The Hardy Way

From start to finish dealing with Inntravel was a pleasure and staff answered any questions we had before and during our hike. Maps and directions were very informative with trails being easy to follow and well maintained. Accommodations were beyond our expectations with delicious dinners and packed lunches enjoyed. Inntravel receives a Five Star rating !!

Lovely walk, very pleasant terrain to walk over in a very pretty area with picturesque villages. We appreciated the background notes regarding the area and Thomas Hardy.

The landscape was bucolic. Our highlights included stumbling upon a pagan rite and wishing tree in the evocative henge around the ruins of Knowlton church, seeing hares running across a field after the spectacular ridge walk (we had lovely weather) walking towards Farnham and frequent sightings of raptors above us. Shaftesbury was a gem - we combined visiting the museums in the morning rain with the town walk in the afternoon, taking advantage of the friendly shops and cafes.

Loved the walk the along the Long Barrow which was idyllic; seeing deer every day, and a golden eagle; the tasting menu at La Fosse, and, how well we were looked after at La Fleur de Lys.  

We liked the itinerant walks and the discovery of a new place to stay at the end of these walks

We loved the countryside and villages we saw, in particular Farnham and Larmer Tree Gardens. The cooking at La Fleur de Lys was particularly good, but breakfasts were good at all the hotels. Shaftesbury is a lovely town, though the entrance to it on the route given is not the most attractive!

The walk showcased how beautiful Dorset is. Long Bottom near Shaftesbury in May is a wildflower heaven as is Win Green. Many breathtaking views. The walk notes were precise and made it almost impossible to go wrong. As ever with Inntravel the accommodation was varied and interesting. We were struck by how friendly local people were. A memorable holiday. Thank you Inntravel.

We very much enjoyed this holiday and your choice of accommodation. We had only walked the SW Coast Path in Dorset so this was a good introduction to the countryside inland. We did not meet anyone walking at all until the third day but that was a Sunday afternoon when one might expect to meet people. We had expected to meet far more! We were impressed how unspoilt the countryside and villages are, a result we think of the land being under the ownership of various large estates. There were miles of hedges edging the farm tracks and these were dense and wonderful for wildlife. The view from Penbury Knoll was worth the detour for the view from the top.

Peace and quiet along mostly remote paths. Enjoyed the variety of trees at the Larmer Tree Gardens and anyone that wants a good pint of real ale there is a micro brewery about 20 minute walk away from Cranborne village. Came across a quaint fayre at Wimborne St Giles, stopped for cake and coffee. We met very few people on any of the walks, so enjoyed listening to the birds and taking the lush countryside in.

We very much enjoyed exploring this part of the world, lucky to have had lovely weather until the last day, and scenery enhanced by seasonal blossom and spectacular bluebells and wild garlic.

The landscape throughout our walk was much more open and spacious than we had expected, very quiet. The villages are lovely, with examples of the thatcher’s art everywhere. Wildflowers abounded - early bluebells, anemones, violets, primroses - and daffodils nodded from every bank and garden. Each of our hotels had its distinct charms, but they were united in the warmth of the welcome they extended. We felt very at home, comfortable and well-fed at La Fosse, The Museum, and the Fleur de Lys in Shaftsbury. The walk from Farnham to Shaftsbury is wonderful, exemplifying everything we had loved along the way - views from the heights, woodlands, tight valleys, and glimpses of rural life. To open a farm gate and step into suburban Shaftsbury was quite a shock! Shaftsbury itself is most interesting; we enjoyed your walk through town. Both museums, Abbey and Gold Hill, are free of charge, and staffed with well-informed volunteers who are keen to tell the town’s story. Indeed, all along our walk, local people were happy to stop and chat with us, all very pleasant. Another great Inntravel walk - thank you.

