Dorset - Doors, Deers and Dinosaurs.

Created by 3GoExploring.

Dorset a travel location for so many young and old, how many remember visiting the sandy beaches of Weymouth as a child? Dorset was an ideal location to base ourselves prior to our upcoming cruise to the Mediterranean and what a fantastic week we have had, the October weather has been glorious with stunning sunrises and sunsets.

Kick starting our week you can’t beat a visit to a National Trust property, Kingston Lacy a 17th century inspired Italian country manor was top of the list, you can read about our adventure here.

As previously mentioned, Cathy is a huge bird enthusiast, Poole harbour during Autumn is a birding paradise, the marshlands and mudflats offer excellent opportunities to spot migrating species. A visit to the National Trust Avocet Hide gave Cathy an excellent opportunity to add to her list, maybe not quite a ‘Big Year” yet but did provide sights of Avocets, Snipes, Godwits and Egrets. 

Unfortunately, no sighting of the Spoonbill which was high on the list, but that’s wildlife for you. Not far from the hide on our return journey to the car we spotted a herd of beautiful Sika Dear, such majestic animals and so lovely to see in their natural habitat.

Not far from the Avocet Hide is Corfe Castle, a historic stone fortress built by William the Conqueror after the Norman Conquest in 1066 now owned by the National Trust. Corfe became a ruin due to its destruction during the English Civil War, in 1646, Parliamentarian forces besieged the castle and eventually captured it.

Nowadays, the castle ruins offer a glimpse into a medieval past and the location has also been illustrated in Enid Blyton’s Famous Five series.

Car parking is located by the visitor centre offering food and drink and accessible toilets which are stoma friendly. The walk up to Corfe Castle from the visitor centre takes 10 to 20 minutes but you are gifted with views across Corfe and the countryside.

Keep an eye out for the nostalgic Steam Train that passes below and goes from Swanage to Norden. After exploring Corfe Castle, the picturesque town with quaint streets and traditional stone cottages.

For ice cream lovers who have allergies we noticed that Purbeck offer ice cream and sorbets which are nut, egg and gluten free, we didn’t try any so can’t recommend them but thought it might be useful knowledge for others.

We had a quick break from the beautiful Dorset scenery to travel to Warner Bros. Studio Watford, a bit of a drive but this had been booked two years ago!

Click here to read all about our adventure to The Making of Harry Potter here. After a busy day visiting Harry Potter what better then to immerse yourself back into the beautiful Dorset countryside.

A visit to Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door a UNESCO World Heritage Site located on the Jurassic Coast is a stunning geological landscape that shouldn’t go amiss if you’re travelling to Dorset. Cameras out!

Lulworth Cove spoils you with turquoise waters contrasting with the steep limestone cliffs perfect for keen photographers. Keen palaeontologists or those just interested in fossils can seek out those illusive remains hidden in the Jurassic rocks around the cove, just be careful of recent landslides. A large paid for carpark is available five minutes away from the Cove, with a visitor centre, toilets, cafes and public houses.

The walk to Durdle Door from Lulworth Cove is steep and inaccessible for wheelchair users due to the steeped cobbled stairs.

The viewpoint from the clifftop can be accessed by all-terrain wheelchairs, you can access this by the Durdle Door parking.

Durdle Door renowned for its natural beauty and one of the most famous landmarks in the area. The arch is a stunning geological formation that has been shaped by erosion over thousands of years, making it a popular spot for tourists and photographers. 

It’s advised to see Durdle Door in all its glory from above as there are warnings of erosion and rock fall and the steps down to the beach have been subject to this erosion although still passable with care. The area surrounding Durdle Door known for its rugged cliffs, beautiful beaches, and scenic walking trails, including parts of the Southwest Coast Path.

Overall, we’ve had a brilliant time in Dorset there is so much to see and do that a week is nowhere near long enough, ‘3GoExploring will return’ sounds like a sequel…

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