Day tripping in Dorset?
Let us tell you about this quiet “area of outstanding natural beauty” (AONB) in southern England, and our pleasant two days there.
We enjoyed a visit to a Tudor Manor house and gardens, explored the New forest and its ponies, strolled through a picturesque village with thatched cottages, and finally had a long walk on a beach.
ATHELHAMPTON HOUSE AND GARDENS
This is a beautiful Tudor (15th century) Manor House located in the middle of Dorset. It is both extensive and impressive, with interesting rooms and halls showcasing Tudor architecture. The Great Hall built in 1485 has the original hammer-beam roof, carved stonework and stained glass. The house is closely linked with Thomas Hardy who was a regular visitor.
The rooms are filled with antique furnishings and artistic examples. But (perhaps) even more attractive are the gardens, dating from 1485 and remodelled in 1891. It was a pleasure to walk around the ponds and fountains. The Yew tree pyramids are a feast for the eyes.
There is an 8-minute film describing the Thomas Hardy connections and details of the house. There is a good visitor centre and a restaurant and tea room as well as a gift shop. We had some “propah” English afternoon tea – the full Monty.
You could easily spend a couple of hours here learning the history and enjoying the garden and tea room.
MILTON ABBAS
A classic English village tucked in a beautiful countryside between Blandford Forum and Dorchester – Milton Abbas can be a photographer’s delight with its typical old-style cottages in a pretty wooded valley.
Joseph Damer, the first Earl of Dorchester, who owned Milton Abbey House in the 1770s, wanted some peace and quiet and created this new village with 36 similar looking cottages.
A famous landscape gardener (named Capability Brown) worked with architect William Chambers to create the design of this pretty village, perhaps one of the first planned settlements in England.
Things to do in Milton Abbas
We enjoyed a leisurely walk along the only street admiring the chocolate-box type cottages and taking in the village views. If you like, you can visit the Abbey Church and the Abbey House (now a private school) and have a drink at its only pub.
Every year or two, the villagers celebrate the Milton Abbas heritage with a street fair featuring homemade buntings, special costumes, stalls and dancing. We did not get to see that though.
NEW FOREST
Located in an area between Southampton and Bournemouth, the New Forest as it exists today is due to the years of animals grazing on the heathland.
The landscape of England’s smallest national park has changed little since the time William the Conqueror first saw the expansive heathland with deer, wild woods and lovely glades over 900 years ago.
Even today, ponies, deer and cattle roam and graze freely. But major roads run through the forest with no barriers on either side, probably a ‘compromise’ between the freedom of movement of both cars and animals.
The Ponies of New Forest
The new forest ponies here have coexisted with humans for centuries. The ponies, owned by New Forest ‘Commoners’, are wild and running free, but easy to train. The Agisters oversee the animals especially in case of traffic accidents. Then there are Verderers who have administrative control of the stallions in the new forest.
Interestingly, we found the ponies with their tails cut or marked in an unique way (see image) to show who the owner is.
What can you do in New Forest?
The landscape is peaceful. We drove around and stopped at various points to view and take pictures of these wild animals.
Incidentally, we had a unique experience of a horse that stuck its head into our car (image below) while we were busy taking pictures through the other window! A bit of a scare but as the car started, it moved off!
There are several countryside hiking/ walking places and off-road cycle tracks. Some of these paths require waterproof boots, while others are on dry terrain.
We walked in a place called Black water with redwood and firs. There are two easy trails here – Arboretum trail and Tall trees trail starting from convenient car parks. This place also has mobile vans selling ice cream and snacks.
HIGHCLIFFE BEACH
High Cliffe beach is a sand & shingle beach with superb views across to the Isle of Wight.
There is ample parking at the cliff top car park and toilets and refreshments are available at the popular Cliffhanger café by the car park.
The paths to the beach are rather steep but it is worth the effort to climb down and back up again. If time permits, you could walk round to Avon beach and check out the Highcliffe castle as well – long, dog-friendly walk with great views.
If you have another two days or a weekend in Dorset, you could explore other gems in this part of England – the Durdle door, Corfe Castle, Knowlton Church and Kingston Lacy.
