Towns & Villages

Now a Bournemouth suburb, Ferndown has a large Tesco, a Sainsbury’s superstore, and a Lidl. It also has a bustling high street with a wide range of shops. The Community Market takes place on Mondays at Pennys Walk. You will also find several takeaways and local amenities in Ferndown. Image courtesy of Visit Dorset.

Blandford Forum was rebuilt after devastating fires to create a fine example of a Georgian town. Worth seeing is The Blandford Town Museum a wealth of artefacts and archives from Prehistoric to the present day, The Royal Signals Museum (set on the Army camp, just outside the town) and the Blandford Fashion Museum – three…

Tolpuddle Martyrs (24 miles south west). This Dorset village commemorates the farm labourers who were arrested for forming a trade union in 1834 and transported to Australia, leading to the foundation of trade unions. There is a walking trail around the village, a museum and an annual festival in the summer. Find out more about…

Portsmouth (44 miles) makes a great day out. At the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard you can go aboard Nelson’s warship; HMS Victory and view King Henry VIII’s Mary Rose ship, rescued from the sea bed. Next door is the designer outlet shopping centre, Gunwharf Quays, and nearby is the impressive Spinnaker Tower, which offers stunning views…

Weymouth (40 miles) has a sandy beach and beautiful sea front as well as a harbour. Attractions include the Sealife Adventure Park and RSPB reserve. There are cycle routes around the town and a Sandworld Sculpture Park. Worth a visit nearby are Nothe Fort (dogs welcome on a lead) and Bennetts Water Gardens (assistance dogs…

Winchester (33 miles) is the county town of Hampshire and the former capital of Wessex, kingdom of the Anglo Saxons under King Alfred the Great. It has a Park & Ride and there’s a lot to see here, including: The Great Hall, home to King Arthur’s Round TableWinchester Cathedral

Swanage (31 miles without the Sandbanks ferry) is a traditional seaside town with sandy beaches, surrounded by the Purbeck Hills and famous for the Swanage Railway steam railway which takes a scenic 12-mile route to Norden, just past Corfe Castle. Swanage forms the gateway to the Jurassic Coast.

Hythe (25 miles) on the eastern edge of the New Forest and its surrounding area, known as Waterside, is on the edge of Southampton Water. Take a wander up the Georgian High Street or catch the passenger ferry into Southampton. To the north of the area is the 500 year old Eling Tide Mill Experience,…

Southampton usually has at least one gigantic cruise ship visible in its terminal. There’s excellent shopping at Westquay and the Mayflower Theatre brings with it West End shows. Plus, there are historic sites and fascinating museums. Southampton is the historic port where both the Mayflower and the Titanic set off for America. The city suffered…

Shaftesbury is accessed by a minor road across scenic Cranborne Chase Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. You’ll encounter Zig Zag Hill on the way, one of the bendiest roads in England! Great for walks, the town has the famously steep Gold Hill (famous from Hovis adverts). Find out more about Shaftesbury.