Trails › United Kingdom › Dorset
Melbury Beacon walk, Fontmell and Melbury Downs
Next nearby hike: Hod Hill circular walk, Hod Hill 5.3 mi · 8.5 kmExplore Dorset →
Melbury Beacon walk, Fontmell and Melbury Downs other trails nearby (tap a dot to open it)
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© OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) · Full route · OpenStreetMap · Basemap: OpenFreeMap (OpenMapTiles, © OSM contributors).
7-day forecast
Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0)Best time to hike
Best months: Apr–Oct · highs 12–20 °C (54–68 °F)
- J7°2°101
- F7°1°72
- M9°3°81
- A12°4°69
- M15°7°73
- J18°10°66
- J20°12°63
- A20°12°66
- S17°10°79
- O13°8°107
- N10°4°111
- D7°2°113
Average high °C · low °C · precipitation mm per month. Highlighted: best months.
How we pick months
Best months are those where the 1981–2010 average daily high is 10–27 °C (50–81 °F), the average overnight low is 0 °C (32 °F) or warmer, and average precipitation is 200 mm (7.9 in) or less. Values are long-term monthly averages for the ~1 km cell at the trail point on the map, from CHELSA V2.1 climatologies (Karger et al., CC0), not a forecast. Higher or more exposed parts of a route can be colder, wetter or snowier.
About this trail
The down has open access, so you can explore the whole area. The well-used paths and tracks include steep slopes, with uneven surfaces that become muddy and slippery after wet weather. Dogs are welcome under close control, as livestock grazes the down.
OpenStreetMap (ODbL).
Trail facts
- Length (signed)
- 3.7 km · 2.3 mi (OSM distance tag)
- Mapped length
- 3.2 km · 2.0 mi (OSM route, Waymarked Trails)
- Nearest town
- 4.7 km SE of Shaftesbury (Dorset, England) · GeoNames
- Best months
- Apr–Oct
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Region
- Dorset
- Continent
- Europe
- Route type
- Local route
- Operator (OSM)
- National Trust
- From / to
- Car park at the top of Spread Eagle Hill;50.967758 , -2.1635905;ST 88609 18717 → Car park at the top of Spread Eagle Hill;50.967758 , -2.1635905;ST 88609 18717
- Shape
- Loop (OSM roundtrip=yes)
- Route centre
- 50.9723, -2.1730
- Route start
- 50.9678, -2.1635
- OpenStreetMap
- relation 19852507
- Official info
- nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/dorset/fontmell-and-m
How it’s scored
Hikers can rate difficulty from 1 to 10 (1 = flat, short, easy walk for anyone; 3 = gentle hills, a little effort; 5 = moderate climbs, some fitness needed; 7 = steep or long, solid fitness required; 10 = extremely strenuous or technical; long steep climbing; experienced hikers only). The community average is shown once at least 3 people have rated the trail; until then the official or computed score is used when we have one.
Nearest trails
distance from the trail startHod Hill circular walk, Hod Hill
5.3 mi · 8.5 km · Dorset
Hod Hill butterfly walk, Hod Hill
5.3 mi · 8.5 km · Dorset
Stour Valley Way
6.1 mi · 9.9 km · Dorset
Cranborne Droves Way
10 mi · 16 km · Wiltshire
Wessex Ridgeway
11 mi · 18 km · Somerset
The Hardy Way
12 mi · 20 km · Dorset
All trails in Dorset → · All 1,862 trails in United Kingdom →