Art Holiday Travel and Vacation information for Dorset

"Dorset, maritime County, on south coast of England; is bounded north by Somerset and Wilts, east by Hants, south by the English Channel, and west by Devon; length, east and west, 52 miles; breadth, north and south, 37 miles; coastline, 75 miles; area, 627,265 acres; population 191,028. The main features of the coast are Poole Harbour, St Alban's Head, and the singular projection called the Isle of Portland. The principal streams are the Stour and the Frome. Great part of the county is traversed by the two ranges of chalk hills called the North and South Downs, and the soil consists mainly of chalk, gravel, and sand, but is very fertile in the valleys. Wheat and barley are grown in the west and north. Immense flocks of sheep are pastured on the Downs. Dairy farms are generally large, and dairy husbandry is carried to a very high point of perfection. The only mineral of any importance is Portland stone, quarried in the Isle of Portland. There are manufactures, to some extent, of sailcloth, sacking, nets, paper, silk, &c., with malting and brewing, and iron-founding. The fisheries, especially of mackerel, are considerable, and ships and yachts are built at Poole." [Bartholemew's Gazetteer of the British Isles, 1887]

Very broad appeal, from civilised seaside resorts to unspoilt coast and countryside, from interesting towns to hidden villages, from stately homes and colourful gardens to lively family attractions Dorset has a lot to offer families, with plenty to do around the interesting and rather elegantly old-fashioned resort of Weymouth. Smaller Lyme Regis has a similar traditional appeal. Children also particularly enjoy the Monkey World at Wool and the costume museum in Blandford Forum, while the tank museum at Bovington Camp appeals to many.

The fact that Dorset is fossil country is reflected by a number of dinosaur centres; the one in Dorchester is the best. Dorset's more adult side is very special. The inland countryside has a subtle understated appeal, with secluded valleys, narrow lanes threading through peaceful farmland and tucked-away villages (Milton Abbas best of all). The central area's chalk uplands cut by intricate valleys give some splendid high viewpoints. The west's intimate farming country has the most sequestered feel. Many people get extra pleasure from the many direct memories of Thomas Hardy's books which particular villages and tracts of countryside conjure up. Forde Abbey at Thorncombe and the gardens and swannery at Abbotsbury are outstanding places to visit, and other rewarding places include Mapperton Gardens near Beaminster, Kingston Lacy near Wimborne, Athelhampton House, Compton Acres gardens in Poole, and Corfe Castle. Dorchester, Sherborne, Beaminster, Shaftesbury and Blandford Forum are interesting country towns.The Bournemouth conurbation, stretching for miles along good beaches, dominates the east with its civilised and spacious spread of comfortably sedate resort areas and leafy suburbs (and Poole's bustling waterfront for contrast).Further W, the coast is lovely, with some marvellous views; you have to go right down to Cornwall to find its match. Much of it is quiet and unspoiled, especially along the rugged Isle of Purbeck. The tremendous sweep of the Chesil Beach, its pebbles and boulders immaculately graded by millennia of storms, is emphatically not for swimmers - the undertow will suck you straight down - but with its long lagoon behind is very interesting for beach-combers and nature-lovers. The heathland west of Poole Harbour, partly planted with conifers, has a quite different character - largely flat tank training ground West of Weymouth, but a more interesting roaming ground for nature lovers towards Studland Bay. An Explorer ticket is a good buy if you're going to be doing much travelling on buses.