I'm off to Cornwall next weekend (annual get-together with friends who have a house in Polperro) and, instead of the usual plane to Exeter/Bristol or the train to Looe, have decided to "motor" at a gentle pace from Gatwick there and back. As I can't consciously remember ever being in Dorset or East Devon, any recommendations for stops/visits/"must-sees" en route? Staying outside Honiton on the way there and in Studland on the way back so there ought to be plenty of time for, err, "pootling".
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Towns? Villages? Countryside ? Obvious or otherwise?Originally posted by HighlandDougie View Post
For the obvious, Lyme Regis would be high on the list, and most of the other small towns in the area have something to recommend them.
Sherborne is nice, if a bit genteel, and the Abbey makes a good centrepiece to a visit. Plenty of historical interest in the town and area.
If you fancy a big town of contrasts , Weymouth is great, everything from bucket and spade to military mistory, and Dorchester is only just up the road, where you can stock up on Thomas Hardy tea towels on your way to the Military and Dinosaur museums. The County Museum is said to be very good. A town that seems to have gone up in the world in the last few years. And Poundbury can be easily bypassed........
You might easily find a lunchtime recital in Dorchester as well. Actually Dorset is sort of Small Town Central. Wimborne and the Minster are
certainly a pleasant stop off, and there is a record shop, although the classical section is a bit ordinary.
Since you are going to Studland, Corfe Castle is a bit of a no brainer, it definitely lives up to the hype. And if fossils are your thing, Kimmeridge beach and the rest of the Jurassic coast is worth contemplating.
Anyway, have a good trip HD, sounds like fun.Last edited by teamsaint; 11-11-17, 18:47.I will not be pushed, filed, stamped, indexed, briefed, debriefed or numbered. My life is my own.
I am not a number, I am a free man. -
Wow.....wish it was me.......these along with ts's recommendations as starters:
Cerne Abbas and Giant:
Abbotsbury Gardens and Swannery
Lost Village of Tyneham:
Lulworth and Durdle Door:
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I only discovered the Dorset coast in the last decade and consider it very underrated. In fact, I was so taken by it that I went four times and have almost walked the lot.
It is, of course, the Jurassic Coast.
What I'd say about the long Studland beach which is at the far end and wrongly famed for its naturism is that if you are there you really need to venture just a very small distance west from it to get all of the truly great stretches (almost everything from Swanage to Lyme etc). The well-known Old Harry's Rocks is nearby - https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/pur...rry-rocks-walk - as is my favourite pub in Britain with museum, live music and good coastal views - http://squareandcompasspub.co.uk/ - which itself is close to Tyneham. Swanage actual is a very nice town with a lovely old railway. Then there is Corfe Castle - the village which is nice but a bit trafficky and the castle itself. The best countryside and coast close to Corfe are up the hill to Kingston and beyond. In the garden of this place, you will get one of the best views of inland Dorset - https://www.thescottarms.com/.
Further west, the two walks either side of Lulworth are out of bounds except for the very fit but absolutely breathtaking. The one east with mainly an upward steep climb is only open at certain times because it is used by MOD. Old tanks are dotted around to provide an atmospheric accompaniment to the coastal scenery rather as the remnants of the tin mines do in southern Cornwall - https://www.dorsetforyou.gov.uk/lulworth-range-walks. The one going west has a fair few ups and downs not unlike Seven Sisters but more spectacular and with more of a feeling of remoteness. Then it flattens a bit towards Weymouth with a pleasant stopping off spot being Osmington Mills which can be approached by road. Osmington has a chalk marking of George III and horse - https://www.visit-dorset.com/explore/osmington-p1124233. It is also worth having a boat trip at Lulworth through Durdle Door. As for food and drink, I tended to frequent this place which I found welcoming. It has a good garden and on occasions morris dancers - https://www.butcombe.com/pubs/the-castle-inn/
To the south of Weymouth, there is the Isle of Portland which would never be my top priority but it has its own atmosphere - lost rural, with a mixture of private and council housing, not wholly unlike the islands to the north of the Medway towns. To the west, well, that's Chesil Beach and Abbotsbury after which it again gets great - Burton Bradstock including the big Billy Bragg house (!), Bridport (small historical town) and West Bay (small bucket/spade place with elements of sixties modernism) which are nice but nothing to go out of the way for, and especially via Seatown and Chideock the glorious Golden Cap - https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/golden-cap - beyond which is Lyme. Golden Cap can also be approached by road or path from someway inland - the last of three distinctive hills - http://www.dorsetecho.co.uk/leisure/...tonight_on_TV/. Also inland - as ts has already indicated there are many things apart from the Cerne Giant - there's Tolpuddle with its commemoration to its martyrs. Of course, you will also be quite close to Somerset including the hippy town of Glastonbury - an odd mix of wealthy liberal middle classes and semi down and outs : shops selling crystals, people walking dogs on the end of pieces of string etc etc - plus its Tor.Last edited by Lat-Literal; 11-11-17, 14:45.Comment
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A visit to the Square and Compass at Worth Matravers is compulsory......
and when you're at Studland, the old Manor House Hotel is worth seeing. It was charming when I knew it, but it's been zhuzhed up since. Now it's called the Pig on the Beach. Perhaps there's a good reason for that.
