GORGEOUS Poole and Purbeck

Boots at the ready... this stretch of the Dorset coast provides some of Britain's finest walks

- ALICIA MILLER

White chalky cliffs plunging into blue waters. Golden sands lined with colourful beach huts. Undulating fields dotted with cows and sheep. The central Dorset coast around Poole and the Purbeck District is a walker's delight, with its astounding scenery and plentiful pathways. And with spring knocking on our door, there's no better time to get out there. Add these hikes to your must-try list for the season.

Poole to Greenlands 

With its handsome row of smugglers' inns and historic harbour, Poole Quay is a great place to kick off your walking adventures. A linear 12km route will skirt you along a flat stretch of harbour tarmac all the way to Sandbanks, the area's most popular beach. From here, things get a touch wilder as you hop on a ferry to South Haven Point and continue to tramp along the beach and heath to Greenlands Farm. Enjoy lunch at seafood bistro Shell Bay (shellbay.net) before a bus ride back.

For more details, see pooleharbourtrails.org.uk

Tyneham to Kimmeridge Bay