Any date · West Dorset
West Dorset runs from Lyme Regis, Charmouth and West Bay on the coast to Dorchester, Sherborne and Cerne Abbas inland. Listings here include the climb up Golden Cap, the Abbotsbury Swannery and Subtropical Gardens, and historic houses and gardens such as Athelhampton, Mapperton and Forde Abbey. Boat trips leave from Lyme Regis and West Bay, and local food and drink sits alongside events in the towns.
Open all year
Mapperton is a Jacobean manor house in West Dorset overlooking award-winning Italianate gardens with fountains, statues, topiary and herbaceous borders. These flow into woodland walks, wildflower meadows and ponds, with the Mapperton Wildlands rewilding project beyond. The estate also has a café, children's play areas and free parking.
Open all year
A historic manor house in the Piddle valley between Tolpuddle and Puddletown, continually lived in since Saxon times and mentioned in the Domesday book. Its Great Hall, built in 1485, is considered a fine example of Tudor architecture, with an original hammer-beam roof and stained glass. The surrounding gardens were created in the 1890s and have won a Christies' Garden of the Year award.
Open all year
A museum and art gallery in Dorchester covering 250 million years of Dorset's history, geology and art. Visitors can see Jurassic Coast fossils, Iron Age finds from Maiden Castle, a recreation of Thomas Hardy's study, and works by sculptor Elisabeth Frink. The Victorian hall features a Roman mosaic floor visitors can stand on and a Learning Centre offers activities for children.
Open all year
A pebble barrier beach running 28km from Portland to West Bay, part of the Jurassic Coast and the reason Portland is joined to the mainland. At the Portland end, Chesil Cove is a popular place to sit on the beach, swim, dive and even surf, and anglers come all along it. The Chesil Beach Centre, beside the Fleet Lagoon, has a boardwalk giving easy access onto the beach.
Open all year
A 14th-century hilltop chapel above Abbotsbury, built by monks as a place of pilgrimage and retreat. Visitors can climb up for views of the abbey ruins and explore the chapel's nooks and crannies, including the 'wishing holes' where local women once prayed to St Catherine for a husband. The local parish still holds occasional services there.
Open all year
Skippered RIB boat trips along the Jurassic Coast, departing from Bridport Harbour in West Bay. Options range from fast-paced adventures to relaxing sightseeing cruises and private hire, suiting families, couples and groups. Trips run from Easter through to the end of October, weather and sea conditions permitting.
Open all year
A guided tour of Britain's only thatched brewery, set beside the river Brit in Bridport and brewing ales since 1794. Visitors explore the historic brewery buildings, starting in the Malt Loft, and learn about the brewing process before sampling the finished ales in the Palmers Wine Store. Tours run Monday to Friday and last two hours; under-13s cannot take part and 13 to 17 year olds must be accompanied by an adult.
Open all year
A single-estate vineyard near Dorchester producing award-winning traditional method sparkling wine. Visitors can join guided or self-guided tours through the vines, then sample wines in a tasting room housed in a 19th-century former milking parlour, which also has a shop and cafe.
Open all year
Boat trips departing from the Cobb Harbour in Lyme Regis, offering views of the Jurassic Coast from a rigid inflatable boat. Choose fast paced adventures or slower sightseeing cruises to spot dolphins, seals and seabirds, with commentary from skippers. Suitable for those aged 5 and over, with lifejackets and a safety briefing provided.
Open all year
A restored Grade I listed Georgian building in the heart of Sherborne, combining historic interiors with galleries, a shop and a cafe. Visitors can see a nationally significant Sir James Thornhill mural and explore a building once used as a private home, a girls' school and an arts centre. The house and galleries are open daily with free admission.
Open all year
Dorset Foot Golf is an 18-hole hillside course combining football and golf, with sea views over West Bay and the Dorset coastline. Obstacles include tractor tyres, tunnels, ramps and hoops, alongside features referencing local landmarks such as Durdle Door and Colmer's Hill. On-site there is parking, toilets, a children's outdoor play area, indoor soft play, alpacas and a bar and restaurant.
Open all year
A high ropes adventure course set in the countryside just outside Lyme Regis and Charmouth, with a continuous belay system for safety. Suitable for children aged 6 and over with a minimum height of 1.2m, it suits families, groups of friends and team-building days out.
Open all year
Insight Activities offers woodland archery, axe throwing and crossbow shooting in a private woodland setting near Dorchester. Its Medieval Trio session combines all three activities over 2.5 hours for ages 12 and over, with archery-only sessions available for children from age 6. Bushcraft sessions covering firelighting and knife skills are also offered.