Must-Visit Attractions in Dorset, England

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Filled with wonderful wildlife, a petting zoo, assault courses and an indoor play area, you can enjoy a guided tour, host your wedding, adopt one of your favorite animals or hold a birthday party at Monkey World. Offering sanctuary to over 100 primates, this 40-acre (16ha) park is a must-see for any visitor or local.

A popular viewpoint along the South West Coast Path, the Old Harry Rocks are situated between Studland and Swanage. You can book a Jurassic Coast cruise to get up close and personal with the famous chalk formations, or take a walk across Ballard Down.

Spread over two lakes, Dorset Adventure Park sits just beyond Corfe Castle. One-hour sessions can be held for anyone aged six and above, from school trips, hen parties, team building and kids parties. If inflatable obstacles, trampolines, slides and flip bags are your thing, we insist you check it out.

Mix up your day at Farmer Palmer’s with indoor and outdoor play, interactive animal events, tractor rides and unique cow-milking demos. Enjoy beautiful walks and a great variety of animals on this inexpensive, thoroughly enjoyable and educational family day out.

This unique collection, including the world’s first-ever tank, is regarded by some as the best in the world. Step inside and marvel at all the armoured warfare machines, dating from World War I through to the present day, including the Battlegroup Afghanistan exhibition.

One of the finest privately owned gardens in England, Compton Acres showcases 10 acres (4ha) of beautifully presented grounds. As you make your way around this horticultural haven, make sure you give yourself time to refuel in the well-presented Compton Acres Café and Tearooms.

The Russell Coates Art Museum is an amalgamation of a thoughtful gift, a seaside villa, a gallery, a museum and a stunning garden, filled with glorious memorabilia from all around the globe. Study the finest in British art, experience in-depth talks, tours and workshops, view an exhibition and make sure you attend the next Russell Coates event.

The colour-changing Blue Pool is surrounded by tranquil woodland walks and heathland. Sandy paths lead up steps to reveal a wonderful view of Purbeck Hills – one of Dorset’s most unique, and hidden, gems that deserves its space in our top 25.

Renowned for its exclusivity, Sandbanks is home to the largest selection of expensive properties in the UK outside of London. The Sandbanks waters are home to the Royal Yachting Association and an international sailing school. It hosts water sports, events and light marina craft, too.

Dating back to the 15th century, Athelhampton House & Gardens is classed as one of the finest manor houses in Dorset, and England as a whole. Open all year round, make sure you visit the Marevna gallery and on-site shop and café, as well as exploring the beautiful house and gardens themselves.

Evacuated in 1943 during World War II, Tyneham has held a population of zero ever since. Although time has taken its toll on the village, Tyneham still provides a real insight into wartime Dorset. With the church and school still very much intact, it doesn’t take much to cast your minds back to such a horrendous time.

Enjoy the stunning views, walks, the open-air theatre and take part in activity weekends, all completely undisturbed by traffic, at Brownsea Island. Today, the island is full of wildlife and history. Back in the Victorian era, pottery was produced here and, during World War II, the island was used as a decoy to protect the harbour.

Mix up your day at Farmer Palmer’s with indoor and outdoor play, interactive animal events, tractor rides and unique cow-milking demos. Enjoy beautiful walks and a great variety of animals on this inexpensive, thoroughly enjoyable and educational family day out.

This award-winning museum covers 135 million years of Dorset’s history. From dinosaurs to literary greats; archaeology and geology to fine art. Dorset’s County Museum is sure to educate and fill any historical questions or voids you may have had.

Located in Dorchester, this is the only Roman Town House that can be seen in its entirety in the whole of England. Standing since the 4th century, when Dorchester was known as Durnovaria, you can expect to see plays, reenactments, music and fire displays throughout the year, as well as regular personal, group and school tours taking place.

Since 2008, Bournemouth Air Show has grown to become Dorset’s most popular festival. You’ll find Bournemouth, and surrounding areas, filled with interesting exhibitions, fly-bys and demonstrations. With the event getting bigger and better each year, we certainly class it as a must.

If it’s wildlife you are after, Holes Bay has it all. The bay is a nursery for several fish species and is home to a significant number of feeding and roosting birds. If you head down in autumn, winter or early spring you will also find a mass of wading birds and wildfowl.

Home to an award-winning sparkling wine, the English Oak Vineyard offers up charming tours hosted by the vineyard owners. Public tours run on Fridays and Saturdays throughout the summer months, and described as the perfect venue to discover the delights of an English vineyard, this beautiful setting is a perfect way to spend a summer day.

Described as one of the most beautiful and unique sculpture parks in the United Kingdom and spread across 26 glorious acres (10.5ha), Sculpture by the Lakes hosts the perfect blend of art and landscape. Open Wednesday to Sunday, 10am to 5pm, make sure you stop off at their tearooms to enjoy a light snack, ice cream, meals, tea, coffee and much more.

Follow the winding path taking you up to Warren Hill, and enjoy the spectacular views, greenery and wildlife Hengistbury Head has to offer. For sun, sea and sand, take the low road and digest the clear views of beach huts and the stunning harbour. Enjoy a cocktail or two, at the Beach House café before you make the inevitable sunset stumble home.

Of all the places to visit around Lulworth, the castle is the most iconic. The 17th-century building is open to visitors all year round, but at certain times of year it plays host to special events which are worth keeping an eye out for. The summer Luna Cinema outdoor movie nights and Camp Bestival music festival are well worth looking into especially.

This unassuming ruin near Wimborne is a spooky site of great historical interest. It sits in the centre of a Neolithic ritual earthworks, not unlike Stonehenge, and is one of the most haunted sites in England. Spectres spotted here include a weeping woman, a horse and rider and creepiest of all a ghostly face peering down from the tower’s top window.

There are plenty of places around Dorset to get a great view of some local wildlife, but Arne is one of the best if you really want a good chance of spotting something. A whole range of birds, which can be seen almost nowhere else in England, like the spoonbill, can be seen from the hides along the walking routes, as well as deer and all six species of Britain’s native reptiles.

The Jurassic Coast has many different walking routes to choose from, but one of the best is the steep route up to the Golden Cap – the highest point on the English south coast. The tip is marked by an old military outpost – Thorncombe Beacon, and offers more expansive views than even the white cliffs of Dover.

Speaking of the Jurassic Coast, no visit to Dorset is complete without paying tribute to the coast’s namesake by doing a spot of fossil hunting. The first complete ichthyosaur skeleton was found on the beach near the town of Lyme Regis, and you can still find many fossils there today, although you’re far more likely to leave with an ammonite than an ichthyosaur bone.

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Additional reporting by Callum Davies