Magnificent coastline, beautiful countryside, irresistible romantic ruins and wonderful local produce make Dorset a superb place to go. Here's our guide to what to do, where to stay and what to eat. Save the flashier stretches of coast and Bournemouth’s polished urban sprawl veering towards Hampshire, Dorset is England’s dishevelled and delightfully understated county.
A fiercely rural oasis between the Devon and Cornwall crowds and commuter belt territory, the county’s bucolic, chimney-smoke-and-thatched-village character inspired Thomas Hardy’s pen and remains wilfully suspended in time. Langham Wine Estate A sparkling wine of the year award from the IWSC put Langham firmly on the wine map, and brought Dorset’s quietly swelling wine scene into sharp focus. For a deep dive into Langham’s Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, opt for the two hour tour, or take a self-guided tour through the vines followed by a deliciously unfussy lunch with a glass of Langham’s four wines.
Beaches Head to Sandbanks for a beach-hut lined promenade or Shell Bay for flawless, buttermilk sand. Further west, fossil country feels craggier and untamed, with Lulworth Cove a particularly lovely bay not far from the world-famous Durdle Door (which you’ll see at the top of this page). Equally world-famous — though more for fossil hunting than ethereal beauty — is Chesil Beach.
This 18-mile stretch of shale flanking a lagoon is famous for the fossils found here which shed so much .
