Adventure and Activity Holidays in Dorset

For those of you who like active holidays with plenty of adventure, fun and activities, Dorset has so much to offer. There’s a wealth of activities to choose from, and there’s always something that will appeal to everyone in the family. Here’s our selection of just a few possibilities to give you an idea of the fun you can have on holiday in Dorset!

Rock climbing – a wide range of exciting and fun rock climbing courses and taster sessions is available, both indoors and outdoors.

Horse riding – what a wonderful way to explore the beautiful coastline and countryside of Dorset. Choose from forest, beach or countryside rides, or tailor-made excursions.

Cycling – Dorset has some excellent cycle routes and what better way to explore our stunning countryside, quaint villages and historic towns than a leisurely cycle ride. Take a picnic, or visit one of the many pubs or restaurants offering a warm welcome, a cold drink and a delicious meal.

Archery – try your hand at this ancient sport. Minimum age 12 years.

Walking – Dorset is a truly fantastic place for a walking holiday, of course, and we are perfectly located as a base for coastal or countryside walks with breath-taking scenery and fascinating historical locations.

Quad biking – Gorcombe has twenty miles of tracks with something for everybody’s level: from “petrol heads to conservative thrill seekers”.

Fishing – for those who prefer their activities a little more sedate, nothing beats a summer afternoon’s fishing on the banks of a peaceful river or lake in Dorset.

Microlight flying lessons – discover the beauty of Dorset from the air and get a unique perspective on landmarks such as the Cerne Abbas Giant.

Coasteering - climb and jump off the rocks along Dorset’s coast, and visit rarely explored caves, tunnels and plunge pools.

Zorbing – rolling downhill in a transparent orb! You can even have a go at hydro zorbing: not only do you get to slip, slide and revolve at speed inside your plastic orb, but you’re also joined by 20 litres of cold water!

Kayaking – explore the beautiful Jurassic coast in a kayak.

Power boating – for a more adrenaline-filled view of the Jurassic coast, how about a ride in a high-speed power boat?

Kitesurfing and windsurfing – learn how to kitesurf and windsurf in the safe waters of Poole Harbour, with fully qualified instructors.

When you’re planning your activities for summer, you couldn’t choose a better place to stay than Chesil Beach Lodge. Please contact us to find out more about our eco-friendly holiday accommodation in Dorset, and to book one of our stunning bed and breakfast rooms or self-catering apartments.

Culture and Heritage Holidays in Dorset

Dorset has so much to offer everyone who visits this beautiful county and if you enjoy learning about an area’s culture and history when you’re on holiday, we’ve included a few locations and facts to give you just a taste of Dorset’s rich heritage.

Castles in Dorset

Corfe Castle – majestic ruins with a colourful history, on the peninsula named the Isle of Purbeck.

Highcliffe Castle, Christchurch, is described as “arguably the most important surviving house of the Romantic and Picturesque style of architecture, which flourished at the end of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century.”

Sandsfoot Castle, near Weymouth - a Tudor stronghold built in 1539 by Henry Vlll.

Sherborne Castle was built by Sir Walter Raleigh in 1594 and has been the stately home of the Digby family since 1617. It has “a glorious variety of decorative styles from over 400 years of English history” and the 50-acre lake was created by Capability Brown.

Country Houses

Athelhampton House, near Dorchester, was built in 1485 and has been in private ownership for over 500 years. The gardens boast a variety of woodland scenes, formal architecture, river walks along the River Piddle, wonderful pyramid shaped Yew trees and an ancient dovecote; and are all open to the public.

The 17th century Kingston Lacy house and gardens is owned by the National Trust and boasts lavish interiors and an outstanding art collection that includes paintings by Rubens, Van Dyck, Titian and Tintoretto, plus the largest private collection of Egyptian artefacts in the UK.

Wolfeton House, Charminster, is a medieval and Elizabethan manor house with magnificent plasterwork and panelling, a medieval gatehouse and a chapel and Cyder House.

