Soak up the scenery as you walk with retired Dorset rights of way officer Chris Slade.

Thornford is a small but expanding village to the south-west
of Sherborne.
Park near the church, which is worth a visit, and then join the adjacent footpath. There are lovely wide views over the Vale which you may wish to pause and appreciate. The path leads downhill in a fairly straight line for a mile west north-west across several fields to a bridge over the River Yeo, the parish boundary with Bradford Abbas. Having looked for minnows, turn back and retrace your steps across a couple of fields then fork right along a footpath following a hedge line until you get to a meeting of ways.

Join the byway heading uphill south-east to the road. Cross it to join Horsepool Lane, downhill to the south-east. Soon after crossing a stream, turn left to join a footpath heading north-east to meet another byway, Blacksmith’s Lane, where you turn right and head south-east to join a bridleway, Green Lane, which takes you north-east for half a mile. It then turns left and heads north-west down to the road.

Follow the road for half a mile south-west, passing several housing estates, until you get to the corner by the King’s Arms – which is in the Good Beer Guide – and the village clock on its imposing tower. After quenching your thirst, turn right and head along Church Lane and you’ll soon be back at your car.