Bridehead Unvisited

Please do not drive due to limited parking - see details for coaches.

Please do not bring dogs.

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At the start of June, following purchase by Belport Ltd on behalf of an anonymous wealthy client, the Bridehead Estate in Dorset withdrew public access to the grounds, ending decades of access.

We ask anyone who loves this place to join us on this peaceful trespass on Saturday 5th July.

The day will include talks, music, a gentle walk and a picnic. It will be welcoming for everyone including families, just as the Bridehead Estate once was.

We will provide transport from Bridport and Dorchester, and ask anyone planning to attend not to drive but instead to walk, cycle, or book onto one of the coaches provided.

We request a small donation per coach seat, to cover the cost of booking. If cost is prohibitive, please do get in touch: aGVsbG8gfCByaWdodHRvcm9hbSAhIG9yZyAhIHVr . Likewise, if you are in a position to offer more to support the cost of the event please donate here: https://www.righttoroam.org.uk/takeaction

If you would rather walk or cycle, then please select the 'I'll make my own way' option so that we can keep an eye on numbers. The walk will begin from here.

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Coaches will depart from Dorchester South Train Station, and Bridport Bus Station at 10:30 am. Please purchase tickets for coaches in advance or get in touch if cost is prohibitive - we will not be able to board coach passengers without tickets if coaches are full.

We will gather at the bus stop at Littlebredy from 11am - if you intend on making your own way by foot or cycle, please meet us there. The day will involve a short 1km walk involving a peaceful trespass via the amenity grounds where there will be talks, music and a picnic.

We will finish by 2pm, with coaches returning at 2:30pm.

What to bring

Please come prepared for the weather on the day - while we will be walking, it will be a gentle short stroll, so make sure you pack layers to keep you warm (or sunhats/suncream if it's a sunny day!).

Bring a packed lunch - we'll be stopping for a picnic in the ammenity grounds.

You may wish to bring a folding chair, a picnic blanket or somehting comfortable to sit on.

Please do not bring dogs.

The Bride Valley, part of the Dorset National Landscape—a protected landscape with only 4.8% publicly accessible land—will lose crucial open access at one of its most cherished locations. The estate's lake, waterfall, ancient trees and historic landscape have provided generations with precious opportunities for recreation, inspiration and connection to nature.

Bridehead Estate’s history is deeply tied to colonial exploitation through the East India Company. We should be taking steps to repair and heal our history of enclosure and exploitation rather than causing more harm by locking away the beauty and tranquillity that the estate has provided for local people for decades.

The closure is a reminder of how people’s access to land is precarious and often at the whim of landowners. It is part of a growing trend of micro-enclosures and the paywalling of the countryside which underscores the weakness of permissive access and lack of public rights. The government urgently needs to pass new legislation to protect access to places like Bridehead and to extend access to the countryside elsewhere.

Right to Roam are campaigning to bring a Right to Roam Act to England and Wales so that millions more people can connect with the natural world. You can sign up to our newsletter and support our work here: https://www.righttoroam.org.uk/takeaction

Also check out other Trips & Adventurous Activities in Dorchester, Nonprofit events in Dorchester.