Dorset & Somerset
Dorset & Somerset:
The gently rolling countryside of Dorset and Somerset contain some real jewels to visit.
The 'South Wessex' of Thomas Hardy's novels, Dorset remains one of Southern England's most attractive areas. It has delightful coastal and inland scenery and many of its quiet lanes and stone-built villages seem almost untouched by time. With 75 miles of unusual coastal scenery, Dorset offers visitors splendid sights of the channel. Portland Bill, a rocky peninsula extends south into the channel and connects to the mainland via an extended pebble ridge known as Chesil Bank. Elsewhere in the area chalky hills, sandy heathlands and low hills make for an eye catching, visual feast. The main towns of Dorchester, Poole, Shaftesbury, Sherbourne, Bournemouth, Lyme Regis and Weymouth offer lots to do for the young and old alike.
At Abbotsbury visit the Swanery and the nearby Chesil Beach. Near Weymouth are Portland Bill (with the interesting Portland Museum and Shipwreck Centre for rainy days). Obvioulsy, no trip to Dorset would be complete without a visit to Lulworth Cove and its nearby Lulworth Castle.
Visit the towns of Dorchester, Blandford Forum, Chard, Honiton, Yeovil, Taunton, Bridgewater or Glastonbury. Wells Cathedral is situated in the middle of Wells - a pretty and historical town.
Dorset is, of course Hardy country and you can visit Hardy’s Cottage near Higher Brockhampton. Whilst in this locality why not also drop in on the houses of Athelhampton, and Cloud Hill (National Trust).
If military history is your thing the Tank Museum at Bovington is world renowned and there is also the Royal Signals Museum at Pimpererne north of Blandford Forum near the beautiful Cranbourne Chase. Cranbourne Chase is also where the Lamertree Festival takes place every July (a lovely family music festival with just approx 5000 tickets sold). For the more spiritual amongst you, Glastonbury Tor is worth a visit and the town of Glastonbury is full of little shops selling crystals and such like.
Somerset, The home of Cheddar cheese and good cider, the attractive rural county of Somerset lies to the south of the Bristol Channel. Its many market towns such as Taunton, Yeovil, Wells, Bridgewater and Glastonbury offer insights of the past with Vicars Close (near the Cathedral) one of the finest complete medieval streets in Britain. Easily reached from London, Somerset offers beautiful hill scenery, the flat 'levels', quiet villages and ancient history.
