A local attraction: Monkey World Ape Rescue Centre

Monkey World Ape Rescue Centre, near Wareham Dorset, is set in a woodland park and is home to over 240 rescued and endangered primates. The centre works with governments around the world to stop the illegal smuggling of primates from the wild and refugees of this trade, as well as those that have suffered abuse or neglect, are rehabilitated into natural groups at the rescue centre.

There’s plenty to see at Monkey World, including:

• 5 different species of gibbon;


• the largest group of chimpanzees outside of Africa;


• Europe's only Orang-utan Crèche - part of the European Endangered Species Programme;


• 7 species of monkeys and prosimians, including: capuchin monkeys, common marmosets, cotton-top tamarins, ring-tailed lemurs, squirrel monkeys, stump-tailed macaques and woolly monkeys.
  

The park has viewing areas for visitors to watch the primates at all of the enclosures, both indoors and outdoors. The majority of the park is outdoors and visitors are advised to bring wet weather clothing at all times.

There’s plenty of parking at the park, plus picnic areas, cafes, a gift shop and children’s play area.

Dogs and other pets are not allowed the park; except for Guide Dogs, Hearing Dogs and Registered Assistance Dogs, and with prior notification only. All of Monkey World, except for the Woodland Walk, is accessible for disabled visitors and a selection motorised scooters and dual-controlled or manual wheelchairs is available. These are free of charge for those who bring some form of disabled ID, although a £10.00 refundable deposit is required, plus some form of identification such as a driving licence or passport. The Keeper Talks are also available in written form and the park hopes to provide Braille versions soon.

Monkey World is open every day except Christmas Day, from 10am to 5pm until June, then 10am to 6pm. Last admission is 1 hour before closing time. Entrance prices range from £34 for a family ticket (2 adults and 2 children), to £7.75 for a child aged 3 to 15 years.

If you’re planning ahead for Easter; from Good Friday (22nd April 2011) to Easter Bank Holiday Monday (25th April 2010) the first 100 children to enter the park each day will receive a free chocolate Easter Egg!

If you’re planning a trip to Dorset in April, we offer a choice of delightful and sustainable bed and breakfast and self-catering accommodation, in an outstanding location, with spectacular views over the Jurassic Coast. Please contact us for more details, or to book accommodation.

Easter Holiday Activities

If you’re looking for self-catering holiday accommodation in Dorset for your family this Easter, Chesil Beach Lodge is your ideal holiday destination. We offer a choice of four delightful self-catering apartments; each with stunning sea and coastal views over Lyme Bay.

Here’s our pick of a few Easter themed events in Dorset for children:

Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens has The Giant Easter Egg Hunt from Friday 22nd to Monday 25th April. There are hundreds of cream eggs to be found every day. At Abbotsbury Children’s Farm children can cuddle the guinea pigs, ride the ponies, race the tractors, play in the large undercover play area and bottle feed the baby goats. The baby goats also race around a track twice a day, and after the race the children are invited to take a goat for a warm down walk on a lead. The family cafe offers local Dorset produce cooked on site.

Durlston Country Park, Swanage has an Easter Egg-stravaganza Trail every day throughout the Easter holidays. Follow the clues around the park to win a prize. Durlston Country Park and National Nature Reserve is a “fabulous 280 acre countryside paradise, consisting of sea-cliffs, coastal limestone downland, haymeadows, hedgerows and woodland. With stunning views, walking trails, the historic Great Globe, superb geology and fascinating wildlife there is always something different to see.”

Brownsea Island nature reserve has an egg hunt with a difference: a Marine Egg Hunt! Hunt for the eggs of sea creatures on the shore and receive a chocolate egg reward! 20th April from 1.30 to 3.0pm. Cost, £2 per person. Booking is essential for this event. Call 01929 481044 or email kimmeridge@dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk.

We are open over Easter and are taking bookings for eco-friendly Easter holiday accommodation in Dorset. We would love to welcome you here for Easter so please contact us to book self-catering and bed and breakfast accommodation, or for more details.

Mother’s Day

Mothering Sunday falls on the 3rd April this year, and what better way to treat your mum or wife (or yourself) than a holiday in the beautiful county of Dorset. Chesil Beach Lodge, with its luxurious self-catering and bed and breakfast accommodation and stunning sea views, is the perfect place to stay.

If the mum in your life loves flowers and gardening, here are a few suggestions for some of the best places to see spring colour in Dorset:

Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens has really lovely camellias and magnolias displaying all their finery in spring, as well as plenty of other spring colour.

