Inland East Accommodation

East Dorset has some of the most extensive heathlands left in the country
The heathlands are home to rare wildlife & great for exploring on foot
Several Iron Age hillforts lie in East Dorset
Ringwood & Wareham Forests are great for family days out
The forests have waymarked cycle & walking trails
Plenty of historic sights in East Dorset like Wimborne Minster & Shaftesbury Abbey
The Purbeck Downs are a beautiful & quiet place for walking holidays
Hovis made Gold Hill in Shaftesbury famous all over the world

East Dorset Tourist Information

North eastern Dorset is a mix of rolling chalk downland and extensive heaths. The towns and villages are steeped in history and many have preserved some fantastic examples of early architecture such as Shaftesbury and Wimborne Minster as well as the predominantly Georgian Blandford Forum.

Some of East Dorset has been less explored by tourism, but that is changing as the beautiful historic sights and open countryside of East Dorset as well as its proximity of East Dorset to the New Forest in Hampshire attract increasing numbers of visitors.

The southern eastern part of Dorset is largely taken up by the Isle of Purbeck - not really an island but it has its own particular beauty that sets it apart. East Dorset is a largely rural part of Dorset where the towns are relatively small. The old market towns of East Dorset are always worth exploring for historic buildings, independent shops, markets and festivals. There are plenty of walking routes that cross this part of Dorset whether they're footpaths or bridleways or long distance walking routes.

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Dorset Heaths NNR & RSPB Holidays

Much of East Dorset was once covered in heathland. Although much of this has been lost there are several extensive areas of heathlands around the Isle of Purbeck and north east Dorset. Much of this area falls into the Dorset Heaths National Nature Reserve which contains Stoborough Heath and Hartland Moor to the south of Wareham along with the Studland and Godlingston Heath all around Studland and Holt Heath near Verwood.

The Dorset Heaths are internationally important and are home to some of Britain's rarest wildlife including sand lizards, adders, grass snakes, common lizards, slow worms, smooth snakes, Dartford warblers, nightjars as well as all the specialist plant species of heathlands.

Further north west of Studland is Arne Reedbeds National Nature Reserve. This is an excellent birdwatching reserve, largely managed by the RSPB.

Here you're likely to spot spot nightjars, Dartford warblers, avocets and hen harriers. The local Natural England office and the RSPB run regular guided walks in these areas so check the links right for up-to-date information.

Ringwood Forest, Moors Valley Park

To the east of Verwood is the huge Ringwood Forest. This is a conifer plantation that was planted over native Dorset heathland. Glades within the woodland still contain some heathland of the original habitat.

Ringwood Forest is popular for walking, cycling and horseriding. You'll find a host of waymarked trails throughout the woodland. For horse riders you ll need to obtain a Forestry Commission Riding Permit. This will open up riding trails at both Ringwood and Wareham Forests. Contact Tel: 023 8028 6838. Email: enquiries.new.forest@forestry.gsi.gov.uk.

Within Ringwood Forest is Moors Valley Country Park. This is the easiest access point to the forest and includes a large car park just off Horton Road. Buses also drop off at Moor Country Park such as the X34 from Bournemouth.

It makes a good family day out, not only for its range of recreation routes including 20 miles of waymarked walking and cycling routes, but there's also an adventure Play Trail which includes a giant ant's nest and spider's web, narrow gauge steam railway, golf course, shop and cafe! You can also hire bikes from the shop if you haven't brought your own. Check the link right for more information.

Iron Age Hill Forts Around Blandford Forum

The Downs around Blandford have yielded a huge array of ancient finds. South east of Blandford is Badbury Rings, an Iron Age hillfort that dates from 800 BC. It was in use until the Romans occupied it and four Bronze Age barrows indicate it was occupied even earlier. It is a seven hectare fort encircled by three concentric ramparts in the form of circular ditches each of which is forty feet high. It is believed that Badbury Rings is one of the settlements used by the Durotriges tribe who were also linked to the largest hill fort in Britain, Maiden Castle near Dorchester.

Three miles north west of Blandford Forum is Hod Hill that also has a large iron age hill fort, again thought to have been fortified by the Durotriges. It dates from 500 BC and archaeological investigations have revealed evidence of roundhouse huts and Roman iron ballista bolts which would have been used in battle.

Hambledon Hill prehistoric hill fort on the other hand shows no signs of ever being subject to invasion. This lies five miles north of Blandford Forum in the Blackmore Vale. The earliest sign of life was in the Neolithic period when the hill would have been wooded.

Hambledon Hill is also a National Nature Reserve due to its fantastic chalk grassland. Flowering species include milkwort, salad burnet, horseshoe vetch, squinancywort, pyramidal orchid and wild thyme. This means it is also a great place to see butterflies including dingy skipper, grizzled skipper, chalkhill blue and adonis blue. Check the weblink right for more information of now to get to the reserve.

Isle of Purbeck Holidays

The Isle of Purbeck contains some of Dorset's most iconic landscapes and historic sights. On the coast Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door and the chalk cliffs around the Studland peninsula are some of Dorset's most photographed and certainly the most stunning.

Inland there's the stunning hilltop castle at Corfe Castle, believed to date back to 6000 BC and the scene of turbulent historic events. Historic market towns and thatched cottage villages pepper the countryside and you'll find the main Purbeck Information & Heritage Centre in Wareham.

