The Hardy Way

HIGHLIGHTS: Discovering this area of Dorset and its history. Excellent dining. View from Win Green.

What a wonderful walk through delightful countryside so different from N Yorkshire. The wild flowers everywhere were spectacular especially the field margins and the orchids around Compton Abbas. And what a treat to see the wing walking at the airfield! All the accomodation was excellent.

A most enjoyable holiday well up to Inntravel's usual high standards. The catering at all the establishments was absolutely first rate, and La Fosse provided us with what can only be described as a gourmet picnic. We enjoyed the walking routes, and we particularly appreciated the wild flower borders that many of the farmers had sown on the field margins - Bravo!

This was a lovely walk, terrific scenery, warm welcomes and the food at each stop was exceptional. It was a terrific holiday, thank you.

This holiday was "made" by lovely accommodation and superb meals (the best that we've enjoyed on any Inntravel holiday). Sir Augustus Pitt-Rivers' Museum Inn in the thatched village of Farnham was particularly atmospheric and Paolo, the manager, is exceptional.
If it's open, make sure to visit the Larmer Tree Gardens; completely unique, atmospheric, fascinating. (The wealth of historical notes provided by Inntravel throughout the holiday really help bring the area alive, and this was certainly the case for the Larmer Tree Gardens; contrary to the notes, though, we were told at the ticket desk that ownership has now reverted to "young Mr Pitt-Rivers" - an interesting and pleasing development). 

We found the first half of the Cranborne-Farnham route not vastly interesting (sections through bland fields or between view-restricting hedgerows). Summer vegetation had caused some paths to be overgrown; none were impossible but full length trousers are advised because of nettles etc. The last 2 days' walking on the heights of Cranborne Chase were truly beautiful. Having been forewarned by a previous walker about the steep, narrow final section up to Win Green, we opted for the "alternative route" and found an excellent path with very good views. 
Thank you for an excellent holiday. 

Despite inclement weather we thoroughly enjoyed the walking through deeper Dorset. The accommodation and food were excellent making the holiday a most rewarding experience.

A fabulous holiday with superb accommodation throughout and beautiful walks through a part of Britain with which neither of us were familiar. An absolute delight.

We were fortunate to be able to take up the offer of the Hardy Way holiday because of a last minute cancellation - what an experience! I walked with my slightly reluctant husband but even he had to admire Dorset in June in its beauty. The cow parsley was frothy, the wild flowers abundant, the contrasting greens of the landscape all added up to a painters delight. The sun shone every day, the birds were singing their hearts out and we had a fabulous time. I loved that we could sink into a deep bath in two hotels and also had a huge bed in two hotels! We were well fed and watered throughout. We left the cares of the world behind and will definitely be taking another holiday with Inntravel who know how to care for their customers. I expect it was especially good coming out of lockdown and with exceptional weather. Thank you.

We had a lovely time walking part of the Thomas Hardy Way. The walk takes you through some beautiful areas and some surprisingly remote places. There are parts where all you can hear are the birds (and rain beating against your hood) and it was easy to imagine that you were Gabriel Oak searching for his sheep. The villages that the walk passes through are pretty and timeless and the Larmer Tree Gardens are definitely worth a visit - on a sunny day the peacocks make you feel that you could be in Rajasthan. The Inns are all lovely and the food is a real treat - in fact it's a good job that there are some long walks to burn off some of the delicious meals we were served. Arriving in Shaftsbury was a nice experience - it's a beautiful place to finish the walk. 

The holiday met all our expectations in a beautiful part of the UK. There was one exception with my dietary requirements at the Museum Inn when we first arrived. No notice had been made of an email I sent them a few days beforehand. However the issues were kindly resolved for the rest of the stay. Also you can't fix the weather which was a trifle wet and cold!! 

For first timers we were very impressed with the whole Inntravel service. We were hesitant about whether we would struggle with the distances and grading as we have done little more than dog walking recently, but we found it was all very manageable. We are looking forward to booking with you again but maybe in Europe next time where hopefully we might get a little less rain! Thank you for our lovely holiday.

Just walking in the beautiful, undulating, green and verdant countryside of Dorset each day, listening to the copious chorus of birdsong was highlight enough after the recent long lockdown. Unfortunately, it rained most days (late May), and very heavily, for hours, at times. We were however undeterred, and set out happily each day. Our last day was not so marred, and we enjoyed a glorious walk up to Melbury Beacon. The Inntravel notes provided plenty of interesting information about the places/buildings along the way, not to forget the references to Thomas Hardy's novels, which was appreciated. All of the hotels acquitted themselves magnificently in light of their having opened after a long period of lockdown only 4 days previously. Especially at The Museum Inn, nothing was too much trouble. The food was superb at all of the establishments, as were the very comfy beds and lovely linen. 

King John was disappointing - no wifi in room and TV broken. Lady in office commented people in the room before you also said tv was broken. The Museum in Farnham looked much better and lunch there excellent. Fleur in Shaftesbury brilliant, cannot rate highly enough.