Historic Landmarks

Cerne Abbas Giant - a 180 foot man carved into the chalk rock and he’s believed to be an ancient fertility symbol with the power to help childless couples to conceive.

Gold Hill in Shaftesbury was made famous by the 1970s Hovis advertisement directed by Ridley Scott, and its steep cobbled road is a popular destination for visitors. At the top of Gold Hill is Gold Hill Museum, a traditional sandstone cottage that once provided accommodation for the drovers, jugglers and traders who came to Shaftesbury’s markets and fairs.

Literature and authors

Dorset is Thomas Hardy country, of course, and is the birthplace of this famous author. Hardy Cottage, at Higher Brockhampton, is owned by the National Trust and is open to the public.

The Hardy Trail takes you around the locations where Hardy wrote and lived.

The Dorset countryside has inspired many authors, and novels set in Dorset include:

• On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan


• The Black Tower by P. D. James (and others by the same author)


• The French Lieutenant’s Woman by John Fowles


• Thank you, Jeeves by P. G. Wodehouse


• The Devil’s Feather by Minette Walters

And see our previous post for some of the fascinating film and TV locations in Dorset.

Museums

Dorset County Museum – fascinating collections and exhibitions relating to the archaeology, natural sciences, natural history, literature, music, fine and decorative arts, antiquities and local history of the county of Dorset.

Poole Museum’s exhibits include a 2,300-year-old log boat - one of the largest surviving prehistoric artefacts of its kind in Britain - and a ceramics gallery featuring a significant collection of world-famous Poole Pottery.

If you’re planning to visit Dorset over the summer, don’t forget to book your bed and breakfast accommodation in Dorset or self catering accommodation in Dorset as soon as possible.

What’s on in Dorset – Summer Holidays Start Here

Here is a round up of events in July: there is non-stop culture whether you love classic cars, classic Rock, or rhythm and blues!

Classics at the Castle on 17^th July at Sherborne Castle, 10am-4pm, is a very popular classics and supercar show. Over 1,000 cars will be on show including fantastic displays of Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Aston Martins, Porsches, Rolls Royces, Bentleys and many more popular classics. Arrival of the Veteran Car Tour is at 11:30am: arrival of Dorset Classic Car Tour is at 12:30pm

Friday 22 July, Desperado : The Heart of the Eagles - an evening of classic Eagles’ songs including Hotel California, New York Minute, Life in the Fast Lane, Wasted Time, One of These Nights, The Last Resort, Lyin’ Eyes, New Kid in Town, Take It to the Limit, The Long Run, Heartache Tonight – all brought to you by the six-piece ensemble Desperado at the Regent Centre, Christchurch.

23^rd July at Sherborne Castle - Jools Holland and his rhythm and blues orchestra, plus special guests, promise a night of outstanding music so “pack a picnic, grab your friends and get ready to boogie-woogie with the maestro”. Gates open at 5pm and tickets are available from Octagon Theatre, Yeovil on 01935 422884: the Sherborne Tourist Information Centre on 01935 815341, and the Dorchester Tourist Information Centre on 01305 267992.

Dreamboats Race Day takes place on the 24^th July at 2.30pm and is a popular annual event where local clubs, pubs and others enter a team of three and compete for the coveted trophy and prizes of Ringwood Ale: an entertaining afternoon for all the family with music, barbecue and raffle.

On the 27^th July is an open air performance of Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations, from 7pm - 10pm at Highcliffe Castle. “A terrifying encounter with an escaped convict on the wild Kent marshes; a summons to meet the decaying Miss Havisham; the sudden appearance of a mystery benefactor - this series of events change the orphaned Pip’s life forever as he eagerly abandons his humble origins to become a gentleman.
From the misty marshes to the dusty, dirty streets of London; we bring you our brand new adaptation of Dickens’s most enduringly popular and atmospheric novel which delivers high comedy and dark drama as we follow Pip’s journey through adversity to discover the true nature of his ‘great expectations’”.

