Jubilee trail dorset

[martinn]

Hi All,

looking for local knowledge here. I am planning to holiday in Dorset, at the Morton campsite, with my 4 children aged between 7-13, all ride competently, but road sense is typical for age.
I noticed the Jubilee trail, and wondered if you can cycle on it. From the OS map, and google its unclear what type of path this is, and the only clear information is as a Long distance walking path part of which was created by the ramblers association.
Just trying to plan the activities

many thanks

Martin

[mjr]

looking for local knowledge here. I am planning to holiday in Dorset, at the Morton campsite, with my 4 children aged between 7-13, all ride competently, but road sense is typical for age.
I noticed the Jubilee trail, and wondered if you can cycle on it. From the OS map, and google its unclear what type of path this is, and the only clear information is as a Long distance walking path part of which was created by the ramblers association.

Sorry but the first part from Moreton to Oakers Wood Cottage is perfectly clear on my OS maps as a footpath (short dashes, rather than long for a bridleway). https://cycle.travel/map won't route along it either, so I don't think anyone knows of extra permissive cycling on it. Possibly no-one would care but you might find obstructions like stiles or small gates. It then turns to a bridleway through Oakers Wood to Briantspuddle, Bere Regis and then turns back to footpath across the A354, but there are bridleway links to Winterborne Kingston and through Milborne St Andrew to Dewlish and Tolpuddle. There's another byway and forest road link from Tolpuddle back to Briantspuddle, partly the Hardy Way.

Your best option off-road to avoid the first bit looks like the byway to the northeast (labelled on cycle.travel as Purbeck Ride and OS as Moreton Drive), then either any decent forest road northwestwards and/or the tarmac highway west from Clouds Hill towards Waddock Cross until you can join the bridleway bit. Hopefully that road shouldn't be too busy.

Alternatively, continue NE to Yearlings' Bottom then SE on any of lots of small roads, bridleways or forest roads around Bere Heath, Morden Heath and Wareham Forest, depending how much energy the children have. They're all legal to cycle but, of course, there's very little indication of bridleway or forest road surface condition unless you get lucky and find one on a site like geograph like https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2149800

Have fun exploring and maybe report back for future visitors!

[martinn]

Thanks mjr.

Exploring is good, but the family is not happy "lets just see wheer it goes" partly due to my navigation, and my wife's insistence that a road with grass growing down the middle is NOT fine!

I will probably have a look early in the am, and if I can get down the kids can get down.
Ill report back to say what I discovered, will be after August.

Many thanks

Martin