Stour Valley Way

: "This article is about the Stour Valley Way, in Dorset. For the Walk, in Kent, see Stour Valley Walk. For the Path, in East Anglia, see Stour Valley Path"

The Stour Valley Way is a 64 mile long-distance footpath in Dorset, England from Stourton to Christchurch Priory.

The path uses public rights of way and permitted paths to follow the catchment area of the River Stour. It passes through the towns of Wimborne and Christchurch and the villages of Stourton, Gillingham, West Stour, Bourton, Silton, Milton, Ecclife, Marnhull, Sturminster Newton, Child Okeford, Stourpaine, Bryanston, Blandford St. Mary, Charlton Marshall, Shapwick, Oakley, Canford Magna, Knighton, Dudsbury and Holdenhurst.

There is a ferry crossing between Hengistbury Head and Christchurch town quay.

The path has two alternative sections which can be used to form circular walks: one to the south west of Wimborne, and the other to the south west of Hurn Airport.

The footpath is waymarked. As of June 2005 many of the waymark arrows on the section between Bear Cross and Longham are pointing in the wrong directions.

This route is shown as a series of coloured diamonds on Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 and 1:50,000 maps.

External links

* [http://www.bournemouth.gov.uk/Visitors/Parks_Gardens_Countryside/Countryside/Countryside_Walks/stour_valley_way.asp Bournemouth County Council]
* [http://www.greenlink.co.uk/walks.htm Greenlink]

ee also

*Long-distance footpaths in the UK