West Bay
This was about 15 min from where I was staying. It is a little coastal village along the English Channel and is home to the Jurassic Coast. As England`s first world heritage site, I would say that it`s a "can't miss." Of course, my love for rocks and the sea do make me a tad bit biased ;)
I went here with the Helen and Lucy on my first night in Dorset. It was a little overcast, but the waves were powerful and the wind was strong. I really enjoyed it! We walked up and down the boardwalk. In the summer there is a little ice cream stand along the dock, I'm told it's been there for ages. Stop and have an ice cream while visiting. Ice cream makes everything even more enjoyable.
Beaminster and Bridport
I visited both of these towns on different days. Beaminster is smaller, but the town square boasts a couple cute little shops. I especially love the Cilla and Camilla store- be sure to stop in. We were there because H and L had hair appointments, so I had some time to kill. I headed to a local coffee shop for a cuppa (cup of tea). It was so nice and made me feel like a
We then headed down the road to a little craft centre outside of town. Mom, you would have LOVED this place. There are about 5 or 6 shops, but some are bigger than others. The first one we went into was full of glass beads and glass goodies. I was terrified to break everything. The next place had a lot of nic-nacs that you could personalize. This shop would be great for birthdays, but alas, it is in Dorset. There was also an art gallery and a stone/feng shui/karma type shop.
Finally, we hit the motherload. I don't know what its called, but it is the original shop that started the centre. And it is fabulous. Scarves and teapots and gardening stuff and home decor and stationary and fascinators. OH the fascinators. I wanted to buy all of them, but settled with a peach one. Just wait until you see it- it is brilliant.
Now, Bridport. We went in for an eye appointment and to run some errands (to get things for L's prom! eek!). They have a local museum though, so we stopped in for a gander.
It is down a little side street and is free to the public. Be sure to stop. There is a vast array of information on Bridport. You see, Bridport used to be a huge rope-making town. They have crazy wide roads because they would stretch the rope across the streets to dry. But back to the museum- there is this video that you can watch that explains so much about the 'old way of life' and about the rope making. It is narrated by locals that were part of it. I was interested the entire time. I learned so much. You see, there used to be hooks outside of everyone's front door to make fish nets. The moms would weave the nets as the children would make sure that needles stayed threaded. They were paid about a penny for every 20 needles- a fortune back then. It really was a family affair.
Weymouth
I went to Weymouth with Josie, the lovely Dorset County organizer. She picked me up at the Wallbridge's to move house on the Friday I was there. On our way in to Dorchester, where she works, we stopped at Weymouth.
You may have heard the name before because it's where
The town was so nice! We drove along a main drag that was right on the beach. There were army guys on the beach doing training exercises and the water was so blue! I wish I could have gone for a swim.
We then made our way past the people and full marinas to Portland. We saw Chesil Beach which was quite neat!
Dorchester
Dorchester was a stop-over of sorts. I was on my way to Stalbridge to stay with my second host family and I got the chance to explore the city a bit.
I mostly did some window shopping down a street that is closed to traffic. Sadly, I don't know the name BUT I do know that shopping in Dorchester is very nice! I went to Thorntons Chocolate and purchased the most delicious chocolate I have ever had. Ever. I went back and bought three more to take home ;)
You see friends, I wish I could go into detail about all the fabulous shops, but let's be honest here. I'm more of a window shopper :) I did, however, make my way into this one shop, Medusa Apothecary. It was all SO expensive. Nice, but Expensive. I left empty handed.
But I did find a little gem- The Dorchester Wildlife Garden:
And while it was overcast and wet, the garden was lovely. I was the only person there- my own secret garden!
Now, there is TONS to do in Dorchester, but I only had about an hour or so to explore. If you go, make your way to the nearest visitor information centre and get some pamphlets. There is so much to do- including a King Tut museum!
Some other things that you should do in Dorset(and surrounding areas):
Stonehenge: I cannot even tell you how much I loved seeing Stonehenge. I didn't think I was going to see it. The first night that I was at Tom and Louise's, they asked if I wanted to see it. It was only 45mins away. It was the day after the Solstice so there was tons of security and it was locked up. BUT it was sunset, and I LOVED it.
Cerne Abbas Giant:
Yup, it's quite...large. The chalk drawing is 180 ft tall. It's supposed to help fertility. Read more.
Gold Hill: It's the site of the famous Hovis Bread Commercial. The hill is in Shaftsbury and is SO STEEP.
I also visited Sherbourne Abbey (SO PRETTY) and King Alfred's tower, just to name a few. The thing about England is that every little town has something to see and to do. You need to make friends with a local and just explore. You will not be disappointed by what you find :)
