Abbotsbury Children’s Farm occupies the 1000-year old site of the former St Peter’s Monastery in Abbotsbury, near Weymouth in Dorset. The Tithe Barn in the centre of the farm dates…
Attractions in Dorset (Further Afield)
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Adventure Wonderland (Christchurch)
Merritown Lane, Hurn, Christchurch, Dorset, BH23 6BALittle and big kids alike will delight in a day out at Adventure Wonderland. Tucked in a prime location opposite Bournemouth International Airport and just ten minutes from the town centre,…
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Bournemouth Aviation Museum (Christchurch)
Merritown Lane, Hurn, Christchurch, Dorset, BH23 6BAIf an invitation to Bournemouth’s Aviation Museum gives you visions of a stuffy old building filled to the brim with cabinets of flight memorabilia and papier mache models of some…
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Bournemouth Drive-In Movies (Christchurch)
Hurn Bridge Show Field, Parley Lane, Christchurch, Dorset, BH23 6AD.You might believe that drive-in cinemas are the reserve of teens and college students in 1950s United States and films such as Grease with their iconic drive-in scenes can seem…
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Christchurch a historic town dating back to Norman times, is situated where two delightful rivers, the Avon and the Stour meet. The famous Priory and historical quarter is close to…
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Compton Acres (Poole)
164 Canford Cliffs Road, Poole, Dorset, BH13 7ESAs one of the country’s few remaining privately-owned garden attractions, you would be forgiven for dismissing Compton Acres as the ideal venue for a spring or summer day trip; the…
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Dorset Heavy Horse Farm Park & Rescue Centre (Verwood)
Edmondsham Road, Verwood, Dorset, BH21 5RJIf you want to visit a big-name family attraction and support a worthy cause at the same time the Dorset Heavy Horse Farm Park & Rescue Centre ticks all the…
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Durdle Door (Wareham)
West Lulworth, Wareham, Dorset, BH20 5PUAsk anyone about Dorset’s Jurassic Coast and Durdle Door is likely to be one of the first things they mention. This globally-famed Portland limestone arch was created some 10,000 years…
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Farmer Palmer’s Farm Park (Poole)
Wareham Road, Organford, Poole, Dorset, BH16 6EUFor all the fun of the farm and much more, trot on down to Farmer Palmer’s just off the Dorset Way in Organford, Poole. This fun family attraction is home…
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Go Ape – Moors Valley (Ashley Heath)
Moors Valley Country Park and Forest, Horton Road, Ashley Heath, Dorset, BH24 2ETNestled in the forest in the heart of Moors Valley Country Park is a thrilling high-wire adventure course way up in the trees! Go Ape is a thrill-a-second escapade leading…
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Highcliffe Castle (Christchurch)
Rothesay Drive, Highcliffe, Christchurch, Dorset, BH23 4LEHighcliffe Castle is a magnificent Georgian Gothic Revival structure set in beautiful grounds just minutes from its own peaceful stretch of golden beach overlooking Christchurch Bay. Mr Selfridge The castle…
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Honeybrook Farm & Riverside Park (Wimborne)
Stanbridge, Wimborne Minster, Dorset, BH21 4JDJust a couple of miles north of Wimborne, the Honeybrook Family Farm and Riverside Park is packed with rural attractions for the whole family, spread out over a vast 84-acre…
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Jetski Safaris (Poole)
Salterns Marina, 40 Salterns Way, Poole, Dorset, BH14 8JRThere can be few more thrilling coastlines than Bournemouth and Poole’s breath-taking Jurassic coast. And no more heart-pounding way to explore it than by riding on a jetski! Jetski Safaris…
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Lulworth Cove
West Lulworth Village, Dorset, BH20 5RNBournemouth is seriously blessed to be located at the start of the Jurassic Coast, a dramatic and history-steeped coastline decorated with breath-taking sea-sculptures and dotted with fossils. Lulworth Cove, just…
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Minterne House and Gardens (Dorchester)
Minterne Magna, Dorchester, Dorset, DT2 7AUMinterne House is a grand private residence owned by the Digby and Churchill families for over 350 years. This lavish address is nestled in the pretty Dorchester village of Minterne…
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Monkey World Ape Rescue Centre (Wareham)
Longthorns, Wareham, Dorset, BH20 6HHMonkey World, in Wareham is just a 30-minute drive from Bournemouth and is a real inspiration if you’re looking for a different way to spend the day. Dedicated to rescuing…
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Moors Valley Country Park and Forest (Ashley Heath)
Horton Road, Ashley Heath, Dorset, BH24 2ETMoors Valley Country Park and Forest is a popular outdoor attraction for families and people of all ages. The venue has a lot of elements – two vast and enclosed play…
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Moors Valley Railway (Ashley Heath)
Moors Valley Country Park, Horton Road, Ashley Heath, Dorset, BH24 2ETPart of the popular Moors Valley Country Park on the edge of Ringwood Forest, the Moors Valley Railway is a local attraction in its own right. It was built back…
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Poole features the second largest natural harbour in the world (after Sydney), and boasts a unique mix of beaches, history, attractions, shopping and nightlife. There are five gently sheltered beaches…
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Poole has the second largest natural harbour in the world after Sydney, Australia, and is a hub of industry. Its commercial history dates back to the mid-15th century, where Poole…
