Yes. This county along the southwest coast exemplifies with what one associates old England with; the old castles, little ancient villages and small farms with fields lined with old stone walls.
The bigger cities such as Poole, Weymouth and Bournemouth have been dragged into the 21st century. The Dorset countryside and little villages have not yet been totally changed by modernisation and the pressures of tourism. The locals might disagree with this statement by the way.
So much of Dorset is really beautiful with ancient buildings and roads that seem to enhance the scenic countryside. Worth mentioning that those that prefer the bright lights and evening entertainment will not find too much of this in most of Dorset. However, the pub culture and little stone pubs are so worth visiting in every little village. It is hard not to end up in at least one pub each day while exploring around Dorset.
Dorset: Hotel
Where to stay in Dorset is an interesting question.
Do you stay in one of the bigger towns such as Poole with its large natural harbour and sandy beaches
Or Weymouth with its quaint harbour, and close access to the Jurassic coast?
Depending on what you prefer – either of these two towns would have good possibilities
You can drive from one side of Dorset to the other in under ninety minutes on a quiet day, so you could pretty much select anywhere across Dorset to stay.
Weymouth and Dorchester are good centrally located towns, with Weymouth having the advantage of being on the coast. For a classic 19th century hotel right on the Esplanade, the three-star Royal Hotel in Weymouth might be a good choice, or the more expensive five-star 18th century Gloucester House might be better. There are many other hotels and B&B’s along the front of the town for selection,
In the past, we have chosen to stay in a small pub hotel in the little market town of Bridport. Bridport is close to the Jurassic coast and also is close to several small harbour towns along the west coast of Dorset. All are worth visiting.
West Bay, originally called Bridport Harbour, is within walking (two kilometres) distance of the Bridport town centre. The West Bay sandstone cliffs feature prominently in the TV series Broadchurch.
The Greyhound Pub and Hotel is pretty much in the dead centre of the market town, so is very convenient. The breakfast each morning has ensured a repeat visit or two. There are several hotels in both Bridport and West Bay. We have eaten at both the Bridport Arms and the George in West Bay, excellent food in both. We have heard only good reviews, but have not actually stayed at either yet.
Dorset: Airport
The closest international airports to central Dorset are both London Heathrow (LHR) and London Gatwick (LGW). The drive from either airport is about two and half hours. The quickest route to Dorset is on the M3 and the A31.
If you have time, and you have not visited Stonehenge, I recommend a slight deviation off the M3, onto the A303 to Stonehenge.
After that, drop down to Salisbury on the A360 and A36, before joining the A354 to central Dorset. Well worth noting we are only talking about a drive of just over two hundred or so kilometres.
What we did in Dorset
Getting around Dorset
Getting around Dorset cannot realistically be done with public transport. There are a couple of main train lines down to the main cities and towns such as Poole, Weymouth and Dorchester.
However, taking the train from the airports, will actually take over four hours to get to Dorchester from Heathrow.
This is also with changing trains at least once for example. Getting around to the smaller coastal villages is even more difficult and slow. If you do want to explore Dorset, I would recommend hiring a car from either airport.
Places to visit in Dorset
There is a vast selection of villages and places to visit in Dorset.
Castles, ancient sites, brewery’s and mansions, to coastal towns, ports, and famous landmarks.
There are simply too many to cover on one or even two holidays, so selecting which to go each day to will be fun.
A great website to bookmark for this breakfast review each morning is the “Visit Dorset” website. This breaks all the interesting places to visit out into into family friendly, historical, heritage and culture, walking, parks and gardens, coast and beaches handy sections, so easier to choose what to do each day, depending on the weather or how you feel.
It’s worth noting that unlike some countries like Australia, villages and towns are often only five to ten kilometres apart. Driving to pretty much anywhere Dorset will only take up to an hour or so. The coast west of Bridport and West Bay is populated by a number of small villages, Chideock, Seatown, Charmouth, and Lyme Regis. These are all worth visiting. Immediately east, you have villages such as Burton Bradstock, Shipton Gorge, and Abbotsbury, all on the Jurassic coast
Further west from Abbotsbury you have the Chesil beach, a thirty-kilometre long shingle beach, (impressively strange looking with fist size rocks instead of sand), all the way to the Isle of Portland and Weymouth.
Just past Weymouth you have the perfectly formed Lulworth Cove, and the limestone rock arch over the sea called Durdle Door.
You also have Lulworth Castle close by. You can drive further along to Kimmeridge Bay and Chapmans Pool, and all the way along the coast to Peveril Point and Swanage, before going back up to Corfe Castle and then onwards to the huge natural harbour of Poole.
Best time to visit Dorset
Dorset does receive its fair number of tourists, and the difference in the number of people visiting in summer as to winter is significant. Prices of hotels also vary quite significantly during the peak seasons.
Best Season: May,June to September
During this period, from mid Spring through to the first month of Autumn, where temperatures average 15 to 20 degrees during Spring and early Autumn, and can reach 25 degrees in summer, the days are long and are generally clearer and brighter.
Wet Season: October to March.
Cold weather, high risk of rain and cloud and can also be windy on the coast. Temperatures average around 8 to 12 degrees, with opportunistically called ‘good times for bracing walks’. The days are also much shorter with it getting quite dark from 4pm onwards.
I have visited Dorset during both summer and winter. Summer is much better!
During winter the focus has to on locations with gorgeous ancient pubs with large fireplaces. An emphasis on visiting places where the weather has less impact is important.
In summer, the coast is beautiful. Locations along the coast like Weymouth or the smaller coastal villages are perfect. The longer days also give you more opportunity to visit more places.
Practical Tips before booking Dorset
Where to stay in Dorset?
The smaller coastal villages, such as Bridport, West Bay, Charmouth or Lyme Regis gives one the best experience of the more typical old English villages.
These still allow you all the advantages of being able to visit the many locations all across Dorset. The slightly more central town of Dorchester is only 23 kilometres away from Bridport market town for example but is a larger town with less appeal. The larger coastal towns of Weymouth, only ten kilometres away from Dorchester, and Poole (40 kilometres) both have beautiful harbours, so have more appeal. These are more modern towns.
How long should you stay in Dorset?
Four or five full days does give you the chance to sample a number of scenic and historical locations, and visit a few of the villages along the coast.
Should you take the tours in Dorset?
There are a few tours to Dorset from London. If you have a car and are staying in Dorset, there is no requirement to take any tours. One exception is the fishing and boat tours.
Do you need a Dorset street map?
Yes, you do! It is worth while making sure you have access to either online maps or offline GPS maps. The larger main roads are well signed and easily to navigate, but the smaller roads winding around the countryside can be confusing.
Final Review of Dorset
Dorset, and its small villages is an interesting and pleasing county to visit,
It is popular with both English and foreign visitors. A significant number of tourists visit the larger towns including Bournemouth, Poole and Weymouth, and even the smaller local spots like Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door can attract half a million tourists each year.
Given the large numbers, peak season can be busy in the larger towns, which is why sometimes staying in the smaller coastal villages along the Jurassic Coast can be beneficial, as you can easily walk around the villages.
The Platform Restaurant in West Bay offers an unusual and unique environment, set in a historic railway carriage, with superb food.
Is it safe in Dorset?
Dorset is part of England, and England in general, suffers from a fair amount of petty crime such as pick pocketing. However, a significant proportion of that is really based in the big cities, and not in the countryside of Dorset. Dorset is far safer than London for example and ranks in the top ten of English counties for lowest crime rates.