We had a fabulous break, walking in an area we had not visited previously.  The walk notes were accurate and reliable, leaving us only rarely needing to check the GPS notes to reassure.  Do look at the 'On the map' notes before you travel so you can highlight your map in advance.  We particularly enjoyed walks on days 1 (circuit from Cranborne) and 4 (Farnham to Shaftsbury).  We did day 3's walk to Larmer Tree Gardens in reverse, which was pleasant but the Gardens were uninteresting (in early April), and we suspect the allternative longer walk would have been more interesting.  Day 5's walk left us uninspired, not wanting to catch a bus to the start point.  So we did a 9-10 mile loop to Donhead St. Andrew - a fabulous walk (just google to find it), that we recommend to others wanting to walk from the door.  On accommodation, The Museum Inn won hands down, with good storage (the only one with hooks on the door for wet waterproofs) and the all important good shower - the shower at La Fosse was farcical).  Our two evening meals at The Museum Inn surpassed by far the meals offered at the two prize-winning stops, and the staff were welcoming and helpful.  For back pain sufferers, only the bed at La Fosse was reasonably firm, with the others far too soft (although the Museum Inn came up with a solution).  For us, La Fleur was far too fancy for what we wanted at the end of a week's walking and we'd have been more compfortable at a more straighforward inn with friendly staff and places to put muddly boots and wet clothes, and good pub food.  Overall though, a great holiday, which has restored our trust in Inntravel and its walk selection and notes after less impressive ones a few years ago.

Thought the views were very picturesque and really enjoyed the views from Farnham golf course and the views on the last 2 days.On the last day went to Blandon Forum in the morning very interesting.Then did the suggested walk.Due to bus times walked back via the wilderness

The first circular walk was a bit ordinary, reflecting the rather flat countryside locally. The Hardy Way itself provided varied and interesting walking with spectacular views from the higher downland sections as we came nearer to Shaftesbury. Our three hotels were highly individual and very enjoyable. One thing that united them was the unfailingly excellent food, often locally sourced.

Very enjoyable week in beautiful countryside, with plenty to see. The overnight stays are all really good and Inntravel's briefing notes and walk guides are - as usual - excellent.

Cranbourne Chase as a walking area seems relatively undiscovered. We found the one boot rating very accurate and the scenery spectacular - we will certainly return. The accommodation and food were both very good with warm welcomes at all venues and tea and coffee facilities in all the rooms on our arrival. The walking notes were very accurate and the background information supplied brought the history of the area to life. One of many highlights was our meal at La Fleur de Lys which made a great end to the holiday. 

Excellent holiday - good hotels (all different), good food (particularly at the Fleur de Lys in Shaftesbury), good walks.

And we were lucky with the weather.

We felt that we had experienced a real feel of Wessex. The routes were varied with footpaths and tracks and we rarely encountered a road - a genuine sensation going back in time.

I liked the changes between huge open spaces and close enclosed woodland paths, the broad straight tracks and winding moments and sheltered valleys. There was great variety and a real sense of an ancient, traditional community coming to terms with modern life. The walks gave time to explore the many villages and dip into the churches and local farm shops and meet people who lived and worked in the area, who gave us a very friendly, warm and genuine welcome.

We walked through beautiful Dorset countryside from one enchanting village to another, staying in delightful but well-equipped accommodation. The food was excellent, particularly at La Fosse in Cranborne and Fleur de Lys in Shaftesbury. Hedonism with built-in exercise makes for a wonderful holiday experience, whether in the UK or further afield. 

We were unfamiliar with Dorset so this was a discovery walking holiday for us. The countryside is lovely and the walks simply enjoyable rather than challenging. We were surprised by how much of the land is owned by large historical estates rather than more typical farmland, which added to the sense of history. We were also struck by how relatively isolated the walks were, passing through few villages, though these were typically very pretty and with many old properties.

We had a magical holiday, hotel accommodation, walking routes and the county were perfect. As a bonus we had wonderful weather.

Another excellent holiday with Inntravel.  Thank you.

Excellent walking holiday in beautiful countryside but we were blessed with lovely weather with not a drop of rain. Good choice of hotels with nice rooms and good meals.

Oustanding scenery on days 1, 3 and 4 in particular. Saw 3 hares during our walks. Enjoyed a coffee at the Drovers Inn in Gussage All Saints and the Community shop in Chettle.

Country buses around Shaftesbury are very unreliable. If we had done the Melbury Beacon walk the best thing would be to walk on into Shaftsbury. We had a short walk around Fontmell Magna but had to cadge a lift from the publican at the Fontmell Pub as the bus did not turn up. The publican said that this was not unusual.

