A NEW children’s trail has been launched at Clouds Hill near Bovington.

Clouds Hill was once the rural retreat of Lawrence of Arabia and is now cared for by the National Trust.

As a young boy, TE Lawrence was fascinated with medieval history and imagery. Aged nine, he discovered brass rubbing and would visit churches around his hometown of Oxford creating rubbings from medieval tombs. Visitors now have the opportunity to follow in Lawrence’s footsteps and complete their own set of rubbings from zinc plaques hidden in the hillside surrounding the cottage. There are eight plaques to discover, each one with an image relating to a key time in Lawrence’s life.

Rachael Raine, Visitor Experience Officer at Clouds Hill, says ‘We are excited to be offering an activity for children at Clouds Hill, particularly something that reflects a hobby that Lawrence enjoyed himself as a child. He made his rubbings using shoe wax and long rolls of paper and covered his bedroom walls with them. Four of Lawrence’s own brass rubbings are on display inside the cottage for visitors to admire. We hope that local families will visit Clouds Hill during the October half term to have a go for themselves’.

Trail sheets are provided, along with crayons to complete the rubbings. Although the trail is aimed at children, visitors of all ages are invited to try it out.

The hillside surrounding the cottage is scrub and heathland covering steep and uneven terrain. So sensible shoes and a sense of adventure are a must!

The trail has been funded with the help of the South Dorset National Trust Association. Clouds Hill is open 7 days a week from 11am to 5pm until October 31.

More details available at nationaltrust.org.uk/clouds-hill