We have walked many times with Inn Travel overseas, but this was our first UK holiday with you, and it was a joy.  The welcome and the quality of food at La Fosse and La Fleur de Lys in Shaftesbury was superb.  We were fortunate with our weather, which was chilly but dry for 4 days out of 5.  What was outstanding was the beautiful walking country, in a county which we hardly knew.  We walked predominantly in beautiful drovers tracks and sheltered lanes, as well as stunning ancient woodland, particularly in Cranborne Chase.  The leaves on the trees were just turning, and the views everywhere were beautiful, most particularly from the few noted hilltop viewpoints.  There are lovely villages, with thatched cottages, which are vibrant communities and have not been hollowed out by holiday lets.  It was uplifting to see a part of England which is so thoroughly unspoilt.

A fascinating walk across a landscape oozing history from Neolithic times to the 19th century. Generally easy walking in beautiful rolling Dorset counrtyside with a couple of sneaky hills thrown in. Gorgeous villages and hamlets filled with thatched cottages.

Altogether a lovely break. Clear instructions, good hotels, friendly staff who were coping with new Covid regs well.  The beautiful countryside was especially stunning as the autum colours were in full cheeriness and we didn't get wet!

Thank you.

This walk is an absolute delight and our enjoyment was not affected by the near constant rain. This is a really lovely area that we had never explored before. Ending at Shaftesbury is perfect, as the views from the town are stupendous. The woodlands are absolutely wonderful and provide good shelter in rainy weather for picnics. The walking notes are entertaining, very well researched and informative; we really enjoyed them, as they make lots of links between the countryside and Hardy's writing. Everywhere we stayed was very comfortable. We could not recommend the trip more highly and hope for lots more UK walks from Inntravel.

I've booked with Inntravel many times, always for walks in the high mountains of Europe. This is the first UK walk I've done with Inntravel and, while the gradients are much gentler than those of the Alps and the Pyrenees, it's been enormously pleasurable to be reacquainted with the beauties of these islands. Not only have the walks introduced me to unfamiliar landscapes, but the food on this trip has been to die for. Delightful all round.

We were incredibly lucky with the weather, sunny and dry at the end of Sept 2020. The walking routes were stunning, with great views across the landscape. Highlight was emerging from the woods to see the view from the Ox Trail on the way up to Win Green. We had a great welcome at La Fosse, lovely food and the best picnic ever! La Fleur de Lys in Shaftesbury served truly excellent food - highly recommended. In these CV19 times we booked into all of the hotels for food each night and were really glad we did - made the holiday relaxing and restful.

The walk between Farnham and Shaftesbury is tremendous. Diverse, very interesting area, fantastic views! Full marks to Inntravel for the planning of this route. Will stay in the memory as a high point to see us over the winter months in these challenging times! 

A really enjoyable 5 days walking through a varied landscape with lots of interest on the way. Good food and accommodation throughout with particular highlights being the room at The Museum Inn in Farnham (The Generals) and dining at La Fleur de Lys in Shaftesbury. Having foregone an overseas holiday due to Covid considerations this staycation was a great substitute and very much on a par with other holidays we have enjoyed with Inntravel on the continent.

Recommended stopping points for light refreshments: the village shop in Chettle; the Garden Centre in Cranborne; the cafe at the airfield in Compton Abbas - and well worth a visit.

Beautifully rural and wonderful views. The thatched hamlets were a delight. Cranborn Manor Gardens are open to the public on Wednesdays and well worth a visit. We managed to go after getting our taxi back to the start.

This was our first Inntravel holiday in the UK as we were supposed to be doing one in Portugal. The holiday was a great alternative and we would definitely consider another one and highly recommend this one. The walks were good and very quiet and the landscape gradually changed over the course of the week which was great. We were blessed with the weather which certainly helped.The accommodation was excellent and varied. The Museum at Farnham was a favourite - the location was stunning and we enjoyed a refreshing drink or two at the front of the pub admiring the village green and thatched cottages after a long hot day walking in from Cranborne. The walk to Shaftesbury was particularly enjoyable with fantastic views - we barely noticed the distance we'd covered that day as there was something to see round every corner. It was a great introduction to a part of the country we were unfamiliar with and this was a good way of seeing it. 

It was a great holiday, all the accommodation was of a high standard and staff in each place extremely helpful and pleasant, even during these challenging times. The walks were well planned and thoroughly enjoyable.  Apart from one afternoon even the weather was kind to us! This was our first time with Inntravel, we would definitely recommend and plan to book again with you next year.

It was our first Inntravel walking holiday and proved a great success in spite of challenging weather/downpours at time! The route was truly beautiful especially the stretch between Tollard Royal and Shaftesbury and we were surprised at how few people we encountered along the way. We'll definitely book again.

Superb route, some excellent places to stay, some lovely vegan options and overall a quirky and fun holiday. 

The tasting menu at La Fosse was amazing and the view after we had struggled up to Win Green was equally amazing! 

Follow directions very carefully especially in woodland even if wet or tired then you cannot get lost.

This was our first British Inntravel holiday and it was as efficiently organised as any of the European ones we have taken previously. The walking was varied and interesting and just the right level for us.  Dorset is quintesentially English and these walks show off the countryside to its best advantage. The food was very good at all the places we stayed but neither La Fosse nor La Fleur de Lys provide dinner on Sundays. To maximise the access to the excellent cuisine plan your holiday carefully.

A lovely introduction to rural Dorset. We enjoyed all the walks but a particular highlight for us was the section from Sixpenny Handley to Tollard Royal across Cranborne Chase. The bluebells and other spring flowers were delightful. The Larmer Tree Gardens are well worth a visit. 

The holiday met all our expectations.