Be sure to have lashings of ginger beer to celebrate being in Enid Blyton country.
Bon voyage
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Oh my gosh, HD, where to start! If you like bird-life I've got two recommendations, based around the Axe and the Exe!
1. Seaton Wetlands. This is an area of marshes which has recently been 'developed' (wrong word really) with hides, scrapes and areas of reeds which attract birds of all sorts, especially wading birds at this time of year. Many unusual species are spotted there including a Glossy Ibis which is there at the moment. Best to go shortly after low water when the tide is coming up over the mud-flats. There is also a tram which runs from Seaton to Colyton along the edge of the River Axe and from which you can bird-spot*. Colyton itself is an interesting 'wool' town with a spectacular medieval church and some Civil War history. Pubs and a restaurant or two also.
If you can't find it (!) ask at Colyford Post Office and shop on the A3052. Great shop (lots of organic produce) and friendly owners.
* http://www.tram.co.uk/timetables
but I notice the tram is closed during November, opening a few times in December for their 'Polar Express', a Christmas thing.
2. Bowling Green Marsh at Topsham where you will be sure to see avocets at this time of year. Topsham itself is a quaint town on the banks of the Exe with local pubs, eateries, and some history. Quite boaty. There are occasional bird-watching boat trips starting out from Exmouth, but look up the dates if you are interested in these. They are excellent.
Stuart Line cruises also do other non-bird-watching 'cruises'...just short boat-trips really...but thee is a bar on board!
Last edited by ardcarp; 11-11-17, 18:15.Comment
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Mention of Wessex, for me conjours up Hardy's Wessex. I would definitely make time to stop off at Maiden Newton, certainly the largest and probably the most impressive iron age hill fort in Britain.
More off the beaten track, the evocatively named Bulbarrow Hill, commanding panoramic views over Tess' Blackmore Vale; on a clear day the isolated pinnacle of Glastonbury Tor can be seen rising from the surrounding Somerset lowlands, more than 40 miles distant. The wind blasted Pilsdon Pen and the ancient wildwood atop Lewesdon Hill (the highest point in Dorset at over 900 feet) just outside the picturesque market town of Beaminster (pronounced Bemster by locals - Emminster in Tess) also have their Hardy associations, where on a cold, crisp day in November you can get a glimpse of a lost world of those who worked the land through their own sweat and toil.
Hardy's Cottage at Upper Bockhampton set in vestiges of heathland will recall Egdon Heath to the literary or musically minded.Comment
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In Wessex, taking the route via A31, A35 takes you to the already recommended Dorchester, and Bridport is interesting too; this route is slower, but more interesting, than A303/A30.
Perhaps you know what is beyond the Tamar: but your destination invites taking the A38 rather than A30 from Exeter. Fowey and Lostwithiel are delighful to visit (and perhaps you know them).
I hope you have fun Down Our Way.Comment
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Just another thought, HD. If you are just 'motoring through' and not wishing to stop too much, be sure to take the little coast road from Dorchester to Bridport, passing through Abbotsbury (as mentioned in #3). Driving in a westerly direction, there are some truly stunning sea-views along the way....assuming good visisbility!
And finally, if you don't mind being snarled up in Exeter's notorious traffic (and finding somewhere to park the car), the Cathedral is a marvel. Almost pure Gothic Decorated style within, but flanked by two Romanesque towers. There's also a 'Christmas Market' in full swing in the cathedral close.
There is a park-and-ride which would keep your car on the right side for your continued journey down the M5.Last edited by ardcarp; 11-11-17, 19:06.Comment
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I like this thread - and agree on the comments re Thomas Hardy. The fictional village of "Moonfleet" - a book that didn't grab me at all when I was at school but I really enjoyed a radio production once I had been to the area in the 2000s - is based on East Fleet in Dorset by Chesil Beach. The headland in the book called The Snout is really Portland Bill.
For what it is worth, West Bay is filmed for the series "Broadchurch" and was also used in the opening credits of "The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin". Bridport has many butchers shops that certainly in the last decade were linked to Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's estate. River Cottage is nearby. Gold Hill of the Hovis adverts and Dvorak's New World is at Shaftesbury although I have never been, nor have I to all of the AONB Cranborne Chase which is close. Monkey World is at Wool. You are also not a million miles from the Somerset Levels (actually now I have looked closer to those than to Glastonbury which is a fair distance away) and to the east there is obviously the conurbation of Bournemouth and Poole.
I would flag up the well-known garden of Compton Acres in that area but I do prefer the Abbotsbury gardens. Wareham is a nice enough river town on a cross design (North, East, West and South Street). It is probably worth mentioning that there is an excellent coastal bus which reaches most main parts although Lulworth Cove is best accessed by car.
