Dorset
Discover how the earth was formed in this area of the UK. Fossils lie between the Jurassic Coast and its Durdle Door displays an example of how powerful nature can be. Towns such as Shaftesbury, Poole and Lyme Regis, dating back to the Doomsday Book are ideal for shopping. There’s plenty of beaches to relax on as well such as the Sandbank, known as one of Britain’s best!
Dorset captured in beautiful watercolour
Durdle Door
Eroded by time and nature, the magnificent natural limestone arch was formed when the power of the waves eroded the rock and forged a hole through the middle. Located on the Lulworth Estate in south Dorset and is part of the Jurassic Coast. It is open to the public. The name Durdle is derived from the Old English word ‘thirl' meaning bore or drill.
Portland
Portland is a part of Dorset like no other; wild, natural and ruggedly beautiful. This unique, tied island marks the southernmost point on the Jurassic Coast and is joined to the mainland by Chesil Beach. Its isolated location, quaint villages and rocky, coastal scenery give the island its own special atmosphere, perfect for exploring.
Lyme Regis
An ancient town featured in the Domesday Book, Lyme Regis is home to a number of historical landmarks and educational attractions. Lyme Regis boasts breathtaking scenery, its historic Cobb and harbour are iconic features, set against moody blue cliffs yielding fossilised evidence of life on earth millions of years ago.
Weymouth
Weymouth is a seaside town in Dorset, southern England. Its sandy beach is dotted with colourful beach huts and backed by Georgian houses. Jurassic Skyline, a revolving viewing tower, and Victorian Nothe Fort offer harbour views.
Sandbanks
Sandbanks is a small peninsula or spit crossing the mouth of Poole Harbour.. Winner of the Blue Flag award for 30 years (more than any other UK seaside resort) and with its soft golden sands and breath-taking views, Sandbanks is considered one of Britain's best beaches.
Shaftsbury
Shaftesbury is a small market town in Dorset with a fascinating history going back to Saxon times. The town is the home of Gold Hill (made famous by the “Hovis” advert) and has magnificent views over Thomas Hardy’s Blackmore Vale.
Chesil Beach
Chesil Beach is 18 miles (28 kilometres) long and on average is 160 metres wide and rises to 12 metres in height. It is a pebble and shingle tombolo connecting Portland to Abbotsbury and then continuing north-westwards to West Bay near Bridport. It is the largest tombolo in the UK.
Corfe Castle
Corfe Castle is a fortification standing above the village of the same name on the Isle of Purbeck peninsula in the English county of Dorset. Built by William the Conqueror, the castle dates to the 11th century and commands a gap in the Purbeck Hills on the route between Wareham and Swanage.
Poole
Poole is a bustling tourist resort in the east of Dorset and is well known the second largest natural harbour in the world (Sydney, Australia being the largest). It has award winning blue flag beaches including the world famous Sandbanks Beach, a bustling quayside and a beautiful historic old town.
Portland Bill
Portland Bill is a narrow promontory (or bill) at the southern end of the Isle of Portland, and the southernmost point of Dorset, England. One of Portland's most popular destinations is Portland Bill Lighthouse. Portland's coast has been notorious for the number of shipwrecked vessels over the centuries.
Jurassic Coast
The Jurassic Coast is a World Heritage Site on the English Channel coast of southern England. It stretches from Exmouth in East Devon to Studland Bay in Dorset. The site spans 185 million years of geological history, coastal erosion having exposed an almost continuous sequence of rock formation covering the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods.
Lulworth Cove
Lulworth Cove is a cove near the village of West Lulworth, on the Jurassic Coast in Dorset, southern England. Formed by the combined forces of the sea and a river swollen by melting ice at the end of the last Ice Age. Lulworth Cove is world famous for its unique geology and landforms including the Lulworth Crumple and Stair Hole.
Dorchester
Dorchester is a historic market town with its roots in Roman times, it is most famously associated with Thomas Hardy. It has 8 museums, leafy riverside walks near the centre, dialect trails through the town's shops and cafes and the largest Iron Age hillfort in Europe.
Brownsea Island
Brownsea Island is the largest of the islands in Poole Harbour in the county of Dorset, England. The island is owned by the National Trust. Much of the island is open to the public and includes areas of woodland and heath with a wide variety of wildlife, together with cliff top views across Poole Harbour and the Isle of Purbeck.
