Green Travel Guide to Dorset

Foreword by Andy Foot,
Dorset AONB Chairman and farmer

Living and working in Dorset, I’ve got to know some amazing places and people, many tucked away and off the beaten track. We are pleased to work with Greentraveller on this guide, to show you some of the hidden gems that make Dorset so outstanding.

Perhaps all visitors to the Dorset AONB head to the coast, and we don’t blame them! We’re very proud of the Jurassic Coast – England’s first natural World Heritage Site.

But follow the Jurassic Coast geology inland and you’ll see such a varied landscape it’s hard to believe it’s all within the same county. The vast lowland heath in Purbeck and the rolling chalk downlands of Hardy Country. The valleys of North Dorset where I farm, and the clay vales and wooded hills of West Dorset. These landscapes each have a very different feel to them and are well worth an explore.

Our job is to conserve & enhance the Dorset AONB, and we couldn’t even begin to do this without the local businesses, communities, landowners, museums, wildlife groups and arts organisations who all share a great pride and passion for this outstanding landscape. By trying out some of the places & activities highlighted in this guide, you can really support these local partners too. Explore some of our suggestions for great tastes, great views and great culture – your custom and interest really does make a difference.

What our writers discovered in Dorset

Stay, Eat, See & Do

Our pick of places across the Dorse

Google Map Key:
Click on the coloured icons for more information about each listing
Green = Places to stay; Blue = Places to eat; Yellow = Attractions; Purple = Activities

Click on the square brackets top right of map to reveal expanded map

Dorset has a very long history and the South Dorset Ridgeway boasts a concentration of prehistoric barrows & henges similar to that of Avebury and Stonehenge.
Dorset AONB is the 5th largest in the family of AONBs and one of the oldest, being designated as a nationally important landscape in 1959.
Wildlife in the AONB is particularly outstanding – with 90% of British bird species found here, 80% of British mammal & butterfly species and all the British reptile species.
Local food is a big thing in Dorset and there’s some real characters... look out for the Dorset Knob, with it’s very own festival, on your travels!
Iron age hillforts are very commonplace in the AONB, there are over 20 in the AONB, including one of Europe's largest at Maiden Castle.