Dorset is know for its stunning coastal and rural views, its historic locations and scenic walks.
The changing of the seasons brings cooler days and paints the landscapes in warm hues.
Many people like to take a walk and embrace the crisp, fresh air and picturesque surroundings.
We have compiled a list of the best autumnal walks to enjoy in Dorset:
Thorncombe Woods, Dorchester
People can walk in the footsteps of the renowned author Thomas Hardy as his home and birthplace lie in the quiet and remote Thorncombe Woods.
It is an easy walk from Dorchester visiting Stinsford and its church, the resting home of Hardy's heart and his two wives.
The woods inspired many of Hardy's works, with places like Egdon Heath and Rushy Pond featuring in The Mayor of Casterbridge and The Withered Arm respectively.
The return walk is approximately 7 miles (11km) long and should take around three hours. It can be quite muddy in places so walking boots are recommended.
Symondsbury to North Chideock
From Hell Lane to Shute's Lane, walkers are taken along an atmospheric sunken road which leads to a lost world.
You will find yourself in a lost world 10 metres below the surrounding landscape on ancient trackways known as holloways.
In January last year, Hell Lane and Shute's Lane were the first holloways to be officially mapped as part of Natural England’s scheme to map all of Britain’s sunken paths.
READ MORE: Project to map UK's sunken holloways starts near Bridport
In keeping with Halloween, you will be surrounded by ghoulish-looking faces carved into soft sandstone rock, which may surprise the unwary traveller.
Wessex Ridgeway
This popular route provides phenomenal views of the Blackmore and Marshwood Vales, and is enjoyed by walkers, cyclists and horse-riders.
The majority of the route straddles a long chalk ridge but in places is broken up by small, rounded hills and secluded valleys.
The walking route starts at Ashmore on the Dorset/Wiltshire border, whereas the cycling and riding section starts at Tollard Royal.
You will get to pass through villages such as Cerne Abbas and rolling farmland before finishing in the seaside town of Lyme Regis on the dramatic Dorset and East Devon World Heritage Site.
South West Coast Path
This path is a great way to explore many areas of Dorset.
The Dorset Coast Path forms part of the 630 mile South West Coast Path National Trail.
After running along the south coast of Devon it then follows the Dorset coastline before finally ending at Poole Harbour.
Walkers can explore towns and areas like Seatown, Abbotsbury, Ferrybridge, Portland, Lulworth Cove, Worth Matravers and Studland.
Treks along the South West Coast Path can be broken down into walks ranging from 10.3 miles – 14.5 miles, for example, Ferrybridge to Lulworth Cove.
Symondsbury Estate
If you visit this popular West Dorset estate, there is plenty of space to roam.
The walk is relatively easy despite its steep appearance, and can be incorporated into a circular route from the Symmondsbury Estate.
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