The walking was continuously high quality - difficult to achieve for all sections of a long route. Well done.

The whole holiday was very relaxing and enjoyable. The added value in September was the blackberries in hedgerows en route. There is an obvious friendliness towards walkers throughout north Dorset. 

This was a pleasant, undemanding walk through pretty countryside, achievable I would think by anyone with a basic level of fitness. The food, especially at La Fosse and La Fleur de Lys is lovely, using locally sourced ingredients and supporting small producers. Full marks. The cheese board at La Fosse with ten cheeses was fantastic and the fish especially memorable. Both the food and the service at La Fleur wère impeccable. A real treat, and highlight of the year. There were issues with service at the Museum Inn. The food was good when it arrived. Farnham is especially pretty, with nearly all the properties thatched. I paid for an upgrade here which was definitely worth it - the room with bath was large and comfortable.

As I anticipated, the walk wasn't quite off the beaten track enough for me, with some level of traffic noise audible for part of each day, which is a bit of a bugbear of mine. Highlights included the walk through Chase Wood and from Farnham to Shaftesbury, the ancient churches to explore en route, the luscious blackberries in the hedgerows, the profusion of butterflies on the downs above Fontmell, and suddenly coming across a hare dozing on the track, literally four feet away from me, before he loped off into the distance. I collected my car from Cranborne the day after arriving in Shaftesbury as I was staying an extra night in order to visit the two Hardy properties in Dorchester. This also meant that I could do the Fontmell walk without relying on the bus service (doesn't run on Sundays). There is a permissive path from Melbury Hill back to Fontmell not shown on the map, which makes a very nice circuit. If doing this, beware that the entrance to the car park at the Shaftesbury hotel is very narrow so approach with care - ideally from the lane opposite rather than by turning directly off the main road.

 Arrangements and route notes as detailed and efficient as ever. Many thanks Inntravel. 

Fine weather, interesting walks, good food and the friendliness of our fellow Inntravellers will long be remembered.

All of the fields we walked over had been recently cropped, so with the temperatures of 27'c (early Sept!) it was hot and exhausting with little shade. When we were walking in the hedgerows, there was little breeze, but still hot and the added pleasure (!) of nettles & brambles -- you just can't win sometimes.
The walk from Farnham to Shaftesbury was varied - with sheep grazing fields, open hill vistas, woodland trails, farm buildings and open fields.  It had rained so much the night before, my boots were soaked by the time we arrived.
The included meals at Cranborne and Shaftesbury were magnificent, and thankfully we'd booked well in advance for La Fleur de Lys (Shaftesbury).  We can well recommend King Alfred's Kitchen for the other night here. It's under new management and they were very welcoming and it has a great tapas menu - makes a nice change from all the fine dining.

This was our first  "staycation" with Inntravel.  As usual, it was well organised by Inntravel, and we found the scenery delightful, if a little samey. Thank goodness we had good weather, which we take for granted when abroad!  Inntravel's notes on the Hardy connections were useful. Highlights for us were the dinners at La Fosse at Cranborne and La Fleur de Lys at Shaftesbury. Tip - book ahead for your second night's meals as they are likely to be fully booked if you wait until you're there. Avoid Sunday in Cranborne as La Fosse restaurant is closed and the Fleur de Lys (Cranborne) had run out of food by 7.45pm, even though we had booked the night before. Even residents could not get a meal. The Sheaf of Arrows pub finishes serving food at 4pm on Sundays. Loved Shaftesbury and didn't mind that it rained on our final day there. 

Our first trip to Dorset and we were definitely impressed with the variety of walks. The first day was maybe a bit of a trudge across fields, but gave us a feel for the area we were visiting and the walks became much more varied.

A highlight was walking up the combe away from Tollard Royal to the pealing of the church bells (unexpected on a Monday morning) that we had just been reading about in the walking notes. This is the kind of service we've come to expect from Inntravel!

Above all, we enjoyed the piece and quiet of this holiday. On most days we walked for hours without seeing a soul.

We enjoyed exploring this part of rural Dorset during harvest time, with the tall hedges and wind in the trees matching Hardy's writing. The views from Win Green and Melbury Hill were beautiful and the visit to Compton Abbas airfield was entertaining. The food and rooms at La Fosse and La Fleur de Lys (Shaftesbury) were excellent. We liked the use of local producers and the menu at La Fosse listed their suppliers and the distance that products had travelled. The paths were very quiet and we only met a handful of other walkers.