If travelling by public transport, beware of the administrative distinctions between Bournemouth and Poole although they merge. Poole sees itself as a place in its own right so coming from the west to Bournemouth expect in most cases a change at Poole. Trains are pretty good between Weymouth and Wareham etc. The main roads are good or decent enough.
My summary of the main towns is that the coastal scenery in Bournemouth itself is surprisingly impressive especially perhaps at West Cliff (there are some nice town gardens and thoroughfares too) while Poole is best appreciated for its harbour. Sadly, the town centres of both but the latter in particular are partially of a brutal sixties concrete style.
Weymouth has a fine sea front and moments not without charm. But you need to be aware that all of the people who left the East End of London when the migrants arrived and chose somewhere other than Essex to live are there. It's Old London by the Sea in that respect. Many whether they are 20 or 80 could culturally have been born in 1900. I quite like that dimension - it is an interesting contrast with the lower middle classes who retired from ordinary parts of Surrey to the suburbs of Poole and are of the here and now - but it isn't for everyone, (nor the bikers' pub just before the bridge to Portland but personally I found that to be a great step back into Summer 1973 in a heavy metal and red velvet haze way).Last edited by Lat-Literal; 11-11-17, 20:06.Comment
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Now you're talking. And Bovington Tank Museum is close at had too, worth combining for an unforgettable day.Originally posted by Lat-Literal View Post
( Shaftesbury is a bit meh, really. I mean it's ok, probably a nice place to live, but I wouldn't go specially with so many other riches.... but if HD is an aviation enthusiast, nearby Compton Abbas airfield would be a nice stop off. TBF though, I haven't visited the Abbey ruins , so that might make the town worth a call.)Last edited by teamsaint; 11-11-17, 19:25.I will not be pushed, filed, stamped, indexed, briefed, debriefed or numbered. My life is my own.
I am not a number, I am a free man.Comment
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One of my favourite places, though not visited for more than a few years now is St Nicholas Church, Moreton, Dorset, all of whose windows were replaced over time by ones engraved by Laurence Whistler. A stunning collection.
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Eek! Truly an embarass de richesses. I am most grateful to everyone for their suggestions (planes, tanks, birds, pubs, iron age forts, Thomas Hardy, Lawrence Whistler, the coast ....all of which float my boat). I now need to go away and work out an itinerary taking in as much as possible. To Cornwall inland-ish. And back via the coast? And - pace PJPJ - booked in at The Pig, Studland.Comment
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Originally posted by teamsaint View PostNow you're talking. And Bovington Tank Museum is close at had too, worth combining for an unforgettable day.
( Shaftesbury is a bit meh, really. I mean it's ok, probably a nice place to live, but I wouldn't go specially with so many other riches.... but if HD is an aviation enthusiast, nearby Compton Abbas airfield would be a nice stop off. TBF though, I haven't visited the Abbey ruins , so that might make the town worth a call.)
And the coast? I'm not a huge fan of much of South Devon although many are and North Devon is possibly, just, my favourite coastal stretch in England. If not, my only significant recommendation - and you have probably already been there - is Lutyens's Castle Drogo to the North of Dartmoor which is definitely worth a visit. You get to see all the plans etc.Originally posted by HighlandDougie View Post
(Oh its is currently undergoing a six year renovation project to make it watertight so possibly forget that one - https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/castle-drogo)
Personal coastal preferences in England and Wales - N Devon east of Barnstaple/N Somerset west of Minehead/Exmoor - 10 plus; Cornwall - Lands End & Lizard and environs - 10; Pembrokeshire and Cardiganshire - 9.5; Dorset/IOW - 9; N Yorkshire - 8; Suffolk - 8; N Cornwall - Bude side and up to Barnstaple, N Devon - 7.5; Sussex/Kent - 6.5; S Devon - 6; N Wales - 6; Gower Pen, S Wales - 6; NW of England - 5; still to do: Northumberland and Norfolk and the Looe/Polperro side of N Cornwall - plus the Newquay area of mid Cornwall.Last edited by Lat-Literal; 11-11-17, 20:44.Comment
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...and if you want to do something really niche and off the beaten track, you could visit the tiny Victorian Basilica-style Catholic church in Chideock. It is a magical place, and a huge surprise to find in rural West Dorset. Once visited never forgotten. There is also a tiny museum (accessed via the church...open 10am - 4 pm) which tells about the Chideock martyrs (recusants).
Turn by the Anglican parish church, go a few 100yds up the road and you will find it next to Chideock Manor, still occupied by the Weld family. The churchyard you will pass is (apparently) the only one in the UK where Catholics and Anglicans are buried in the same place.
It depends if you want to linger on the way down or on the way back, but if it's good views you want, taking the leisurely coastal route going West is best. Don't know why...it just is!To Cornwall inland-ish. And back via the coast?Last edited by ardcarp; 12-11-17, 00:29.Comment
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