England: Dorset
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Dorset is a county in the south west of England which borders the counties of Devon, Hampshire, Somerset and Wiltshire. The county town is Dorchester near Pool and Weymouth. The coast is on the English Channel and much of it is a World Heritage Site known as the "Jurassic Coast" due to the important Cretaceous, Jurassic and Triassic cliffs which stretch for 93 miles (153 kilometres) from Orcombe Point in Devon to Old Harry Rocks in Dorset. The abundance of fossils, some of great importance, have attracted a great many visitors ranging from famous palaeontologists to masses of children keen to discover a fossil of their own.
Of course the Jurassic Coast makes Dorset a brilliant UK vacation destination for family vacations, not only have you got access to fascinating fossils but you will find that the county also has a truly awesome number of breathtaking beaches and coves. Dorset is also an incredibly popular destination for walking vacations and the whole length of the Jurassic Coast can be traversed along the South West Coast Path. You will find an extensive list of beaches worth visiting in our list of places to visit in Dorset below. Please note that both lists are not comprehensive and some places may have been overlooked in error.
One of the great things about this county is that is virtually as far south as you can get in the United Kingdom and, therefore, the area has some of the mildest weather in winter and the warmest in the summer, something much appreciated by those who enjoy sunbathing and swimming in the sea and, probably, why Bournemouth is such a popular seaside resort. Another reason for taking a family vacation in Dorset is that it is here that you will find the wonderful Monkey World that many children will recognise from the amazing television series documenting the workings of the zoo and the lives of the fascinating animals such as Charlie, one of our favourites.
Places To Visit In Dorset, England
Settlements In The County Of Dorset
Bournemouth
Bournemouth is Dorset's largest conurbation and the largest seaside resort. A few years ago a study was carried out in the town and it found that more than eighty percent of the population said that they were happy in life, making Bournemouth one of the UK's most happy places to live. Read more...
Boscombe
Although now a suburb of Bournemouth the council has worked hard to carve out it's own clientele in the competitive world of tourism. Their most recently added visitor attraction is Europe's first artificial surf reef attracting surfers of all skill levels. Read more...
Museums & Art Galleries
The Bournemouth Aviation Museum at Hurn Airport, Bovington Tank Museum, Brewer's Quay, The Dinosaur Museum, Dinosaurland, Dorset County Museum, The Keep Military Museum, Nothe Fort, Philpot Museum, Poole Museum, Portland Museum, Royal National Lifeboat Institution HQ & Museum, Royal Signals Museum, Russell-Cotes Museum, Teddy Bear House Exhibition, Tutankhamun Exhibition and the Dorchester.
Heritage Railways
Swanage Railway
Historic Religious Buildings
Abbotsbury Abbey, Forde Abbey, Milton Abbey, Wimborne Minster
Historic Houses
Athelhampton, Chettle House, Clouds Hill, Cranborne Manor, Crichel House, Deans Court, Eastbury Park, Edmondsham House, Fiddleford Manor, Gloucester House, Hammoon Manor, Hardy's Cottage, Kingston Lacy, Kingston Maurward, Kingston Russell, angtry Manor, Max Gate, Melbury House, Parnham House, Purse Caundle Manor, andford Orcas Manor House, Smedmore House, Stalbridge Manor and Wolfeton House.
Castles
Abbotsbury Castle (hill fort), Christchurch Castle, Corfe Castle, Dorchester Castle, Highcliffe Castle (partially demolished), Lulworth Castle, Maiden Castle (Iron age hill fort), Portland Castle, Rufus Castle (ruined), Sandsfoot Castle and Sherborne Castle.
Other Places In Dorset To Visit
Badbury Rings, Brownsea Island, Bulbarrow Hill, Monkey World, Durlston Country Park and more.
Other Interesting Buildings To Visit In Dorset
Fiddleford Mill, Jordan Hill Roman Temple and more.
Beaches To Visit In Dorset
This huge list of Dorset beaches below appears in alphabetical order but please be aware that not all of the Dorset beaches are included as there is a multitude of smaller beaches and tiny coves spread the full length of the coast, simply too many to list here but well worth investingating if you visit the area.
Avon (Mudeford) Beach, Bedford (Southbourne) Beach, Bournemouth Beach, Bowleaze Cove, Brandy Bay, Chapmans Pool, Charmouth, Chesil Beach, Chesil Cove, Church Ope Cove, Durdle Door Beach, Durlston Bay, Egmont Bight, Greenhill Beach, Hallelujah Bay, Hobarrow Bay, Kimmeridge Bay, Lulworth Cove, Lyme Regis, Man of War Bay, Mupe Bay, Newton Cove, Pondfield Cove, Poole Harbour Beaches, Portland Harbour Beach, Ringstead Bay, Sandbanks Beaches, Sandsfoot Cove, Shell Bay, Smallmouth Beach, Studland Beach, Swanage Beach, The Fleet's Beaches, West Bay, Weymouth Beach, Worbarrow Bay.
Hotels In Dorset
To find Dorset hotels simply click on the vacation destinations below:
| Boscombe | Dorchester | Portland | Wareham |
| Bournemouth | Ferndown | St Leonards | Wimborne Minster |
| Bridport | Poole | Swanage | Weymouth |
Check Availability Of Hotels In Dorset >
Check Availability Of Dorset Hotels
Useful Dorset Links
Jurassic Coast
The official site for this most interesting of stretches of UK coastline designated a World Heritage Site.
Bournemouth Bed & Breakfast
Listings of guest houses and hotels in Bournemouth.
Bournemouth Hotels
Listings of hotels in Bournemouth.
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