Abbotsbury Swannery – 11 miles – home to up to 600 mute swans.
Abbotsbury Sub Tropical Gardens – 10 miles - Twice winner of silver award at Chelsea
and silver gilt at Hampton Court Show. Magnificent Victorian walled garden set in
20 acres of woodland valley where the unique micro climate enables rare and exotic
species from all over the world to thrive here. Children's adventure play area. Nature
trail.
Athelhampton House & Gardens – 3 miles – one of the finest 15th century houses in
England surrounded by glorious Grade I Listed garden with fountains, pools and waterfalls.
Badger Watch – 5 miles - From the hide, enjoy the unique site of badgers emerging
from their setts and foraging for food. The area is floodlit for perfect vision and
visits from owls, foxes, rabbits and bats add to the spectacle.
The Blue Pool – 21 miles - designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest in 1985,
the pool changes colour by the minute according to the variations in the weather
and the light.
Brownsea Island – 20 miles - A haven for wildlife, including red squirrels, peacocks
and deer.
Cerne Abbas Giant - 5 miles - A huge outline of a giant sculpted into the chalk hillside
above the pretty village of Cerne Abbas.
Clouds Hill – 14 miles – the rural retreat of T E Lawrence.
Corfe Castle – 18 miles - One of the most evocative ruined castles in England with
over 1000 years of turbulent history.
Cricket St Thomas Wildlife Park – 23 miles - one of the top wildlife parks in the
South West housing over 600 rare and endangered species. The house was “Grantleigh
Manor” in the T V series “To the Manor Born.”
Dorchester – 4 miles – County Town of Dorset - large country town with Roman origins,
lots of shops, and a market on Wednesday. Georgian buildings off the main streets.
Local author and poet Thomas Hardy based the fictional town of Casterbridge on Dorchester.
Dorset County Museum – 4 miles – an array of fascinating galleries covering natural
science, geology, art, history and literature. Free audio-guide. Roman mosaic flooring,
treasures of Maiden Castle, geology, national and local history, Thomas Hardy's study,
20 min film of Roman invasion of Maiden Castle.
Golden Cap - 23 miles - Part of the Jurassic coastline and the highest point on the
south coast, rich in wildlife and unusual geology.
Hardy Monument - 10 miles - erected in 1844 in memory of Vice-Admiral Sir Thomas
Masterman Hardy, Flag-Captain of HMS Victory at the Battle of Trafalgar.
The Keep Military Museum – 4 miles - A modern museum housed in a Grade II listed
building that tells the stories of those who served in the regiments of the counties
of Devon and Dorset regiments for the last 310 years, including the Militia and Volunteers.
The Museum has a car park, shop and disabled access.
Kingston Lacy – 13 miles – a 17th century house with an outstanding collection of
paintings.
Kingston Maurward – 4 miles - formal gardens laid out in the Arts and Crafts style
of the Edwardian period with a stunning ornamental lake in front of the 18th Century
Mansion House. Kingston Maurward has been described as "one of Dorset's best kept
secrets!" The Animal Park has a collection of miniature Shetland Ponies, donkeys,
rabbits and guinea pigs.