The 17th century Kingston Lacy house and gardens is owned by the National Trust and has wonderful woodland walks and spring planting. The Japanese cherry trees in the Japanese Garden burst spectacularly into flower in spring and greet you with a “a snowdrift of blossom”.

Compton Acres was built in 1924 and is a wonderful example of a historic garden in the UK. It has seven distinct gardens to wander around and enjoy, including the Italian Garden and the Japanese Garden. The Compton Acres Plant Centre has an excellent selection of rare and unusual plants, and is always well-stocked with herbaceous perennials, climbers, shrubs, seasonal bedding, pots and compost. Almost all of the plants sold are grown locally.

Cranborne Manor was originally one of King John’s hunting lodges and is set in beautiful gardens. During spring and summer, cowslips, ox-eye daisies and many wild orchids grow through the uncut grass in the grounds, and anemones, grape hyacinths and cyclamen carpet the beech tree roots. The Cranborne Manor Garden Centre, specialises in old fashioned roses, clematis and all the best plants for a country garden, and is open every day. The manor gardens are open to the public once a week.

To book accommodation in Dorset for Mother’s Day, please contact us as soon as possible. We very much look forward to welcoming you and your family here.

What’s on in Dorset:

With the first day of spring (20th March) almost upon us, the countryside and gardens of Dorset continue to spring to life and it’s wonderful to see bright and cheerful splashes of colour as the daffodils and crocuses open. We’ve had some gloriously sunny days recently and we hope you’ve been as lucky with the weather as we have.

British summertime begins on the 27th March and with the clocks going forwards an hour the evenings will be lighter: absolutely perfect for a walk in the countryside or along the coast, or for a spot of gardening. The trouble with this warmer weather and longer days is that it’s not just the flowers that are burgeoning; it’s the weeds too!

As always, there’s plenty to do in Dorset this month and here’s just a small selection…

5th to 13th March is Forde Abbey Crocus Week at Forde Abbey, Near Winsham, Dorset. Forde Abbey is an elegant former Cistercian monastery with 30 acres of award winning gardens. You can enjoy the spectacular crocus displays throughout the gardens from 10am to 4pm.

DJ John Peel cited Dreadzone’s 1995 album ‘Second Light’ as one of his 10 favourite albums of all time. You can see this diverse and original band at the Electric Palace, Bridport, on Friday March 18th. Tickets are £15.50 from Bridport Tourist Information Centre. Telephone 01308 424901.

Photographing Maritime Lyme. Do you enjoy photography? On Saturday 19th March you can join local professional photographers, Maisie Hill and Peter Wiles, for a day photographing Lyme harbour and the surrounding coast. They also promise advice, discussion, and lots of fun. Bring your digital camera and all weather clothing. The day costs £20 and the group will consist of a maximum of 15 people so telephone 01297 443069 to book, or email peter@lymescapes.co.uk.

Also on the 19th March, the Sherborne Chamber Choir perform JS Bach Mass in B Minor at the beautiful Sherborne Abbey. Tickets are £5-£18 (under 18s are free of charge), and are available from Sherborne Tourist Information Centre, Digby Road, Sherborne, 01935 815341, and The Dorset Music House, 01935 816332.

On Friday 25th March at Dorchester Arts Centre is a performance of Geppetto by Cube Theatre. “In 1950’s New York, a teenage girl answers an advert for a production of Pinocchio, but when she meets the ill-at-ease man who calls himself Geppetto, she falls into a bewildering journey of deception and dysfunction. Combining electric dialogue of two performers with mesmerizing puppetry, Geppetto, by Jon Welch, is a heart-rending, often hilarious story of a broken man’s obsessive search for his own puppet-boy.” The performance starts at 8pm (doors and bar 7.30pm). Tickets are £8, and £6 for members & concessions.

For a fabulous display of spring flowers, and a stroll around 42 acres of the peaceful and tranquil setting of the beautiful gardens and grounds of Sherborne Castle, why not visit the castle for the annual Spring Bulbs & Daffodils Weekend throughout the weekend of 26th to 27th March? 11am to 4.30pm, with reduced entry fees to the gardens and grounds.

And last, but not least, the 26th March sees the Lyme Regis Beer Festival at the Marine Theatre, Church Street, Lyme Regis. The festival is run by three local breweries (Mighty Hop, Town Mill and Art Brew) and promises entertainment, food, beer and dramatic views over the sea and Gun Cliff Walk. Tickets are available from the Town Mill Shop and other outlets. Telephone 01297 445358 for more information.

We’re continuing our offer of three nights’ accommodation for the price of two throughout March (Monday to Friday) so it’s a perfect time to take a spring break. To book accommodation in Dorset, please contact us. We look forward to seeing you.