The summer holidays are well and truly upon us! We hope July was a good month for you, and that the summer weather has been kind to you.
STOP PRESSBefore we share a few of the many activities and events happening in Dorset this August, we have some Stop Press news: due to a late cancellation, we have a self-catering apartment available for the week commencing 27th August. Please contact us for more details.
So, without further ado, back to the events in and around Dorset for August:1st – 5th August Holiday Adventure Days for 8-12 year olds at Woodberry Down Activity Centre, Lyme Regis, from 9am – 4pm. Activities include beach games and beach art, campfire cooking, circus skills and bush craft.
4th August Family Fossil Day - Jurassic Seafood at Lyme Regis Museum, Bridge Street, Lyme Regis, 11am – 3.30pm. “Fossil Hunters Paddy Howe, Chris Andrew and Brandon Lennon are in the museum all day to talk about the small invertebrate fossils. Come to the rock-splitting sessions and see how fossils are hidden within stones. Cut and polish ammonite to keep. There will be impressive fossils on dispay including spectacular finds made earlier this year. Handle fossils, ask questions and bring your own fossils for identification.” Free admission.6th -14th August Lyme Regis Regatta & Carnival – this packed week of events includes the carnival procession, balloon races, sailing races, family dog show, limbo dancing, mass Chinese lantern launch over Lyme Regis, World Pebble Balancing Championships, sandcastle competition, sand sports and pavement art.
8th August - the pleasure steamer the SS Balmoral is setting sail for a cruise along the Jurassic Coast. Book your place at Bridport TIC or via Waverley Excursions.13th -14th August - a Dalek Invasion at the Fleet Air Arm Museum, RNAS Yeovilton. “Only the brave should venture to the Fleet Air Arm Museum on the weekend of August 13th and 14th as an army of Daleks accompanied by Davros, Miss Hartigan, Cybermen, Ice Warriors, Pig Slaves, Weeping Angel and more will invade the Museum. To add to the fun and terror of the day, children are encouraged to wear Sci-Fi Fancy Dress.”
14th August - Pirates Day at West Bay, 12pm to 5pm: lots and lots of pirate-themed events and games for all the family including best dressed pirate competition, walk the plank and face painting.14th – 20th August: Burton Bradstock Festival of Music and Art. The exhibition of paintings, textiles, pottery and woodwork opens at 10 am on Sunday 14 August in the village hall and will include work by some of the finest artists in the South-West including Terry Unsworth, Jake Winkle, John Rabbitts and Lynda White. Visitors will be able to buy work priced from £30 to £300, as well as prints and greeting cards featuring original designs. The art exhibition will be open daily 10–7pm until Friday 18th, then Saturday 20th 10–4 pm and Sunday 21st 10–12 noon.
Music events include orchestral concerts, evening and lunchtime recitals, jazz and World music, intimate late evening performances, and an art exhibition. Most of the concerts take place in Burton Bradstock’s exquisite 16th century church.18th August – Smugglers, Lyme Regis Museum, Bridge Street, Lyme Regis, at 2.30pm. “Thea Hawkesworth presents the facts about smuggling in the West Country in the 17th and 18th Centuries. Small fishing communities supplemented their incomes this way, and famous local smugglers such as Jack Rattenbury made their living transporting contraband. Lively true stories for all ages.”
25th August Melplash Agricultural Show.
31st August to 4th September, the Great Dorset Steam Fair, South Down, Tarrant Hinton, Nr Blandford – a huge variety of exhibitions and attractions covering 600 acres.This is just a small sample of what’s happening in August and if you plan to visit our beautiful county for your summer or autumn break, please book your accommodation in Dorset as soon as possible. We have a range of luxurious bed and breakfast and self-catering accommodation available for bookings, and we look forward to sharing the delights of Dorset with you and your family.
