Gravel adventure around Poole Harbour

We were on a summer weekend getaway to the beautiful Studland peninsula in Dorset. We had planned to explore the roads and trails around Poole Harbour and given that it is one of the world's largest natural harbours, this was to be no mean feat. We had read good things about the gravel cycling around Poole Harbour and expectations were set high for a good day out on the bikes. The intention was to do an anti-clockwise loop around the Harbour with a pub stop (or two) along the way.

Approaching the Harbour from our AirBnB location in Swanage, we parked up along Ferry Road on the Studland side of the Harbour and headed north towards the chain ferry over to Sandbanks. The ferry is extremely popular in summer and there can be a long queue for vehicle traffic however luckily for us there were just a few cyclists on board. Before long, we disembarked on the eastern shore and were riding along Banks Road. The road sweeps left becoming Shore Road and offered fantastic views over the water to Brownsea Island. It was here in in 1907 that Lord Baden-Powell held his first experimental camp on Brownsea Island, laying the foundations for the worldwide Scouting and Guiding movements.

We were soon cycling down towards Poole Harbour and past boat yards housing some very expensive looking yachts. Whilst the roads became fairly busy as we headed out of Poole to Lytchett Minster and Wareham, there were generally some good cycle lanes. By now the summer sun was blazing and we stopped at Wareham Quay for an ice cream and relaxed in the shade of the trees along the banks of the River Frome. It was an idyllic English summer setting and easy to see why the southern Studland side of the Harbour is said to have been the inspiration for some of Enid Blyton’s ‘Famous Five’ books.

After drying off from a quick dip in the river, it was time to jump back on the bikes and head into the forest trails lying on the western shores of the Bay. We followed Nutcrack Lane heading deep into the heath and marshland of RSPB Arne. Criss-crossing the woodland trails and taking in the quiet solitude of the woods, we were seemingly a world away from the hustle and bustle of Sandbanks on the oppose shore. The trails were a perfect mix of compact gravel and lovely loamy tracks ideal for gravel and mountain bikes. This was my favourite part of the ride and easy to see why the area is highly regarded and home to events such as the Dorset Dirt Dash.

It was getting well into the afternoon and after skirting around Corfe Castle, we eventually emerged from the woods near Brands Bay. We rejoined Ferry Road finishing where we had started. Reflecting on the day over a pint of one of Dorset’s finest ales, we agreed that it was a brilliant adventure through some of England's finest landscapes.

Ride highlights