Purbeck is an excellent place for coastal and countryside walks, bird and wildlife watching. A vast area of land on Purbeck is covered by National Nature Reserves containing the country's most extensive areas of heathland, home to rare native wildlife.

Wareham Purbeck Tourist Information

Wareham is effectively the capital of the Isle of Purbeck. It is a beautiful, small historic town that became an important cross-channel port in Saxon times. Its commercial role made it a target for attacks from the Vikings so defensive walls were built to surround the town. The sea has receded so it is no longer a busy port but you can hire boats for a leisurely row along the River Frome.

Wareham is an excellent base if you want to explore the Purbeck countryside. All around the town is a network of public rights of way taking you through prime birdwatching habitat.

Wimborne Minster Tourist Guide

Wimborne Minster is a main centre in East Dorset. It's a beautiful town with a huge array of original historic buildings that have been preserved through the centuries. The breathtaking backdrop of Wimborne Minster towers over the town centre and contains several historic artefacts from Roman and Saxon times.

Wimborne is also a family friendly location with Wimborne Model Town on the outskirts of the town centre, the Priest's House Museum and of course a good choice of shops and cafes.

Blandford Forum Tourist Information

Blandford Forum is renowned for its town centre which is largely Georgian in character. The main annual event is the Georgian Fayre where period costumes are donned and market stalls line the streets.

The town is a handy shopping centre and there are several museums to keep you busy. The town is bounded by the River Stour and there are some lovely riverside walks to be had. Just outside the town is the Hall & Woodhouse Brewery. Real ales like Badger Ales are brewed here and you can visit for a brewery tour

Sturminster Newton Tourist Information

Sturminster Newton is an historic market town in the heart of Blackmore Vale in north Dorset. It was once home to Dorset poets and authors William Barnes and Thomas Hardy. It is situated in a picturesque riverside location, excellent for walks, fishing and exploring north Dorset's towns and villages.

The town comes alive with the annual Sturminster Newton Cheese Festival which has been known to attract local celebrity chefs like River Cottage based Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall.

Verwood Tourist Guide

Verwood is in the heart of the Dorset heathlands in East Dorset, north of Bournemouth. Its traditional businesses were brick and pottery making which used the local clays. Verwood is a growing tourist destination as it's well placed for exploring East Dorset and the New Forest just over the border in Hampshire. Lying only fifteen miles from Bournemouth it is within easy reach of the Dorset seaside resorts too.

This is a fantastic location for all you wildlife-lovers. The heathlands around this area are massive and there are smaller local heathlands in Verwood itself.

Central East Dorset Tourist Information

The central area of East Dorset is a rural part of the county with several interesting attractions. Lawrence of Arabia came to live in the Bovington area of Dorset and you can visit the house where he lived at Clouds Hill. Just down the road is the MOD Bovington Camp where military vehicles are put through their paces. There's a public viewing area just down the road from Clouds Hill that's worth a stop. If military tanks are your thing, try the Tank Museum. Here there's every shape and size of tank from World War I models to experimental prototypes. Moreton is where Lawrence was laid to rest after his untimely accident on the rural Dorset roads.

If you want to explore some of the countryside in the area Wareham Forest has easy to manage walking and cycling trails that takes you through conifer forest and heathland. No visit to this area of Dorset would be complete without going to the small village of Tolpuddle where events in the 19th century led to the founding of trades unions.

Corfe Castle Dorset Holidays

Corfe Castle is a popular attraction in the heart of the Isle of Purbeck. Its castle on top of a hill overlooking the town is the main National Trust attraction and was the scene of two sieges during the English Civil War.

Corfe Castle town is full of character with its Purbeck stone built cottages that line the streets. There are several attractions including a museum, model village and a good choice of shops, cafes and pubs. The Swanage Railway provides a historic train link to Corfe Castle from Swanage on the Purbeck coast and is a good way to avoid the traffic in the height of summer!

Gillingham Dorset Festival & Shows

Gillingham is Dorset's most notherly town set amongst the Blackmore Vale countryside. Thomas Hardy used it as a location in his novels and called it Leddenton. Gillingham has a historic centre with many old character buildings. St Mary the Virgin Church and the town museum have a range of interesting artefacts related to the town's history including items from the Saxons who had a stronghold here.

Gillingham becomes busier in the summer around its festivals. The Gillingham & Shaftesbury Agricultural Show is a traditional cattle show with stalls, competitions and events for a great day out. The Gillingham Festival is an annual arts festival with live music, theatre, dance, exhibitions, food and wine, antique valuations, open gardens and classic cars.

Shaftesbury Tourist Guide

The hilltop town of Shaftesbury overlooks north Dorset and the chalk hills of Cranborne Chase. It a town full of character made famous by the Hovis advert that featured the steep, cobbled Gold Hill. It is also an historic town having originated from Saxon times when King Alfred and his daughter founded the Benedictine Abbey in 888 AD.

The town is well placed for exploring Dorset as well as Wiltshire just over the border. Shaftesbury overlooks the green rolling hills of Blackmore Vale where you can find some excellent countryside walks.

Featured Dorset Accommodation

Luccombe Holidays Self Catering… - Dorset

Beautiful Period Dorset Self Catering cottages on a traditional family estate, with stunning scenery all around. Masses of activities and leisure facilities.

£290 to £1550 Per week (seasonal)