The best family-friendly hikes and walks around Marshwood

St Stephen’s Church in Bettiscombe is a beautiful, rural country church nestled in the heart of West Dorset's Marshwood Vale, tucked just below the high ridge of Pilsdon Pen. Here are the key things to know about it:Architecture & HistoryWhile the setting feels ancient, much of the building you see today is the result of a sensitive Victorian restoration completed in 1862. It was rebuilt in the early Perpendicular style by John Hicks, a prominent Dorchester architect whose office notably employed a young apprentice named Thomas Hardy—the future world-renowned author. Hicks left the medieval west tower intact and incorporated a few 14th-century elements into his design, including original medieval windows in the chancel. Inside, the church features an exquisite font carved by the noted Victorian craftsman Benjamin Grassby. The Pinney Family & The "Screaming Skull"The church is deeply tied to the history of nearby Bettiscombe Manor and the Pinney family, who served as manorial lords. Underneath the nave's stone floor-slabs lie several 17th- and 18th-century memorials to the family. The churchyard is also the legendary starting point for Dorset's famous "Screaming Skull" ghost story. According to local lore: In the 18th or 19th century, a Pinney family member returned from their West Indies plantation with an enslaved African servant. On his deathbed, the man swore his spirit would never rest unless his body was returned to his homeland. Instead, he was buried here in St Stephen’s churchyard. Legend has it that terrifying screams and moans immediately began emitting from the grave. The body was eventually exhumed and moved into the manor house to stop the hauntings, where the skull remains to this day. (Modern forensic analysis actually revealed the skull belonged to a prehistoric European woman, though the legend persists!) Community Life TodayToday, St Stephen's is a peaceful focal point for the tiny, close-knit hamlet of Bettiscombe. It is part of the Golden Cap Benefice and holds regular monthly services, including traditional countryside celebrations like "blessing the tractors" during harvest festivals.

Located on the southern edge of Pilsdon Pen, Lob Gate serves as the primary gateway for exploring Dorset’s historic landscape. It is home to the main National Trust car park on the B3164, providing the easiest and most popular trail up to the ancient Iron Age hillfort. Before ascending the 909-foot peak, walkers at Lob Gate can enjoy panoramic views that stretch across the rolling Marshwood Vale all the way to the coast.

Gazing south from the high ridges of Pilsdon Pen, the lush Dorset countryside rolls out toward Symondsbury in a vibrant patchwork of green hills and deep dales. Punctuating the horizon is the unmistakable, tree-crowned peak of Colmer’s Hill, guiding the eye across spectacular views that reach all the way to the coast.

Nestled at the foot of Pilsdon Pen, Bettiscombe Manor is a striking 17th-century brick house famous for its haunting legend of the "Screaming Skull". Today, the historic estate is celebrated for its enchanting, flower-filled gardens evolving beautifully under the creative eye of British fashion designer Jasper Conran.

Tucked away in the peaceful hamlet of Pilsdon, a mythical resident quietly keeps watch. Hidden within a private cottage garden, a charming stone unicorn sculpture peeks out from beneath trailing ivy and vibrant foxgloves. It adds a touch of pure magic and whimsy to this ancient, historic Dorset landscape.

From the Pilsdon Pen car park, you are treated to a stunning, sweeping panorama of West Dorset’s rolling hills. Looking south, the lush Marshwood Vale opens up dramatically, framed by distant coastal ridges near Charmouth. It is an expansive, breathtaking introduction to the landscape before you even begin the hill climb.

From the trig point at Pilsdon Pen summit, you get spectacular, wide-open views across Dorset. Looking south, the eye sweeps over the lush farmlands and rolling hills of the Marshwood Vale, extending all the way down to Bridport and the dramatic cliffs of the Jurassic Coast.

If you look toward the southeast from the ramparts of Lambert’s Castle, you’ll spot a strange, grey shape tethered to the horizon like a giant stone ship trying to escape into the Channel. That’s the Isle of Portland! Here is why that view is a total showstopper: The Floating Pebble: From this distance, Portland looks less like a peninsula and more like a massive, flat-topped "block" of limestone floating on the water. It’s the full stop at the end of the Jurassic Coast sentence. The Chesil Connection: On a super-clear day, you can just make out the thin, golden thread of Chesil Beach stretching toward it. It looks like a delicate tightrope connecting the island to the mainland. The "Giant’s Breadcrumb": Because Portland is made of that famous white stone (the same stuff used to build St. Paul’s Cathedral), it often catches the light and glows like a beacon against the dark blue of Lyme Bay. It’s roughly 20 miles away as the crow flies, so if you can see the lighthouse at Portland Bill, you’ve basically got superhero vision!