Cranborne Chase and the Great Ridge
Cranborne Chase was a private forest with its own laws until 150 years ago. It is criss crossed by Roman roads, old drove roads and ancient earthworks. Parts of it still seem very remote, and the terrain and the rides are really varied. The north western side of the network is quite hilly (some steep hills of 3-400 ft), while the south and east contains a combination of woodland and open, rolling country with wide views and big skies. There's plenty of fast riding and few gates or roads.
2, 3 and 4-day rides back-to-start plus a choice of 2 one-centre holidays, one of which overlaps with the Great Ridge. Both one-centre holidays have 3 day-rides each. All hosts except one of the one-centre holidays have stables. Good for mountain biking, although there are one or two steep hills in the north.
The Great Ridge is a small network bounded by Longleat and Warminster to the north and the Nadder Valley to the south. It is hilly in parts (3-400 ft), with big-scale rolling chalk downs in the north, which have good views and long canters. The countryside in the south is smaller-scale and more intimate, with classic English villages. The riding is a bit slower, but countryside changes faster. OK for gates and good for mountain-biking.
There are 2-day and 3-day rides back-to-start plus a one-centre holiday with 3 petal or day-rides (includes Cranborne Chase). No stables. OK for mountain biking.