Dorset is just like an AGA lover, it's mad about food! From the first farmers' market in Bridport to the original home of River Cottage near Beaminster, Dorset means farms, fresh produce, micro-breweries, artisan bakeries and award winning farmers' shops. Visitors looking for cottages to rent in Dorset are bound to find delight on their doorstep. From the Seafood Festival in Weymouth to the Dorset Knob Throwing and Food Fest in Cattistock; from the Cheese Festival in Sturminster Newton to the Eat Dorset Food Fair in Beaminster, there are plenty of fun events to delight the discerning foodies who rent an AGA holiday cottage.
If you fancy finding out about local beer, apart from the traditional village pubs, Hall & Woodhouse in Blandford and Palmers in Bridport offer breweries tours. There are also several vineyards from Purbeck to Salway Ash, Poole to Charminster with tours and of course, tastings.
Quick Links
Dorset Attractions
Top 10 Things to Do in Dorset
Places to go:
Abbotsbury Swannery
Abbotsbury Gardens
Bridport Museum
Beamisnter
Golden Cap
Jurassic Coast
Mapperton
Palmers Brewery Tours
Beach Information:
Dorset Dog Friendy Beaches
Families who look for AGA cottages to rent in Dorset will find plenty for children to do. Fossil hunting on the beach at Charmouth; trails, a steam railway and a Go Ape high wire adventure course at the Moors Valley Country Park near Ringwood; or indoor and outdoor fun at Adventure Wonderland in Hurn, near Bournemouth.
Rural Dorset is a haven for animals, and it's not just cows, sheep, horses, pheasants, or deer if you're lucky, you might even see an alpaca! Rare red squirrel abound on Brownsea Island in Poole Harbour, as do swans in Abbotsbury Swannery. Monkey World in Wareham is a rescue centre for apes and there are several places to watch badgers from a hide.
The South West Coast Path with the highest point on the South Coast at Golden Cap is not not the only way to find stunning views in Dorset. The county is home to the the largest Iron Age hill fort in Britain, Maiden Castle in Dorchester, Eggardon Hill is worth the climb to gaze over the Marshwood Vale. Corfe Castle looks towards Purbeck, and Henry VIII's Portland Castle overlooks Portland Harbour, home to the 2012 Sailing Olympic games and the National Sailing Academy.
Sherborne offers plenty of historic buildings including Sherborne Castle built by Sir Walter Raleigh and 15th c. manor house Athelhampton near Dorchester. They have beautiful gardens, thanks to Dorset's mild weather; as have Mapperton Garden, near Beaminster; Knoll Garden, near Wimborne Minster; or Bennetts Water Garden near Dorchester.
Visitors love Dorset's thatched cottages - from Milton Abbas to Gold Hill in Shafestbury- and its sleepy villages. Artists find inspiration in Dorset's green hills and varied coastline. From potters to painters, sculptors to furniture makers there are many galleries, studios and shops that offer original artworks. Visitors love the Dorset coast, between the child friendly beach in Lyme Regis to Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door, they will find imposing cliffs in Burton Bradstock and West Bay -backdrop to the Broadchurch TV series and to adrenalin packed Rib rides- and the unique Chesil beach where pirates used to know where they had landed at night by the size of the pebbles under their feet!
Studland beach is four miles of golden sand, Kimmeridge Bay is perfect for rock pooling. Portland offers breathtaking views over Lyme Bay and Weymouth, its quarries are famous for providing the stone for Buckingham Palace and most major London landmarks. Portland is also home to the groundbreaking MEMO project, the mass extinction monitoring observatory that proposes to inform, educate and inspire via art and science.
Whether you are Dorset born and cannot resist coming back, like Thomas Hardy or simply love to holiday here as Enid Blyton did, AGA holiday accommodation in Dorset is the homeliest way to enjoy the foodie county where rural traditions, history, coast and countryside offer the perfect holiday on a plate!
