Cycling Dorset’s Castleman Trailway, a former railway

Alice Barnes-Brown discovers local hidden history by cycling a former railway

(David Brown)

“There’s a reason we called this the Castleman Corkscrew,” recalls my Lycra-clad dad as we pedal along a seemingly straight path. “The old railway line from Southampton to Dorchester took so many weird twists and turns.”

But since we're cyclists and not oversized freight trains, the 16.5 mile Castleman Trailway now feels like a perfectly straightforward bike ride, and any harsh bends that trains may once have struggled to get around are like gentle curves on a cycle ride.

Running from the edge of the New Forest to Poole Harbour, the Castleman is one of hundreds of disused train lines turned cycle/walking routes across Britain. Managed by charity Sustrans, the UK’s extensive network of rail trails is an accessible, lockdown-permitted way of discovering an area. My nearest, the Castleman, passes through millennia of Dorset history, as well as internationally important habitats. Its flat paths are also well-suited to amateurs on rickety, ancient bikes. Like me.

We set off from Ringwood in Hampshire, a pretty market town with only an overgrown iron bridge remaining of its railway heritage. The next village, Ashley Heath, has a more obvious ghost from the past; an abandoned train station. The information board that has long replaced the timetables claims that Ashley Heath has Britain’s shortest high street, at just 40 metres long. These platforms are at least double that.

“The line closed in the 1960s, thanks to Dr. Beeching,” says Dad, humming the theme of a 1990s sitcom about him. The lyrics “there once were lots of trains to catch, but soon there will be none” sum up what the one-time British Railways chairman is best known for: closing thousands of miles of underused lines.

Cycling underneath railway bridges (David Brown)

A couple of horse riders, followed by brightly dressed children on stabilisers, overtake as we traverse flowery meadows and cross a Poohsticks bridge. The scenery transforms from deciduous New Forest foliage to neat rows of conifer trees.

The heathland at Uddens and Cannon Hill Plantations are some of the last remnants of the Great Heath, which once occupied most of East Dorset. Its golden gravel looks especially inviting in the sunshine, when all six of Britain’s native reptile species come out to bask. We’re not lucky enough to glimpse them, but we do spot a couple of deer. We’re also thrilled to discover not one, but three brilliantly preserved Bronze Age burial mounds. The historian in me is enticed by the mystery of what lies within.

Reaching the A31, the Castleman Trailway dissolves briefly. The sensible thing to do is follow the tarmacked roads into Wimborne, stop by the picturesque Minster for a takeaway pasty or cream tea, before embarking on the second half of the trail, revitalised.

Following the waymarks along the trail (Dorset Council)

Dad heads instead for the boggy fields around the River Stour. It’s not a bike-friendly route, so I’m forced to wheel it through the mud. There’s also a herd of sleeping Jersey cows in the way. Dad is terrified of all things bovine, so he keeps one eye on them as he edges past.

We summon the courage to navigate a very narrow and wobbly Victorian suspension bridge, before landing at the ornate gates of Canford School. One of the nation’s top independent schools, I have only ever seen it from the distant bypass, but the old Southampton to Dorchester line ran directly across its driveway. Dad (who, thanks to previous journeys along the Castleman, has gained a new passion for local history) explains why.

Lady Wimborne's Bridge (David Brown)

“The local lord had invested a lot of money in the area, and when the Southampton to Dorchester line was being built in the 1840s, he wanted a station close to their mansion. He didn’t get it, but the track cut right through his land”. His lordship was Josiah Guest, a man whose vast fortune came from the ironworks at Merthyr Tydfil.

As we approach the old track, I can tell Dad is itching to impart another nugget of local knowledge, but an astonishing sight stuns me into silence. The railway line may have been built on the Guests’ land, but they made sure it reflected their grand ambitions. Josiah Guest’s daughter-in-law hired Charles Barry Jr. – whose father designed the Palace of Westminster – to construct a bridge for it in 1853. Nicknamed ‘Lady Wimborne’s Bridge’, the Grade II listed structure’s yellow limestone, triumphal arches and spire embellishments look just like Parliament.

After stopping to admire this secret treasure, Dad and I escape the Stour Valley Way to re-join the Castleman Trailway at the Willett Arms. This strategically placed independent pub is a favourite haunt of local cyclists. Ringwood Brewery beer is on tap, so if you’re keen to sample a Castleman classic, you’re in the right place.

Upton House Country Park, the finishing point of the trail (David Brown)

The finish line is at Upton Country Park in Poole, a glorious green space perching on the edge of the marshy harbour. It’s one of my favourite places to go – the Regency house looks straight out of Austen at any time of the year, but the Walled Garden and its herbaceous border release the most intoxicating scents in spring. A web of new cycle tracks was laid recently, so those who wish to continue their Castleman journey can explore the grounds to their hearts’ content.

By this point, though, my legs have started to seize up. No matter how beginner-friendly the Trailway is, 16.5 miles is still a considerable distance for someone who hasn’t ridden a bike in over a decade. Dad and I collapse onto a bench, having discovered more about our hometown’s history in a few hours than an entire lifetime. I’d say that’s one lockdown day well spent.

Travel essentials

Visit Dorset has more information on the Castleman Trailway here.