8 Reasons Why Dorset Should be on Your Summer Holiday Bucket List
The county of Dorset is located on the English Channel in the South West region of England. The access to beaches makes this region an ideal space to camp, hike and explore. There are many cities and villages that offer hostels where you can stash your gear and travel on the cheap.
1) You Can Camp on the Beach!
Before camping on the beach, make sure you
- look for any posted restrictions
- know where the tide line is
- carefully check the weather before you settle in
Storms on the English Channel can blow up quickly, and the combination of tide and heavy rain could leave you dealing with a lot of water and sand in the tent. It’s important that you review your gear to make sure you have the stakes necessary to settle your tent on the sand, such as the MSR Blizzard Stake Kit. Plain stakes will pull right out of loose sand.
In addition to getting the right stakes, make sure your tent has plenty of screens and offers high wind protection as the sun goes down. If you camp anywhere near greenery, you may end up with bugs in the tent, so check your screens before you book your campsite.
2) You Can Take Virtual Tours
The pandemic has made travel extremely difficult for many citizens around the world. If you want an adventure that you can share with friends and family, a virtual tour of the UK could be just what you need to pick out sights that you want to see in person. You may want to go to
- London, to see Big Ben,
- Dorset, where you can travel through the ruins of Corfe Castle
- Northumberland, where you can see Hadrian’s Wall
Virtual tours offer the chance to focus, pare down your choices and start booking your flights, train trips and car rentals.
3) You Can Customize a Tour
Once you are ready to travel in person, you can customize that tour as well. If you long to enjoy an historical tour of London before you head south to the beaches of Dorset, your guide can help you review the spaces where Elizabeth 1 came to the throne. You can study the Tower of London, Westminster Cathedral and the Chapel of St. Peter Ad Vincula. If you enjoyed watching The Tudors, you need a guided tour of historic London.
4) Guides Can Help You Find Hidden Gems
With a tour guide, you can also enjoy the best
- pubs
- live music
- local restaurants
- regional history
- unique shopping options
If you have ever wondered how the folks in Woolgarston and Little Woolsgarston live, your private guide can take you to a local yarn shop and you can buy the gear necessary for an authentic English wool sweater.
5) Study the Geography
During your time in Dorset, make sure you get some photos of the limestone coastal features, such as the Durdle Door. The Durdle Door is one of the many remarkable features of the Jurassic Coast.
6) Take a Tour of Bournemouth
Bournemouth has been a popular site for vacationers for over a century. If you’re not staying on the beach, get yourself down to the water and study up on the sand colors and densities as the tide goes in and out. The change in the color of the remarkable sand on the beaches near Bournemouth can be endlessly fascinating, whether you swim or just watch the waves.
7) Check Out the Plants
Aside from just a couple of cities, most of Dorset is agricultural. A lot of that land is undeveloped and is called heath. This heathland is covered in heathers, a hearty groundcover. In addition to heathers, you may find a Pale Butterwort.
The pale butterwort draws in insects by generating a sticky sap on their leaves that shine like a water drop. When the insects land on the sticky surface, they are absorbed to feed the plant. The heath of Dorset is a lovely place to find orchids, a wide variety of lichens and many mosses.
8) Study Up on the Wildlife
The weather patterns over the channel coast serve to assist many birds on their migration path. The hobbie and nightjar visit the heath to nest over the summer. Woodlarks and Dartford warblers are there all year round.
The bugs of Dorset and myriad. Even more interesting are many moths indigenous to the region. If you plan to go fishing, keep an eye out for the raft spider, which lives along ponds and can feed on small fish and tadpoles.
The heathland is also a terrific space for reptiles of all sizes. There are many regions of Dorset that offer protected spaces for smooth snakes and sand lizards. Before you hike, check the signs to make sure that you are not putting an endangered animal at risk.
Dorset is an ideal vacation spot for anyone who needs the chance to disconnect, kick back on a quiet beach, and relax. Your time in Dorset can be quite isolated if you choose, or you can join a guided tour of different topographies in this charming county.
