Are you planning to explore England? Don’t miss out on the beautiful Dorset in the South!
Dorset is a county in the South of England on the coast of the English Channel. An easy two-hour leisurely drive from London will get you to Dorset and just a two-day stay is enough to discover the following gems!
Knowlton Church
It is a ruined church in a very peaceful, tranquil setting, the place for architecture photographers! You can walk around the earthworks path and go inside the ruins. It is in the middle of nowhere with long stretches of grassland all around it, a very open place with no shelter, limited parking and no toilets or café. Just you and the nature and fresh air!
It is the perfect place to bring your kids and a ball and have a sort of fun picnic day!
Badbury Rings
‘Badbury Rings’ is an Iron Age hill fort in east Dorset. A visit to this place is an opportunity to explore this fascinating area rich in history, flora and fauna. There are some excellent views across the Dorset countryside.
This is a good place for walkers! The walks are marked and some are a bit challenging. The terrain has some inclines but otherwise an easy walk on maintained gravel tracks. Lots of opportunities to lengthen or shorten this route.
Corfe Castle and Village
The romantic Corfe Castle ruins and the breath-taking views across Purbeck are worth the visit. It is Dorset’s iconic medieval castle with stunning views of the surrounding area. Absolutely brilliant.
With a lot of history from the civil war era and beyond, it is a lovely fresh air national trust site. Another attraction is a steam railway that runs about 1/2 mile away. This can add to the great views!
There is a scenic adventurous walk through the narrow path on the hill to the car park.
It is worth visiting the village nearby. The village and castle overlook a gap in the Purbeck Hills. Take a stroll through the village and stop for some English tea!
Kingston Lacy
Kingston Lacy is a beautiful country mansion built in the 17th century surrounded by gorgeous gardens and extensive parkland. The powerful Bankes family lived in this mansion for many years. It’s another beautiful National Trust property that is well maintained.
There are informative guided tours. The walls of the mansion are adorned with paintings by famous artists, there are ancient Egyptian artefacts and a stunning Spanish room with gilded leather and Venetian ceiling.
The gardens created by Henrietta Bankes are spectacular and include a Japanese garden, tea house and a shaded walk. There is also a fernery and a kitchen garden. Cherry blossoms and tulips bloom here in the spring months, and Autumn brings the vibrant colors of yellow and orange.
The Kingston Lacy Estate is enormous and is almost 8,500 acres all the way taking in the Badbury Rings. It’s a pleasure to stroll in the garden and the estate enjoying long walks. The National Trust also runs regular guided walks. Don’t forget to check out the café !
Jurassic Coast and the Durdle Door
This is the most impressive of all the Dorset attractions!
Jurassic coast, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a long coastal stretch on the English channel. Two prominent natural landmarks here are Durdle Door and the layered cliffs at nearby Lulworth Cove.
Durdle Door is a natural limestone arch, perhaps Dorset’s most photographed icon, eroded by time and nature. It is a magnificent structure. There are some awesome views, first from the car park that is high up on the cliff, and the challenging walk down to the beach through an almost 30-degree slope!
We think the whole experience and views are worth the long and hard climb back! Please do not miss it!
Beautiful!! Thank you for sharing this!!
I am very tempted to visit these places.
Dorset looks lovely! I’ve never been here, but I have had the chance to explore other parts of the English Countryside and they are always beautiful.
This place looks so beautiful, so green and peaceful! And the color of the sea is simply stunning! Dorset features places that seem great for a hiking day or a lazy Sunday!
This looks wonderful! Are there trains or some other public transport that will get you there from London?
Thanks Amy! Yes there is a National Express coach from London to Bournemouth which takes 2 hours. You should get down at the second last stop. There are trains from London to Salisbury. But once you get off the train or bus, you will need to hire a taxi or car to go around. Alternatively, you could look for tourist buses. Hope this helps.:-)
It’s great to get out into the British countryside to explore the past and make the most of the natural landscape. Looks like you made the most of your trip to Dorset .. but I must admit, that path looks daunting.
I had heard of the jurassic coast but never knew it was in England, let alone Dorset! It looks wonderful. I also like the sound of the romantic Corfe Castle. If I can take my dog I’ll definitely plan a visit some time.
Awwww, I love this place. It’s a really popular spot with families and we used to come here as kids. The Jurassic Coast is famous for fossil digging and you can often find little fossils which have come away from the main cliff face. I can remember spending hours here when I was little.
Love exploring the British countryside! Now if only I could get there…!