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Poole Park
Parkstone Road, Poole, Dorset, BH15 2SFIf you’re looking for the tranquillity of a beautiful parkland greenspace but without a long trek from the town, Poole Park might just be your perfect retreat. This large Victorian…
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Portland Castle
Liberty Road, West Kennet Avenue, Portland, Dorset, DT5 1AZBack in the reign of Henry VIII, when the shores of Weymouth and Portland were prime pickings for invasion by the French and Spanish, the coastal fort of Portland Castle…
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Putlake Adventure Farm (Swanage)
High Street, Langton Matravers, Swanage, Dorset, BH19 3EUIt can be difficult to find new places to entertain the troops when it’s not beach weather. Putlake Adventure Farm in Swanage could be just the ticket. This children’s farm…
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Sherborne Castle and Gardens
New Road, Sherborne, Dorset, DT9 5NRThe magnificent Sherborne Castle in Dorset was built by Sir Walter Raleigh in 1594 and has been in the hands of the present owners – the Wingfield Digby family –…
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Snowtrax (Christchurch)
Matchams Lane, Hurn, Christchurch, Dorset, BH23 6AWSkiing might not be the most obvious activity on your Bournemouth seaside town to-do list but Snowtrax (formerly the Christchurch Ski Centre) is a popular haunt for those preparing for…
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Spashdown (Poole)
Tower Park, Poole, Dorset, BH12 4NYIf swimming lengths isn’t your thing or you want more fun from your trip to the pool, Tower Park’s Splashdown is a fluming great day out! It’s packed with waterslides…
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Stapehill Abbey (Wimborne)
Wimborne Road West, Wimborne, Dorset, BH21 2EBStapehill Abbey was originally a 19th century Cistercian abbey shrouded in beautiful, award-winning gardens, a Japanese garden, nuns’ chapel and Victorian parlour. The Holy Cross Abbey order of Cistercian Trappist…
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The coastal town of Swanage has seen many things during it’s long, rich history in Dorset, England. To the Eastern side of the Isle of Purbeck lies Swanage. This civil…
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Swanage Pier
Pier Approach, Swanage, Dorset, BH19 2AWIf you want a glimpse of the glory days of Britain’s seaside towns, a trip to Swanage and its historic pier is a must. Built in 1859/60 the original pier…
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Swanage Railway, in Dorset
Station House, Swanage, Dorset, BH19 1HBSwanage Railway is a fully-operating heritage steam railway station in the heart of the Purbecks. It opened in 1885 and provided a branch line service between Wareham and Swanage. In…
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Another striking section of Dorset’s majestic Jurassic Coast, the Isle of Purbeck is a wonderful sight on a clear day with views across Brownsea Island all the way around to…
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The Kingcombe Centre (Dorchester)
The Kingcombe Centre, Toller Porcorum, Dorchester, Dorset, DT2 0EQWe’re so spoilt living in our beautiful corner of the world. If you love the natural world you might be interested to visit the Kingcombe Centre in Dorchester. This outdoors…
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Christchurch is a popular venue for boaters with its pretty Town Quay and links to the sea. The town’s location, where the River Avon from Salisbury (Wiltshire), Ringwood (Hampshire) and St…
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The Secret Garden at Serles House (Wimborne)
Serles House, 47 Victoria Road, Wimborne, Dorset, BH21 1ENThis charming ‘oriental garden’ in Wimborne is actually the private garden of a Mr Ian Willis. But after catching the eye of the Wimborne in Bloom panel in 2001 and…
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The Town Mill (Lyme Regis)
Mill Lane, Lyme Regis, Dorset, DT7 3PUA visit to Lyme Regis gives you a glimpse into the simple beauty of Dorset. Largely unspoilt, it’s modern in measures but has managed to preserve the town’s endearing charm.…
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The Tudor House Museum (Weymouth)
3 Trinity Street, Weymouth, Dorset, DT4 8TWIf you’ve wandered around charming Weymouth wondering what life was like there “way back when it was an important port for trade and exploration, duck into the Tudor House Museum…
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Tyneham Village (Wareham)
MOD Ranges, East Lulworth, Wareham, Dorset, BH20 5QFWelcome to Dorset’s forgotten village. Tyneham is literally a snapshot of 1943, the year the last residents were given 28 days’ notice to leave this sleepy little village so it…
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Upton Country Park (Poole)
Poole Road, Upton, Poole, Dorset, BH17 7BJUpton Country Park is a grand property on the outskirts of Poole. Its main focal point is the magnificent country house set on over 130 acres of parkland, but the…
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Weymouth Sea Life Adventure Park (Weymouth)
Lodmoor Country Park, Weymouth, Dorset, DT4 7SXFor a fun and memorable day out with a fun aquatic theme, take the one-hour trip down to Weymouth for the Sea Life park. This thrilling ocean adventure park lets you…
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Wimborne Minster is a traditional market town oozing with charm and character. It is situated just to the North-West of Bournemouth, between the rivers Stour and Allen. Wimborne Minster Wimborne…
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Wimborne Minster Model Town
King Street, Wimborne Minster, Dorset, BH21 1DYWimborne Model Town was built between 1951 and 1954 and offers an interactive tour of this pretty Dorset town just as it looked 60 years’ ago. The whole of Wimborne…