We loved all the walking trails and following the notes and extra detours. Such picturesque countryside and ancient woodlands to lose yourself in, not literally, of course. 

We greatly enjoyed the holiday, although the weather was unkind.  But nothing could detract from the superb choices of inns and restaurants for dinner - the food every day was sublime and the wine sensibly priced and excellent!

We were very impressed to be served food from Mark's allotments at La Fosse.

Larmer gardens were absolutely beautiful and well worth timing the days of a holiday to visit, if possible. All hosts were able to be flexible with dinner timings as we booked in. The Fleur de Lys mentioned that at the moment Inntravellers who have not booked in advance for dinner on their second night may be disappointed to find the restaurant fully booked.
We would recommend that each day walkers take some means of covering arms and legs whilst walking the narrowest tracks which, in July certainly, were beautiful but quite seasonally overgrown with wildflowers and home for a few biting insects!  

We both enjoyed the holiday although my wife did not undertake the two longer walks due to the oppressive heat of the week of our stay.  We walked through lovely Dorset countryside and stayed in attractive villages. The area felt quite remote at times which was nice. The second of the two longer walks from Farnham to Shaftesbury was the more beautiful in my opinion. On the last day at Shaftesbury, Inntravel suggested taking local transport to the beautiful village of Fontmell Magna (my great grandfathers village) and walking onto the downs. That was lovely especially on a beautiful, cooler day. The instruction provided by Inntravel here was especially useful since not all paths were shown on OS Map. A visit to the small airfield at Compton Abbas is worth a detour for a snack. Very happy with our holiday in Dorset and the accommodation.

Shaftesbury was a fitting climax, a town with character and history. And the hotel offered better food than the other two locations.

Beautiful scenery, loved the churches and pretty thatch cottages. Food was excellent and accommodations were great. As we went in the middle of summer, some paths were very overgrown and therefore jaggy nettles were lethal. Perhaps alternative small detours could be given in summer. Everyone we met was so friendly in shops and pubs and restaurants along the routes.

All three places were cosy and comfortable, and run by people who genuinely care. Our rooms were spotlessly clean. The food at the Fleur De Lys in Shaftesbury is exceptional. The walks were lovely, through traditional English villages and arable farmland, avoiding busy roads, hardly met a soul on any day. A very wide and interesting variety of countryside, through woods, pasture, interesting crops (head high maize, pea crops, beans, wheat, barley, etc), and an unusual but great cafe at a little aerodrome too. 

We thoroughly enjoyed the break in a beautiful and quiet part of the country. We were delighted with the selection of the three hotels which were all individual in character, very comfortable and providing high quality meals. It was a pleasure staying in small, family-run hotels/inns, quite the opposite of a 'corporate' experience and good to support local businesses. All three had done their utmost to deal with the current Covid situation and we felt safe and looked after. The walks were as described with plenty of interesting features. This was our third walking holiday with Inntravel and it certainly matched our previous experiences.

Well done and thank you to the Inntravel Team for putting together this type of holiday in what must be difficult circumstances.  

Great accommodation and the food served at the restaurants surpassed our expectations. The walks were interesting and very enjoyable and not too challenging or difficult to navigate.  Overall an excellent holiday and will definitely use Inntravel again.  

The accomodation and food at the 3 stop overs were excellent. The walking was very easy, although there were parts of the footpaths that were completely overgrown (nettles, grass, cow parsley), probably due to the odd weather patterns of late and the lack of use of the footpaths. We did not see another walker in the 5 days of walking (other than the occasional dog walker in and around hamlets), which for mid July in Dorset seemed very odd.

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

Good easy walking amongst rolling hills with some interesting places to visit. Good food and wine available at each overnight stay so wasn't exactly slumming it. 

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!

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.

The countryside and villages were tranquil and very beautiful and the routes were well planned and varied taking one at one moment through fields and meadows full of wild flowers and another up chalk escarpments for splendid views of this hidden corner of Dorset. There were also some grand estates with plenty about their history in the walking notes to interest.

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.