Dorset

Introduction

Durdle Door, Dorset

© davidx

Dorset in South West England is bordered by Devon, Somerset, Wiltshire and Hampshire.

Geography

The south of Dorset from Lyme Regis to Poole is coast, much of it being highly fossiliferous. It includes the region of Portland where the eponimous stone is found. Nearly half of the county, including its coast, is classified as an AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty)

Cities and larger towns

• Bournemouth
• Dorchester - the county town
• Sherborne
• Poole
• Bridport
• Lyme Regis
• Weymouth
• Swanage

Important smaller towns and villages

• Cerne Abbas
• Portland
• Corfe Castle.
• Abbotsbury
• Osmington Mills
• Lulworth
• Tolpuddle

Sights and Activities

• Durdle Door
• Chesil Beach
• Maiden Castle

Getting There

By Plane

Bournemouth Airport (BOH) is the main airport. Ryanair has flights to/from Alicante, Lanzarote, Carcassonne, Dublin, Edinburgh, Faro, Girona, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Limoges, Málaga, Marseille, Murcia, Palma de Mallorca, Pisa, Reus (Barcelona and Tenerife-South.
Thomson Airways serves quite a few cities as well, among which several of the above and Antalya, Bodrum, Corfu, Crete, Monastir, Rhodes, Rovaniemi, Salzburg, Grenoble and Ibiza.

By Boat

France

• Brittany Ferries between Cherbourg and Poole.
• Condor Ferries between St Malo and Poole and Weymouth

Jersey and Guernsey

• Condor Ferries from Guernsey and Jersey to Weymouth and Poole

Sleep

There are many smaller Bed and Breakfast establishments along the Esplanade in Weymouth. The nine bedroom family friendly Morven House is in Westerhall Road (telephone 01305785075) and is close to the attractive Greenhill Gardens and Greenhill Beach.