Spend Father’s Day in beautiful Dorset

Father’s Day falls on the 19th June this year, and it’s not too early to start thinking ahead and booking a few days away.

This week we thought we would give you a few locally-inspired ideas for Father’s Day gifts.

How about a Sea-kayaking day trip exploring the coast near Poole, Dorset; or a 20 minute two-seater helicopter lesson at Bournemouth in Dorset?

For something on a much smaller scale, you can adopt a Dorset Dormouse and help the Dorset Wildlife Trust's Dorset Dormouse Recovery Project. The dormouse is one of England's rarest mammals, and has already been lost from seven counties because of habitat loss. Adopting a dormouse costs £15 and adopters even get a photograph of their dormouse!

Or how about some truly delicious and luxurious hand-made chocolates from Dorset chocolate makers Chococo? Husband and wife team Claire and Andy Burnet use local Dorset produce as much as possible, and where they can't go local, they source ethically produced ingredients. They make all their chocolates in-house, by hand, and they don’t use any preservatives. Here are a few chocolatey ideas for Father’s Day.

The Dorset Crab Company produces this wonderful potted crab, made with crabmeat, butter and a secret blend of spices.

Photographer Andrew Dorey lives on the Jurassic Coast and the beautiful Dorset scenery inspires many of his photographs. You can buy wonderfully evocative prints of Dorset views from his website.

Of course we think the best possible gift for Father’s Day is a rejuvenating break in one of our luxurious self-catering apartments J We have four apartments to choose from, all with amazing sea and coastal views, and in the perfect location for exploring all that Dorset has to offer.

For a warm welcome on Father’s Day, and a delightful sustainable holiday in the beautiful county of Dorset, please contact us to book accommodation for Father’s Day.

Half-term activities

Half-term is almost upon us again, and it’s time to think about where to go and what to do! Dorset has a wealth of locations, events and activities that are prefect for a family holiday. Here are just a few suggestions for half-term activities:

A trip on a steam train with the Swanage Railway is a fun way to see the Dorset countryside. The journey takes you past the ruins of Corfe Castle and is a wonderful way to travel to the castle or to Swanage beach for a day at the seaside.

The majestic ruins of Corfe Castle, on the peninsula named the Isle of Purbeck, provide a magical place for children to explore. There are two activities for half-term in the castle grounds:

Castle Quests: From Rotten Rascals to Fabulous Feats – go on a quest around the castle and look for the shields to find out the facts. 28th May to 5th June.

Enid Blyton WW2 Day, on the 2nd June - a chance to enjoy some of Enid Blyton’s wartime stories. “Find out about the lives of her readers, many of whom were evacuees, and how she encouraged them through her magazine Sunny Stories.”

The award-winning Dinosaur Museum in Dorchester is the only museum on mainland Britain dedicated to dinosaurs. “The museum combines life-sized reconstructions of dinosaurs with fossils and dinosaur skeletons to create an exciting hands-on experience. Multimedia displays tell the story of the giant prehistoric animals and their enthralling world millions of years ago.”

Splashdown Waterpark in Poole has “some of the UK’s most exciting waterflumes. For the thrill-seekers, brave the Screamer with its sheer vertical drop. Plunge into darkness on the Black Thunder. And hold on to your pants as you shoot down the Spacebowl like a human pinball. Or if that sounds a bit like hard work, just go with the flow on the Mississippi Drifter.”

The Tank Museum in Bovington has almost 200 rare and historic vehicles on display in 6 large halls, plus action packed live displays. Open daily from 10am to 5pm

As always, this is just a small selection of what’s on offer in Dorset for half-term, and there’s much more to choose from to keep adults and children of all ages active, entertained and happy over the half term break.

To book your family-friendly and eco friendly half-term holiday in Dorset, please contact us. We look forward to hearing from you.

Abbotsbury Swannery

Abbotsbury Swannery is a natural wildlife habitat located on the Dorset coast, near the historical village of Abbotsbury. A trip to this wonderful location is a unique experience: it’s the only place in the world where you can walk through the heart of a colony of nesting Mute Swans and see the cygnets hatching.

From around the middle of May to late June, hundreds of cygnets hatch close to the pathways, giving visitors an amazing close-up view of this fantastic sight.

You and your family can also help hand feed 600 swans at the mass feeding sessions at 12.00 noon and 4.00pm each day.

You can see photos of these beautiful birds on the Abbotsbury Swannery Flickr page. They also have a Facebook page where you can keep up-to-date with the ever increasing numbers of nests, followed by the cygnets as they begin to appear in May.

All paths are accessible by wheelchair and two wheelchairs are available on loan free of charge. Dogs are not allowed into the swannery.

If you’re planning a visit to Dorset in May, we highly recommend a trip to Abbotsbury Swannery to see the cygnets. To book your eco-friendly accommodation in Dorset, please contact us. We look forward to welcoming you here.

What’s on in Dorset: May

What a busy month April has been! Mother’s Day, Easter, St. George’s Day, a Royal Wedding and bank holidays galore! And we’ve been so lucky with the weather too.

In some respects it will probably be a bit of a relief to get back to some semblance of normality this month, although before we know it, it’ll be half-term and time to think about ways to entertain the children for a week J

We’ll be posting some suggestions for half-term activities later in the month, until then here’s our usual pick of what’s on in May in Dorset.

Charcoal drawing for the terrified! On the 12th May, at The Cobb, Lyme Regis is a Charcoal Drawing Workshop based around drawing the sights around The Cobb and the harbour. It lasts all day, from 10am to 4pm and costs £25 for a half day, and £45 all day. Email lyn.whiteman@btinternet.com for more details

It’s time to don your platform shoes, massive flares and big hair for a 70s Spectacular at the Corn Exchange, Dorchester on the 14th May – from 7.45pm to midnight. The evening features V I P Abba and Reflections, and there’s a disco of course. Admission is £10 and tickets are available from Harmony Music, Trinity St, Dorchester. Telephone 01305 269360 for more information.

At the Bournemouth Pavilion on Saturday 14th May, is The Billy Fury Story – Halfway to Paradise: “the story of a shy young 19 year old Ronnie Wycherley, who went to the Birkenhead Essoldo in the hope of interesting the show’s star, Marty Wilde, with some of his compositions. Thirty minutes later rock impresario Larry Parnes had pushed him out onto the stage and re-christened him - BILLY FURY”. The performance starts at 7.30pm and tickets are £17.50 and £18.50.

On Sunday 29th May, at the Electric Palace, Bridport, The Bolshoi Theatre of Russia presents a new choreographic version of Coppelia by Sergei Vikharev, in which a beautiful mechanical doll threatens the happiness of two lovers. The performance starts at 4pm.

Sherborne Castle Country Fair takes place on the 30th May, from 10am to 6pm. The show is held in the grounds of Sherborne Castle and “this spectacular lakeside event highlights traditional rural skills, as well as those more modern.” Attractions include the Rare Breeds Show, arts and crafts stands, Terrier racing, a circus, music and dance and Chinese Dragon Boat Racing. The Fair is open from 10am to 6pm and car parking is free. Click here for entrance prices.

This is just a small sample of what’s on offer and if you plan to visit Dorset in May for any of these events or activities, please book accommodation in Dorset as soon as possible. We have a range of luxurious bed and breakfast and self-catering accommodation available for bookings, including our new self-catering Hardy Studio with its Juliet balconies and stunning sea views.