It’s no surprise that so many artists and authors have found such inspiration in Dorset and its people; and the wonderful variety of landscapes, and heritage and wildlife locations, means there’s always something different to see and always plenty of adventures and activities to choose from.
Dorset has approximately 140 kilometres of coastline offering a great choice of sandy beaches, plus of course the wonderfully unspoilt and pebbled expanse of Chesil Bank; as well as spectacular cliffs, the South West Coast Path, and many opportunities for aquatic sports and activities. Over 40% of Dorset’s countryside has been formally designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, meaning that great lengths are gone to to preserve and enhance the natural beauty of the different areas. Locations and landscapes covered by the designation include:
- Woods and coppices such as Bracketts Coppice, Little Giant Wood, Girdlers Coppice and Piddles Wood.
- Kingcombe Meadows
- Muckleford Chalk Pit
- Powerstock Common Reserves
- Lodmoor Nature Reserve
- Hartland Moor
- Cranborne Chase
- Poole Harbour
- Brownsea Island
- Lulworth Cove
- Lulworth Castle, Maiden Castle, the Cerne Giant, Forde Abbey, and the Kingston Russell Stones
