Routes

Planner

Features

Updates

App

Login or Signup

Get the App

Login or Signup

Login or Signup

Hiking trails & Routes

South West England

Gold Hill, Shaftesbury – Melbury Beacon loop from Shaftesbury

Hiking trails & Routes

South West England

Gold Hill, Shaftesbury – Melbury Beacon loop from Shaftesbury

Hard

2.3

(3)

5

hikers

Gold Hill, Shaftesbury – Melbury Beacon loop from Shaftesbury

05:20

18.9km

400m

Hiking

Hard hike. Very good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels. The starting point of the route is right next to a parking lot.

Last updated: May 21, 2026

Tips

Your route passes through protected areas

Please check local regulations for:

Cranborne Chase & West Wiltshire Downs National Landscape

Waypoints

A

Start point

Parking

Get Directions

1

337 m

St Peter's Church, Shaftesbury

Highlight • Historical Site

St Peters is the most ancient of all the churches in Shaftesbury and stands in the High Street. The registers date from 1623. It was built in the latter part of the 15th century.

Tip by

2

397 m

Gold Hill, Shaftesbury

Highlight • Climb

Made famous by the Hovis advert in 1973, the cobbled climb of Gold Hill has just got more and more loved by the nation as the years have passed. The …

Tip by

3

453 m

Town Council Building

Highlight • Monument

By the time of the Dissolution of the Monasteries under King Henry VIII in 1539, Shaftesbury Abbey was the second wealthiest nunnery in the country. It was the last abbey …

Tip by

10.1 km

Melbury Wood

Forest

5

14.0 km

Cows and Calves on Cranborne Chase Hillside

Highlight • Viewpoint

If there are cows and calves on the right of the fence heading up to the beacon, walk up the left side, you can cross back near the beacon itself.

Tip by

6

14.7 km

Melbury Beacon

Highlight • Viewpoint

Easier access to trig from the Blandford rd

Tip by

7

15.4 km

Statue of Liberty Replica in Dorset

Highlight • Monument

8

18.2 km

View of Shaftesbury

Highlight • Settlement

B

18.9 km

End point

Parking

Way Types & Surfaces

Way Types

11.1 km

5.33 km

1.47 km

909 m

< 100 m

Surfaces

7.32 km

3.97 km

3.86 km

2.28 km

1.47 km

Sign up to see more specific route details

Sign up for free

Elevation

Elevation

Nothing selected – click and drag below to see the stats for a specific part of the route.

Highest point (260 m)

Lowest point (100 m)

Sign up to see more specific route details

Sign up for free

Weather

Powered by Foreca

Sunday 24 May

31°C

13°C

0 %

Additional weather tips

Max wind speed: 13.0 km/h

to get more detailed weather forecasts along your route

Our route recommendations are based on thousands of hikes, rides, and runs completed by other people on komoot.

Navigate

Send to Phone

Save

Edit route

Download GPX

Move start point

Print

Share

Embed on a website

Report an Issue

Nearby routes

4.7

191

Minterne Magna and the Cerne Giant loop

03:02h

11.0km

190m

4.6

77

Fonthill Lake loop from Hinden — Cranbourne Chase & West Wiltshire Downs

03:19h

12.2km

170m

4.7

118

Tollard Royal & Berwick Down loop from Win Green — Cranbourne Chase & West Wiltshire Downs

02:28h

8.78km

180m

4.9

99

Donhead St Andrew & Wardour Castle loop from Wardour — Cranbourne Chase & West Wiltshire Downs

02:04h

7.45km

140m

4.5

81

Lady Wimborne Bridge & River Stour loop

01:44h

6.71km

40m

4.4

94

Cerne Abbas Giant — National Trust North and West Dorset

01:16h

4.34km

120m

3.9

63

Shear Water Lake & Longleat Forest loop — Cranbourne Chase & West Wiltshire Downs

01:17h

4.72km

70m

4.1

36

Cley Hill & Longleat Forest loop from Shear Water

03:15h

11.8km

190m

4.8

84

Salisbury to Old Sarum via River Avon

02:43h

10.5km

70m

4.4

48

Avon Valley Path and Godshill Loop

02:45h

10.4km

100m

4.8

93

Kingston Lacy loop from Pamphill — Cranbourne Chase & West Wiltshire Downs

02:20h

8.89km

70m

4.8

65

Stourhead Park loop from King Alfred's Tower — Cranbourne Chase & West Wiltshire Downs

02:15h

8.37km

110m