Home to the Cerne Abbas Giant hill figure.

The village streets are lined with historic houses, several excellent pubs, a church and the ruins of an abbey. The village grew up around the great Benedictine abbey which was founded in AD 987.

The secluded gardens at Minterne, famed for its seasonal profusion of Rhododendrons, Azaleas, Japanese cherries and Magnolias are set in a peaceful wooded valley. 

Athelhampton House is situated approximately 5 miles north-east of Dorchester. It’s a superb example of 15th-century Tudor Manor House and is set within 160 acres of beautiful gardens and parkland. The house contains many finely furnished rooms and artwork. The walled garden includes the famous topiary pyramids and collections of tulips, roses, magnolias, clematis and lilies. There is also a 15th-century dovecot and a boardwalk along the banks of the River Piddle.

Athelhampton House is situated approximately 5 miles north-east of Dorchester. It’s a superb example of 15th-century Tudor Manor House and is set within 160 acres of beautiful gardens and parkland. The house contains many finely furnished rooms and artwork. The walled garden includes the famous topiary pyramids and collections of tulips, roses, magnolias, clematis and lilies. There is also a 15th-century dovecot and a boardwalk along the banks of the River Piddle.

Langham Wine Estate was overjoyed to have been awarded the trophy for Sparkling Wine Producer of the Year at the IWSC 2020, fighting off competition from renowned French Champagne houses such as Maison Mumm and taking the trophy from 2019’s winner Veuve Clicquot. Offers wine tasting and great lunch, booking essential.

The historic market town of Dorchester lies on the banks of the River Frome just south of the Dorset Downs. Dorchester was the home and inspiration of the author Thomas Hardy, whose novel The Mayor of Casterbridge was based on the town.

Dorset’s most famous literary figure, Thomas Hardy was born on 2 June 1840 in Higher Bockhampton to the east of Dorchester, where his father Thomas worked as a stonemason and local builder. He went to the village school in Bockhampton at age eight and then moved on to schools in Dorchester. His formal education ended at the age of sixteen, when he became apprenticed to a local architect.

Nestled in 26 acres of Dorset’s glorious countryside lies Sculpture by the Lakes, an oasis for art lovers and collectors, created by renowned sculptor Simon Gudgeon and his wife, Monique. Pre booking essential.

Nestled in 26 acres of Dorset’s glorious countryside lies Sculpture by the Lakes, an oasis for art lovers and collectors, created by renowned sculptor Simon Gudgeon and his wife, Monique. Pre booking essential.

In the 1830s, life in villages like Tolpuddle was hard and getting worse. In 1834, farm workers in west Dorset formed a trade union. Unions were lawful and growing fast but six leaders of the union were arrested and sentenced to seven years’ transportation for taking an oath of secrecy.

Moreton is a tranquil Dorset village famous for its association with the prolific writer, celebrated soldier and pioneering archaeologist, T. E. Lawrence, perhaps better known as Lawrence of Arabia. Lawrence was buried in the local churchyard and a funeral was held in the village, attended by such luminaries as Sir Winston and Lady Churchill. His much-visited grave, which features an open book carved from stone, can be found by passing through an ornate portico in the graveyard.

Sherborne Castle was built by Sir Walter Raleigh in 1594 and has been the stately home of the Digby family since 1617.

The Tank Museum, Bovington, UK – the world’s finest collection of tanks and home to TANKFEST and Tiger 131. A great family day out!

The Tank Museum, Bovington, UK – the world’s finest collection of tanks and home to TANKFEST and Tiger 131. A great family day out!

Blue Flag winning Weymouth Beach is consistently recognised as one of the top beach destinations in Europe with its sandy beaches, safe shallow waters and an abundance of natural and themed attractions for visitors of all ages.

There are lots of places to visit, in and around the village, within easy walking distance: landmark St. Catherine’s Chapel, St. Nicholas Church, Chesil Beach, Abbotsbury Swannery, the Sub-tropical Gardens and the children’s playground. Or if you are feeling energetic, a walk up the hill to Abbotsbury Castle, the Iron Age hillfort, with its amazing panoramic views.

Lulworth Cove is world famous for its beautiful secluded beach and clear blue water surrounded by unique geological landforms including Stair Hole. The cove is one of the highlights of the Jurassic Coast, a designated World Heritage Site, that attracts more than 500,000 visitors each year. The rock arch of Durdle Door is only a 10 minute drive away or an exhilarating 30 minute walk along the coastal path.

Kingston Lacey is an elegant 17th-century country mansion set in attractive formal gardens and extensive parkland. It was built between 1663 and 1665 by the Bankes family who had been under siege in Corfe Castle* during the English Civil War and were forced to leave when it was destroyed. Kingston Lacy is now owned by the National Trust and offers facilities including a café and shop, kitchen garden and woodland play areas.

Kingston Lacey is an elegant 17th-century country mansion set in attractive formal gardens and extensive parkland. It was built between 1663 and 1665 by the Bankes family who had been under siege in Corfe Castle* during the English Civil War and were forced to leave when it was destroyed. Kingston Lacy is now owned by the National Trust and offers facilities including a café and shop, kitchen garden and woodland play areas.

Portland is a central part of the Jurassic Coast and a World Heritage Site important for its geology and landforms. Portland stone, famous for its use in British and world architecture, including St Paul’s Cathedral and the UN Headquarters, continues to be quarried here.

Portland Castle, one of Henry VIII’s finest coastal forts, overlooks the Harbour and offers a look back through 450 years of history – explore the Tudor fortress, Captain’s House and a Contemporary Heritage Garden, built as part of a special English Heritage Scheme and designed by Christopher Bradley-Hole.

Portland Bill Lighthouse was built to replace the two original lighthouses, Old Higher Lighthouse and Old Lower Lighthouse, by Wakeham Bros of Plymouth, to house the latest apparatus, a giant revolving-lensed lantern designed to send a candlepower beam 18 miles on a clear night. The lighthouse was painted in bright red and white livery, which has been the tourists’ symbol of Portland ever since. The lighthouse was de-manned on 18th March 1996 and is now fully automatic.

Charmouth is a delightful, unspoilt seaside village set in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty with a fantastic beach world-renowned for its fossils.

Just two miles from Lyme Regis on the famous Jurassic Coast, Charmouth retains an old-world charm and is a favourite with families.

Charmouth is a delightful, unspoilt seaside village set in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty with a fantastic beach world-renowned for its fossils.

Just two miles from Lyme Regis on the famous Jurassic Coast, Charmouth retains an old-world charm and is a favourite with families.

Lyme Regis is a town in west Dorset, England, 25 miles west of Dorchester and east of Exeter. Sometimes dubbed the “Pearl of Dorset”, it lies by the English Channel at the Dorset–Devon border. It has noted fossils in cliffs and beaches on the Jurassic Coast, a World Heritage Site. The harbour wall, known as The Cobb, appears in Jane Austen’s novel Persuasion, the John Fowles novel The French Lieutenant’s Woman and the 1981 film of that name, partly shot in the town.