29^th – 31^st the award-winning Camp Bestival takes place on the 29^th to 31^st July at Lulworth Castle, against the stunning backdrop of the Jurassic coastline. Awards for this music festival promises fun for all the family and was awarded ‘Best Family Festival’ in 2009 and 2010 by UK Festival Awards. Day tickets are available from the Heritage Centre in West Lulworth.

Here at Chesil Beach Lodge we offer a choice of delightful and sustainable bed and breakfast and self-catering accommodation in a stunning location on the Jurassic Coast, and within easy travelling distance of these, and many more, fantastic local events and attractions.

Please contact us for more details, or to book accommodation.

What’s on in Dorset: July

Hello everyone. We hope June was a good month for you.

Throughout July, we thought we would have a few posts about how wonderful Dorset is for all types of holiday. Look out for our posts about cultural, adventure and beach based holidays, with lots of suggestions about events, activities and places to visit.

There’s a huge choice of things to do in Dorset over the summer, and here’s our pick of some of the best for July.

The Christchurch Music Festival takes place on the 1^st to 3^rd of July at Christchurch Quay. A weekend of dance, dance demonstrations and live music from 16 bands starts on Friday at 6.00pm, and on Saturday & Sunday from midday. There will also be refreshments, a bar and stalls.

2^nd to 3^rd July is the intriguing sounding Anonymous Travelling Market at Osprey Quay, Portland Harbour. The Anonymous Travelling Market is “in cahoots with The Boat that Rocks. Let's get nautical and see where the Olympics are going to take place. Hoo-ray and up she rises!” Lots of stalls and live music for all..

1^st to 9^th July Tivo: Le Resitance, a clown show direct from New York, at The Lyric Theatre, Barrack St, Bridport. The shows start at 8pm (doors open at 7.30pm). Tickets cost £8 and are available from Lyric Theatre, Bridport Music, The Bookshop and Fruits of the Earth, Bridport.

Spirit of the Sea on 2^nd to 10^th July is the annual Weymouth and Portland Maritime Festival: a celebration of the area’s close relationship with the sea which “brings together a range of sporting activities, cultural events and entertainment.” A packed programme of events includes live music, sailing regattas, a carnival procession, gymnastic display, kayak and wind surfing taster sessions, Tudor picnic at Sandsfoot Castle Gardens, Big Grove Summer Festival and a Thomas Hardy Chesil and Portland ramble across some of the spectacular Dorset coastal scenery that features in Hardy’s poetry and novels.

5th July - The Pilgrims Progress at the Regent Centre, Christchurch: a modern dramatization of the classic tale by John Bunyan. Follow Christian as he sets out on a dangerous adventure, a journey that will see him encounter friends, companions and enemies along the way. Will he ever reach the Heavenly City? Join the Saltmine Theatre Company on the trip of a lifetime. A brand new production for 2011. Suitable for everyone aged 12 plus.

8^th to 9^th July, an Italian Food Market in South Street, Dorchester, from 9am to 5pm.

9^th July is Yeovilton Air Day – this year the day celebrates 40 years of the Lynx Helicopter. “An extensive flying and static display will take place to mark this anniversary with historic aircraft such as the resident RNHF’s Swordfish, Sea Fury and Sea Hawk coming together with other classic aircraft and their modern counterparts to highlight the role that Fleet Air Arm Squadrons have played, and continue to play, in operations throughout the decades to the present day.

Cerne Abbas Music Festival takes place on the 8^th – 10^th July at St Mary's Church, Cerne Abbas. This year’s programme includes a performance of Prokoviev's Peter and the Wolf for music lovers of all ages.

Here at Chesil Beach Lodge we offer a choice of delightful and sustainable bed and breakfast and self-catering accommodation in a stunning location on the Jurassic Coast, and within easy travelling distance of these, and many more, fantastic local events and attractions.

Please contact us for more details, or to book accommodation.