01/10/2026
Stunning walks from Swanage Home from Home
Walk 7: Corfe Castle to East Creech and Kilwood Nature Reserve
We were lucky to bag a free parking space in the lay-by opposite the National Trust Corfe Castle car park. Our 4 mile walk started just down the road by the West Hill Chalk Pit, going through the gate on the left onto the Hardy Way. Look back here at Corfe Castle and admire its majesty from this peaceful viewpoint, away from the tourists.
Continue along the path and eventually climb the short slope to the top of East Hill. To your left lies the panorama of England’s ‘green and pleasant land’, with views towards the pretty village of Church Knowle. The Mary Baxter Memorial Stone made the perfect spot for a picnic, overlooking Poole Harbour. The hexagonal stone sits where 6 paths converge - we took the path down to Kilwood Nature Reserve. This path would be slippery when wet, so sensible shoes are recommended!
After walking through the woods a short way, there’s a monument to the Creech Barrow Seven, local men who were trained in guerilla tactics in case of German invasion during WWII.
Then you’ll see the very welcome sign for The Cake House at East Creech Farm, where we definitely want to camp one day as it looks fab. The sweet treats of the lovely cafe were an absolute delight, especially their Dorset apple cake! 😋 We loved seeing the adorable animals they have on site, including donkeys and miniature ponies.
Refuelled by the fabulous Cake House, we continued on through Kilwood, where not a soul was to be seen. It’s an enchanting wood, and I felt like I was on part of Bilbo Baggins’ journey. It has similar terrain as nearby The Blue Pool, as there are small lakes left over from clay mining hidden amongst the trees. Kilwood is managed by Dorset Wildlife Trust and is a real haven for wildlife. The autumn colours were beginning to pop on our walk, with ruby red berries atop a carpet of copper undergrowth and bronze leaves. 🍂
This easy walk is really enjoyable for the views, the magical Kilwood and the wonderful Cake House cafe.
