Sun, sand, ruins, tanks and the UK's twistiest road. What are you waiting for?

The weather tends to be kind to the south coast - the sun often shines on Weymouth. As a tourist town, it’s well set-up to receive biking visitors. True, many visitors head there just to get the ferry to the Channel Islands, but there’s some outstanding riding in the leafy lanes inland from the sea.

There’s plenty to see along the way on this one-day ride. It heads out along the heritage coast — if you take your walking boots, you could always stop along the way for the short stroll out to scenic Lulworth Cove. Continuing further east, the route’s planned coffee stop is in the shadow of the spectacularly atmospheric Corfe Castle.

Heading back inland, the route passes close to the impressive Tank Museum at Bovington. It skirts Blandford Forum and the fringes of the New Forest before descending the UK’s twistiest road, Zig Zag Hill, on the way to lunch at Compton Abbas Airfield.

The afternoon ride passes the Shillingstone Railway Project and Sherbourne Castle before dropping back to the Jurassic Coast. You could hug the shore back to Weymouth but if the timing is right it’s worth carrying on to the Isle of Portland: sunset by Portland Bill is an unforgettable sight.

Our motorcycle route from Weymouth

STAGE ONE

Weymouth to Corfe Castle: 25 miles
Leave Weymouth on the B3155 to Overcombe. When it meets the A353, turn right to Wareham. At the A352 roundabout turn right, still heading to Wareham. After three—and—a—half miles turn right by the Red Lion pub to Lulworth Cove. In Lulworth village, turn left to Wool (or turn right to visit the cove). After one mile, turn right at the crossroads, on the B3070 to East Lulworth. Turn right coming into East Lulworth, where the road forks. After half a mile the road forks again: ideally take the right-hand fork towards Tyneham Village, but this is a military road that is sometimes closed to traffic. If it is shut, it adds eight miles to the route, heading along the B3070 to the right turn to East Stoke, then turning right to Steeple. If the military road is open, just continue through Steeple to Corfe Castle.

Morning coffee: Model Village Courtyard Café: Plenty of choice in Corfe Castle, from pubs to the award-winning Dragons Village Bakery. We’d get coffee and a cake in the Corfe Castle Model Village’s excellent café – there’s no admission charge to use the café.

STAGE TWO

Corfe Castle to Compton Abbas: 50 miles
Leave Corfe Castle on the A351 to Wareham. When it meets the A352, turn left to Dorchester. At the Wool roundabout, turn right on the back road to Bovington and stay on it all the way to Bere Regis. Join the A31 towards Ringwood, then take the first left to Winterborne Kingston. At the A354 T-junction, turn right to Blandford Forum. At the second Blandford roundabout, turn right on the B3082 to Wimbourne. After one mile, when the road forks by the golf club, turn left to Tarrant Rushton. Coming out of Tarrant, take the uphill right-hand fork. Turn right in Witchampton to Wimbourne Minster. At the B3078 turn left to Cranborne. After five miles turn left on the B3081 to Shaftesbury. At the bottom of Zig Zag Hill (you’ll know when…) turn left to Compton Abbas.

Lunch: The Café at Compton Abbas Airfield We’re big fans of the Café at Compton Abbas Airfield: friendly staff, tasty food and sensible prices. The location is pretty special, too, on this operational airfield.

STAGE THREE

Compton Abbas to Crewkerne: 40 miles
Turn left out of the airfield and ride for three miles, then turn right on the minor road to Iwerne Minster. Turn left on the A350 to Blandford Forum. After four miles, turn right at the traffic lights on the A357 to Sturminster Newton. Stay on the road for 10 miles, then turn left on the A3030 to Sherborne. When it meets the A352, turn right to Sherborne and turn left at the lights on the A30 to Yeovil. Cross Yeovil, taking the A30 all the way to Crewkerne.

Afternoon tea: Number 7 the Café, Crewkerne Bang on the high street is this stylish café (attached to the deli at number 5). Good food and cakes, so it tends to be busy at lunchtime but perfect for afternoon tea.

STAGE FOUR

Crewkerne to Weymouth: 40 miles
Leave Crewkerne on the B3165 to Lyme Regis. When it meets the A35, turn left to Dorchester. At the Bridport roundabout, turn right on the B3157 — you can take this back to Weymouth. To visit Portland Bill, back in Weymouth turn right on the A354 to Portland, over the Chesil Beach spit. SEE Corfe Castle One of Britain’s most beautiful ancient fortresses, Corfe Castle is managed by the National Trust. Built to control the Purbeck Hills, it was destroyed during the Civil War and now its ruined towers and walls frame spectacular views. It has its own tea rooms.

The Tank Museum: The ancient military power of Corfe Castle is a stark contrast to the modern armoured muscle on display in the Tank Museum, which houses the world’s largest collection of tanks. A must-visit for all fans of military history.

Stay: The Maritime Hotel Located on the Isle of Portland rather than in Weymouth, this well-appointed hotel is perfect for a bit of post-riding relaxation.

Route summary

Start/finish: Weymouth
Distance: 155 miles
Suggested stops: Morning coffee Corfe Castle, Lunch Compton Abbas, Afternoon tea Crewkerne
Download the GPX file

Please note: This page contains the motorcycle touring routes for The RiDE Guide To Great Britain which was published in October 2017. These website pages are not regularly updated, so please check all critical information before you travel. All route files are in .gpx format. Garmin and BMW users can download the main file, which contains all the routes. TomTom users can either download the individual routes or use the MyRouteApp (depending on the age of your device).