🗓️ Thursday 17th – Sunday 20th September 2026
Join in this annual festival of walking this September as the Dorset Walx Festival returns with a packed programme of walks across Purbeck and beyond.
The festival will run over four days in 2026, beginning on Thursday 17th September, with the main day of workshops, social BBQ and live music being held on Saturday 19th September.
Walx is a national walking club that uses poles in the spirit of Nordic walking, and “focuses on fitness, wellness and fun”.
There are walks for all levels, of varying lengths and terrain, and include some of the Jurassic Coast’s most iconic landmarks, including Old Harry Rocks, Dancing Ledge and Golden Cap.
Find full information and get your 2026 Festival Pass on the WALX website: walx.co.uk/dorset-festival-2026/festival-passes-2026/
Programme
The 2026 programme is yet to be released, but you can keep an eye on updates online: walx.co.uk/dorset-festival-2026/dorset-festival-schedule-26/
Here’s a look at the walking routes for the 2025 Walx:
- Old Harry Rocks & WWII Bunker Walk, Studland
- Wareham Forest Wander
- Belle Vue Farm & Coastal Views Walk , Swanage
- Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens Loop for Afternoon Tea
- Middlebere Wildlife Habitat Walk
- Grange Arch Walk
- Explore RSPB Arne
- Middlebere Heath & Wild Heather Tea Walk
- Iconic Purbeck Coast & Cliffs Walk – with a coffee stop at Joe’s Cafe, Studland
- Total Body Walking for Fitness, Durlston Country Park
- Stone Heritage Walk, Acton
- Where Eagles Dare Walk, RSPB Arne
- Clay Pipe Heritage Trail, Norden
- Swanage Downs to Durlston Castle: Royal Route
- Seatown to Golden Cap
- Kimmeridge Fossils & Folly
- Old Harry Rocks – with a drink on the beach
- Worth Matravers: Smugglers’ Loop
- Houns Tout: Circular evening walk
- Heaven’s Gate: Shorter evening walk
- Purbeck Challenger, from Corfe
- Taste of Purbeck 10-Miler, from Corfe
- Wareham Walls, River & Market Walk
- Corfe to Blue Pool Circular
- Hardy’s Dorset: Tess of the D’Ubervilles Walk, Bere Regis
- Grange Arch Walk
- Cranborne Chase walk
- Harmans Cross to Corfe Castle Walk – With steam train ride back
- Enid Blyton Spectacular, Studland
- Agglestone Rock Walk, Studland
- Cider Farm Experience, Dorset Cider Farm
- Corfe Castle to Creech Barrow
- Connecting with Nature Walk, RSPB Arne
- Lost Village Walk (Easier loop), Tyneham
- Lost Village Walk (Even easier loop), Tyneham
- Brownsea Island Experience, from Poole Quay
