Surfaces

5.26 km

4.44 km

3.99 km

2.40 km

2.32 km

576 m

Elevation

Nothing selected – click and drag below to see the stats for a specific part of the route.

Highest point (120 m)

Lowest point (50 m)

Weather

Monday 6 July

28°C

15°C

0 %

Additional weather tips

Max wind speed: 16.0 km/h

to get more detailed weather forecasts along your route

Comments

Want to know more?

Our route recommendations are based on thousands of hikes, rides, and runs completed by other people on komoot.

Navigate

Send to Phone

Save

Edit route

Download GPX

Move start point

Embed on a website

Report an Issue

Report restricted access

Nearby routes

Moderate

4.4

Purbeck Hills MTB Loop

02:50h

35.5km

610m

Moderate

2.0

Hardy Monument & South West Coast Path loop from Bridport

03:31h

44.2km

620m

Moderate

4.3

Hod Hill & Hambledon Hill from Sturminster Newton

02:29h

29.5km

330m

Moderate

3.0

South Dorset Ridgeway and Chaldon Herring Loop

03:46h

43.6km

590m

Moderate

5.0

Dorchester & Minterne Magna loop

03:52h

46.4km

680m

Moderate

4.0

Tarrent Rawston & Witchampton loop from Blandford Forum

02:44h

36.8km

390m

Hard

4.7

173

View of Old Harry Rocks – Old Harry Rocks loop from Corfe Castle

02:30h

29.4km

420m

Easy

4.0

Rooty and Rocky Drop – Flowing Singletrack with Drop loop from Sherford Bridge

00:55h

11.3km

110m

Easy

4.8

The Three Kings Jump Line – Rooty and Rocky Drop loop from Wareham

00:58h

12.1km

130m

Moderate

5.0

Rempstone Trail loop from Corfe Castle

01:59h

29.0km

200m

Easy

5.0

Rooty and Rocky Drop – Flowing Singletrack with Drop loop from Lytchett Minster

01:16h

16.5km

110m

Moderate

4.8

Smitten Corner Trail Junction loop from Weymouth

03:03h

39.7km

540m

Puddletown Forest – Thomas Hardy's Cottage loop from Dorchester South

Kingston Maurward Bridleway

Countryside Footpath Near Kingston Maurward

Hardy's Cottage

Dorset Singletrack Trail

Puddletown Forest

Puddletown Forest Car Park

Viewpoint Over Puddletown Forest

Thomas Hardy's Cottage

Nearby routes

Sign up or log in to keep exploring this route

We value your privacy ⛰️

We value your privacy ⛰️