Our little Mantra – go for a leisurely drive without an itinerary in the countryside of England, or almost anywhere else and there is many a ‘Dorset’ waiting to be discovered. Try it!
I love touring through big, old homes, to Athelhampton totally has my attention. Those gardens are incredible!
Oh no…missed going to Dorset. Love the abbey, the ponies and the thatched cottages!!!
What a unique way to identify your horse from other owners. The beach and the whole area is beautiful.
Dorset looks like a lovely area to spend a few days! I’d love to check out High Cliffe beach, it looks beautiful. Also, those horses are adorable! I can’t believe one put their head right in your car!
I love your mantra! You never know what you’ll find. And you found some charming spots. Would love to have a pony peek its head in my car window!
Dorset looks like a lovely spot to enjoy a few days. The Athelhampton House and Gardens would certainly take me back in time. I love that there are lots of outdoor spaces to explore. But I am sure that being the New Forest ponies would be a real treat. Those tails sure are quite unique. We would definitely plan enough time to see the gems in this area.
What a lovely way to spend a day. The 15th century Athelhampton House is a beautiful historic home with gardens. I would love to see those yew trends. And then to cap it off with a beach walk too.
Looks lovely I’d love to see the wild horses!
LOL, you had me at the full Monty but then I was thinking of something else. 😉 The horse putting his head through the window would have freaked me out too. Dorset is what all Americans think England is like – charming villages, greenery, with lots of history. That’s probably why I want to visit. Enjoyed learning that Milton Abbas was England’s first planned settlement.
During my trip to England, I had no time to visit Dorset, but for sure I would love to go back and see this place. Especially I would like to visit Tudor Manor House, as I love the architecture of the 15th century. Also, 36 similar-looking cottages in Milton Abbas are so pretty and photogenic that I would like to walk on those streets. The landscape in New Forest with those beautiful horses is fantastic also! It’s an amazing guide to Dorset!
I’ve never visited Dorset before but these days out all look incredible! I’ll have to plan a trip! Athelhampton House and Gardens looks stunning! That’s my kind of place for a day out! Thanks for the great guide!
Gorgeous area (you can see why they designated it an AONB!) I always love hiking in this area, the New Forrest is so flipping pretty! I’d never noticed the ponies’ tails being trimmed in that cool way to show who owns them! That’s really cool.
It’s marvelous to immerse in this kind of heritage and history. Some pleasant days to be had, indeed! I’d love to live in Milton Abbas, such a fascinating village!
Aw! The street festival in Milton Abbas seems so lovely. Honestly, anywhere in England seems so serene and ethereal. I’ve only ever been to London, but I need to venture out to some of these places next time I head to the UK!
Dorset looks like a lovely area to spend a few days! I’d love to live in Milton Abbas, such an amazing village! I will surely give it a try.
So cool to see those ponies in their natural landscape. And those pretty homes and cottages – they make such interesting tours. I definitely would love to check out the Thomas Hardy one. Sometimes, the smaller places give you a better travel experience
This looks like such a lovely place to visit. Not only the sceneries, but also the traditional buildings are truly beautiful. Also, you were lucky with the weather as in many pictures from the UK, the sky is grey and cloudy. Here, the sceneries are under the bluest sky – how beautiful!
Another beautiful area in England. Those trees sculptures are really beautiful. But I found the horse tails that cut different ways to tell the owners are smart yet hilarious.
I love the old homes and gardens. It’s like you can feel the history in the rooms.
Another fascinating read, with lovely photos as always. Dorset really is beautiful. I like your mantra.
Those ponies are so cute! I’d love to spend some time in Dorset and visit all of the spots you mentioned. Sounds like a great time! Xx Sara
The New Forest is one of my favourite places in England to visit! I will definitely check out Highcliffe Beach next time I’m in Dorest, thank you for the recommendations.
All those horses are so cute! Also I love the architecture of the place! it seems such a lovely location to spend a weekend (or more) to be in peace and appreciate good moments in life! Thanks for sharing this!
Why are all the gardens I see in England SO beautiful!? This looks like a lovely place to spend the day and walk around. I would love to see it in person!