Welcome to Dorset - a county of contrasts, offering the very best of countryside, coastline, events and attractions. A playground of beaches, outstanding natural beauty and UNESCO-protected Jurassic coastline, where the path ahead is visible for miles as you climb high above the fossil flecked beaches below.
Purbeck is truly blessed. Studland’s secluded sandy bays are among the best in the UK, the rugged beauty of Kimmeridge and the coastline around Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door are quite simply awe inspiring. With more species of animals and plants within a 10 mile radius of the Saxon town of Wareham than anywhere in the country, Purbeck is a wildlife haven. Bottlenose dolphins and seals emerge from the waves at Durlston Country Park and rare birds wait to be spotted at the RSPB Nature Reserve at Arne. Impossibly pretty villages are crowned by Corfe’s mighty castle and the lost village of Tyneham traps visitors in a romantic kind of time warp.
Corfe Castle
Durdle Door
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Not to venture further would mean missing out. Bournemouth’s popular seaside resort annually hosts the country’s largest free Air Festival. Historic Christchurch has a Saxon past, Norman Priory, green flag quay and two castles. The colourful row of swanky beach huts at nearby Mudeford are among Britain’s most expensive.
Breathtaking and tranquil, explore the Blackmore Vale, Shaftesbury’s Gold Hill and the woodlands of Cranborne Chase to discover ancient villages hiding within outstanding natural beauty.
The Swanage Railway puffs through the picturesque Purbeck countryside to visit its pretty seaside town.