How quaint! What a lovely 2 day adventure! Beautiful country side with ruins! Awesome!
I love Dorset, and Corfe Castle is a wonderful place to visit. I hadn’t heard of Knowlton Church or Badbury Rings so I will definitely check them out the next time I am in that part of England.
This post reminds me why we need to plan to spend more time outside of London when we visit England. It looks like there would be lots to keep me busy on two or more days in Dorset. Those sea views alone would inspire me. Good to know that there are walks at different levels of difficulty. We would definitely want to see Durdle Door.
Dorset looks beautiful! I’m not sure I’ve ever been which is a shocking admission for a Brit! Currently, I am on the lookout for more local places to travel while we are challenged to get overseas. As you so perfectly demonstrate, there is some amazing scenery & history in the UK. I’ll add Dorset to my list…
I know what you mean Sue … since lockdown I’ve been looking at the UK with new eyes. I’ve been watching Escape to the Country on TV, and quite a few of the episodes have been set on the south coast .. Cornwall, Devon and Dorset. I’ve never been to Dorset either, and that’s quite an oversight. There’s so many fabulous parts of Britain I need to explore.
I love the English countryside! I haven’t been over to Dorset, but we were down in Brighton and I loved that. And I love exploring old ruins and imagining what life was like during that time. I think I’d enjoy it there!
Dorset clearly looks like a hidden gem. I love exploring the countryside and Dorset looks so beautiful. The pictures are so beautiful depicting the best of the natural landscape. I would love to visit this countryside someday. To be honest, I am now in a fix about the places I would like to visit when I travel to England! I think I would definitely love to include Dorset.
Dorset is a gorgeous part of England, isn’t it? Some fabulous walks around there. Didn’t know about Knowlton Church, my photographer partner would love there!
There is so much beauty in england that I never knew of, the landscapes are amaing, and there is so much history. I would love to go on a roadtrip through the countryside 🙂
Seems like the quintessential English countryside. I love the rolling green hills giving way to the amazing coastline. That arch is something you’d expect to see out in California, not England.
What a beautiful area Dorset is. I haven’t been but you are right what a hidden gem. I will definitely put it on my list for a trip. My wanderlust is kicking in big time. I need to take a trip.
Your post greeted me with a dash of green and blue! I loved reading about romantic Dorset. I would love to visit this English countryside someday!
What a great way to get a change of pace from London! The next time we visit the UK, we will have to carve out some time to visit this seaside spot – it’s so charming!
A hikers heaven, being in nature, wonderful scenery, rolling hills and sea views. Would be a great long weekend getaway.
I can’t believe that tiny little path with that very steep dropoff that you are standing on. I would have been hugging the hill! I love love LOVE UNESCO World Heritage sites, but I have to admit I didn’t know that a coastline could be one of them. Judging from your photos, I definitely thing it would be worth a tough hike to see Durdle Door and the Jurassic Coast! One more place added to my UNESCO must see list, thanks to your article!
Oh my God Dorset looks like a place straight out of a fairy tale. I loved all the things that you mentioned, from beautiful coastline to ruined churches, it has everything. My personal favourite is Kingston Lacy as it looks spectacular and also the ruined church. So amazing, adding this to my list.
I’ve wanted to visit Corfe Castle for a while, but I’ve been to durdle door a few times so I needed some other reasons to re-visit Dorset. Kingston Lacy looks fabulous I never heard of it before, so thanks for sharing that suggestion.
We’re planning to visit England next year and now we’ll surely add Dorset to our travel list. I love the British countryside and Dorset looks so charming. The ruined church, the castle, the history, and the natural landscape, Dorset surely has all things I love to explore.
Dorset looks so beautiful and picture perfect! I find British countryside to be quite enticing – the castles, ruined church and the coastline just looks out of a fairytale. I love visiting ruins and would love to explore Corfe Castle. It definitely caught my eyes and I am sure there are many interesting stories behind this place.
I love Dorset! I went on a sailboat there 2 years ago and though I am not a fan of sea voyages (I always get sea sick!), I still enjoyed the views. Durdle door was definitely my favorite and I’d always go back! I don’t see a date on your post but if this is recent, I’m going to do a short trip to the UK next month so I’ll definitely e-mail you about current situations. Thanks for sharing this, Jan!
I keep telling my boyfriend I want to go back to England because I did not do justice to it on my first trip, 10 years ago. Dorset is one of those places that I wish to visit. I’ve seen and read so much about Durdle Door, and as you say, it’s one of the most impressive attractions of Dorset. It’s on my bucket list!