South Dorset Ridgeway

The South Dorset Ridgeway is outstanding and is considered by many experts to be as important as Stonehenge and Avebury for revealing the lives of our ancestors. The ridge of high land running parallel with the coast, between Weymouth and Dorchester has been an important place for people since the Neolithic (4,000 – 2,000 BC) and has over 1,000 ancient monuments that record the history of the Ridgeway since that time.

The Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Partnership and its partners has received development funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund through its Landscape Partnership programme to develop a new project for the South Dorset Ridgeway. The project will work with landowners, communities and visitors to make it a better place for wildlife, improve access and bring to life the rich history of the area with innovative interpretation and education facilities.

There are a number of ways in which you can explore the Ridgeway for yourself. Why not take a walk in some beautiful countryside with outstanding views, listen to an Audio Trail or watch one of the short films that were produced as part of an earlier project. Visit our South Dorset Ridgeway Heritage Project Archive for information about some of the things that have already happened on, in and around the Ridgeway.

Contact the Dorset AONB Countryside Officer for further information.