Walking the Holloways of West Dorset

I have revisited the amazing and mysterious Holloways of West Dorset recently, on an awesome sunny day. My walk took in all three of the main Holloways, Venn Lane, Hell Lane, and Shutes Lane, as well as other less known Holloways.

Those of you who have been following me will know that I have been filming during 2024 and putting videos of my walks up on my YouTube channel – there is a link here – and for some time I have wanted to record a film of these ancient super-highways that have become sunken lanes thanks to centuries of feet, hooves and cartwheels. I finally did that a few weeks ago, and the film, ‘The Holloways of West Dorset’ is now live on my channel. There is a link below.

There is huge interest around these hidden places and I have put up several blog posts on them over the years – these posts are my most popular and always top my viewing stats each year. Furthermore, whenever Holloways are mentioned on television, my stats go through the roof, such is the appeal of these ancient byways. And, understandably so because, like so many others, I absolutely love these places and the heritage that they have in our past. So much so that I was inspired to write a poem about them a few years ago. This poem forms part of my film and I have reproduced it below.

In a Dorset Holloway

A world of mystery down below,
A place of doom where all fear to go,
Dark by night, eerie by day,
This is the Dorset Holloway.

A path that once was above the ground,
Foot, hoof and wheel has worn it down,
For centuries man has come this way,
Creating the Dorset Holloway.

Timeless travellers passing along,
Many centuries, since time began,
Different people, different age,
The historic Dorset Holloway.

Who were these folk, why were they there?
Ghosts of the past, fleeting and rare, 
Sprits in the walls of this sunken lane,
The mysterious Dorset Holloway.

The walls each side show heritage clear,
Etched in their faces, year on year,
Through diff’rent ages the path worn away
The ancient Dorset Holloway.

With roots either side and branch overhead,
Trees arch above their arms outspread,
Creating a darkness, to keep out the day,
The shadowy Dorset Holloway.

Stuff of fiction as well as fact,
At times overgrown, with brambles packed,
A haven for nature’s pleasant bouquet,
The nature filled Dorset Holloway.

An underground warren of time worn ways,
A lab’rinth where birds, bugs, bats play,
With damp plants aplenty growing from clay,
The musty Dorset Holloway.

A secret world of hobgoblins rare,
Tricks of mind and raising of hair,
Such the effect, you fear to stray
In the spectral Dorset Holloway.

But explore these paths with open mind,
Follow the route wherever they wind,
Be amazed at the things that there lay,
The evocative Dorset Holloway.

If you would like more information about the evocative Dorset Holloway, there are links below to my earlier posts:-

Holloways and Sunken Paths, the Mysterious Ancient Highways

Walking Underground! The Holloways of Dorset

Holloways – Walking Dorset’s Labyrinthine Paths

Theme for the Week – Quirky Dorset Part 4

In a Dorset Holloway

Quirky Dorset – Part 17

Holloways truly are wonderful and mysterious places, and as you walk them, you cannot help but be impacted by the air of intrigue that seems to hang there, almost as if the spirits of all who walked them through the centuries still linger. If you would like to follow in my footsteps, the map is on my Routes page, but be warned you may experience……MUD! 🙂

Thanks for stopping by

Until next time,
Your friend
The Dorset Rambler

If you would like to contact me, my email address is terry.yarrow@gmail.com – comments and feedback are always welcomed.
All words and pictures in this blog are the copyright of The Dorset Rambler and may not be reproduced without permission.