A new interactive walking trail is seeking to attract people of all ages to explore the magnificent sights of west Dorset.

Hosted by Bincombe Valley Primary School, and led by the Dorset Youth Association with the support of Artsreach and Aster Group, the ‘Bincombe Trail’ has been developed by children aged eight and nine to tell some of the ancient stories that surround the South Dorset Ridgeway.

The trail has also been made available online to the wider world through the Geocaching platform, meaning anyone who has a phone or a Geocache device can begin their search for the boxes that have been hidden across the stretch of land.

Jack Welch, who has facilitated the project with the school children, said: “Working with primary school children, from delivering an initial workshop all about Geocaching to creating the posters for the caches themselves has been incredibly exciting. The school has been doing some fantastic work.”

With the backing of Dorset Youth Association, two young adults who have previously volunteered in heritage projects were employed to oversee the project’s management. They undertook training from the AONB South Dorset Ridgeway team to be briefed about the potential stories and to include that as part of the workshops that were delivered for the pupils at the school.

Yvonne Gallimore, Artsreach co-director said: “The Geocache trail is a really creative and interactive way of getting children and families outdoors to explore the South Dorset Ridgeway together. It’s such a beautiful area, teeming with history, and to bring it to life in this way with pupils from Bincombe has been exciting.”

Dave Thompson, director of Dorset Youth Association said he was "very pleased" to have supported the project.

Karen Mason from Bincombe Valley Primary School added: “The pupils have really enjoyed finding out about The Ridgeway and exploring the trail leading up to the Bincombe Bumps.

"We are hoping the Geocache trail will encourage families to participate in this activity and we have two GPS devices at the school donated to us by Dorchester Youth Association for families to use.”

People of all ages are encouraged to take part in exploring the area.

Leaflets can be picked up from local tourist information centres and libraries, or by contacting Artsreach on 01305 269512 or by emailing info@artsreach.co.uk

Visit dorsetyouth.com for more information about the project.