Whilst it may not be as grand as Devon or as rugged as Cornwall the county of Dorset is a beautiful part of Britain that gets a bit overlooked. In some ways this isn’t too great a shame as the hordes of holiday makers pass by, it does manage to retain its charm without being clogged up with visitors. What are it’s most precious bits? If you need to see them just give Coach Hire Dorset based firm https://turnerscoaches.co.uk/ a click.
- Weymouth. Now with a much better road to get to it this glorious golden beach is one of the best in Britain. Check out its incredible harbour and back streets.
- Lyme Regis and Charmouth, home of the Cobb and the Jurassic Coast where Mary Anning first found fossils. This preserved little fishing town is picturesque and traditional.
- The Tolpuddle Martyrs. Proving that Dorset is not all scrumpy and the seaside these noble men fought for workers rights and, eventually, won!
- Portland Bill and Chesil Beach. Portland Bill is one of Britain’s most amazing natural landmarks. A rocky island linked by a causeway it is like a mighty ship trying to sail into Weymouth Harbour. Chesil stretches to the west of it, a natural stoney barrier to the sea.
I’ve only scratched the surface. It is one of England’s finest counties to be sure.
Walking the coast that Hardy wrote about
Thomas Hardy set so much of his writing in the old region of Wessex that the area is still closely tied to his name, and walking the Dorset coast is one of the best ways to see what inspired him. Pack a decent rucksack, waterproof jacket and trousers, plenty to drink and sturdy boots, and take a good walking map.
Starting from Weymouth and Portland Bill and heading west, you pass the long sweep of Chesil Beach before reaching Charmouth and Lyme Regis, where the cliffs have yielded a wealth of fossils, many of them found by Mary Anning. Lyme Regis has its famous Cobb and old town, and was where the Duke of Monmouth landed for his ill-fated attempt on the throne.
Head east from Weymouth instead and you reach the quiet coves of Lulworth and Kimmeridge and the arch at Durdle Door. Beyond them stands Corfe, once a great fortress and left in ruins after the Civil War, and then Swanage, golden Studland Bay and the chalk stacks of Old Harry Rocks.
Highlights of the Dorset coast
Dorset has around 100 miles of coastline, and much of it feels as though it has stepped out of Thomas Hardy’s Wessex. This is the Jurassic Coast, where Mary Anning first began finding and cataloguing fossils. Along it sit Durdle Door, the Isle of Purbeck, Brownsea Island, Old Harry Rocks, Swanage and Poole Harbour.
Lyme Regis has its own literary fame, as the Cobb is where the French Lieutenant’s Woman stared out to sea. Together with Swanage and Weymouth, it also has some of the finest golden beaches in the country, and the coast offers plenty of excellent walks.
For many, the real jewel is Chesil Beach, a huge bank of shingle that stretches all the way to the Isle of Portland. It is one of the most striking sights in the county.