"... it’s also a book to dip into – for inspiration, for discovery, or simply for the pleasure of armchair exploration." — Worldwide Writer

Dorset doesn’t have any motorways. Or cities. Or major industries. We do have railways – but don’t expect high speed intercity connections. But these are the reasons why the county is so appealing: The pace of life is slower, the people friendlier, the views more unspoiled. The county is a magnet for creative types: artisan food producers, eco-preneurs, artists and craftspeople who are quietly building businesses in small towns and villages, tucked away in back lanes and converted farm buildings.

Whether you’re a local, a seasoned traveller or first-time visitor, beautiful, quirky Dorset will surprise and delight you. This guide will introduce you to 111 off-the-beaten track (and sometimes off-the-wall) locations that make this slice of the West Country a wonderful place to live and a great place to visit.

Pick flowers in the grounds of a ruined abbey. Watch the summer solstice at a mini Stonehenge. Spot badgers in fancy dress. Buy wobbly bread from a post office. Moon-bathe in a beach-side sauna. Or fill your boots at a dry dock.

"... it’s also a book to dip into – for inspiration, for discovery, or simply for the pleasure of armchair exploration." - Worldwide Writer

Jeni Bell is a freelance writer based on the Wiltshire/Dorset border, her work is inspired by nature and landscape. She has an MA in Nature and Travel writing from Bath Spa University and her work has been published in a variety of online and print publications. In 2022 Jeni won the Nature Writing Prize for Working Class Writers. After two decades of living and working in London as a magazine journalist and editor, Karen Heaney turned her back on the city and relocated to West Dorset. She now works as a freelance writer, contributing to a range of online and print publications. In her non-writing hours she loves walking the drove roads and back lanes of her adopted county with her partner and elderly Jack Russell.