Housed in what was once the Abbey Almonry where monks handed out money and food to the towns poor, Sherborne Museum is today a fascinating place to visit for anyone interested in the area’s vivid history.   Entrance is free and inside you’ll find a range of interactive displays plus  fascinating photographs of eras gone by along with a museum shop.

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Founded in AD705 Sherborne Abbey has developed from Saxon cathedral to one of the most beautiful of England’s parish churches.  During the summer months you can join a free guided tour on Tuesday mornings at 10.30am and Friday afternoons at 2.30.  Alternatively  you can book a private tour (charges apply) , or simply pop in to admire the stunning architecture and enjoy the peace and quiet of this beautiful building.  

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Sherborne Castle is a 16^th century Tudor mansion bursting with history and beautiful artworks standing magnificently in a 1200 acre park designed by Capability Brown.  Once the home of Sir Walter Raleigh, this privately owned castle is open to the public and makes for a fascinating day out.  Take a tour of the castle and  garden then head to the tea room for hot drinks, light meals or delicious cream teas and cakes.  Dogs on leads are welcome in the gardens, check website for opening times.

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With more than 400 cars and bikes from around the world from nostalgic classics to contemporary super cars, Haynes International Motor Museum is dedicated to restore, retain and preserve motoring and motorcycling items of historical and cultural interest in England.  Exhibitions, live actions days, stunt shows and dream drives are all seasonally available so keep an eye on the website for more information!

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Representing the flying arm of the Royal Navy, the Fleet Air Arm Museum four exhibition halls, over ninety aircraft, two million records and 30 thousand artefacts the museum is Europe's largest naval aviation museum. In addition, it houses the first British Concorde which you can go on board, view the cockpit and visit the award winning aircraft carrier experience.  

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Located in the heart of Sherborne, The Cross Keys is one of the town’s most famous inns. Just around the corner from 15th century Sherborne Abbey, it has been welcoming locals and visitors for more than two hundred years. Pop in for a snack and a pint of local beer, a delicious glass of wine or a classic cocktail. Or perhaps a morning coffee, afternoon cuppa and slice of homemade cake ? Stay a bit longer and enjoy a relaxed meal in the restaurant where the seasonal menus bursting with local flavours include vegetarian and vegan options plus smaller portions for younger guests.

The Cross Keys, The Parade, 88 Cheap Street, Sherborne DT9 3BJ (T: 01935 508130)

Welcoming, traditional stone inn with an old wood-panelled bar and patio area, serving excellent British pub food with a modern twist, accompanied by a fabulous selection of drinks.

Half Moon, Half Moon St, Sherborne DT9 3LN (T: 01935 812017)

A warm, friendly place to meet, relax and enjoy delicious food with friends and family in the centre of pretty Sherborne.  Choose from a daily lunch menu or the impressive evening a la carte and enjoy innovative and beautifully presented dishes made using local, ethically sourced, high quality ingredients. 

The Green 3 The Green, Sherborne DT9 3HY (T: 01935 813821)

A fabulous restaurant and bar in a striking building - once a schoolhouse, The Clockspire is now a stunning place to eat, drink and relax with huge vaulted ceilings, open stonework, chandeliers and modern artworks.  The menu is all about seasonality and sustainability with an emphasis on flavour and balance, and the atmosphere is warm and friendly with first class yet unfussy service.  A great choice.

The Clockspire Restaurant, Gainsborough, Milborne Port DT9 5BA (T: 01963 251 458)

Family-run, down-to-earth, 16th-century pub offering a superb selection of ever-changing real ales, as well as lagers, ciders and a modest, well-priced wine list. Home-cooked food on the premises by owner-chef, Dave. Often feature specially themed nights, BBQs, pub quizzes, pool, skittles and darts competitions, which all create a friendly atmosphere and community spirit.

Tippling Philosopher, High St, Milborne Port, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 5AQ (T: 01963 250999)
 

A National Trust beach in Burton Bradstock, Hive Beach is part of an estate that forms one of the main gateways to the Jurassic Coast and the South West Coast Path.  Around it are beautiful cliff top walks, and surrounded by the sandstone cliffs, Hive Beach perfect for visiting families.  Made of shingle, it forms part of the larger Chesil Beach and is on a World Heritage Site that has the largest shingle ridge in the world.  The nearby Burton Cliff is an example of extraordinary geology in the area, which appears to glow bright gold in the sunlight.  Perfect for picnics, the beach has a car park and toilets nearby, linked to the Hove Beach Café which specializes in serving fish.  From 1^st June to the end of September there are restrictions for dogs on the beach, but they are welcome on at least part of it all year round.

A fine shingle beach with sand at the water’s edge, East Cliff Beach is a beautiful place to spend the day with the family on summer holidays in Dorset.  There’s lifeguard cover from July to September in the summer holidays on East Beach itself, but that doesn’t really cover East Cliff Beach, so just be careful when and where you swim and stay away from the cliff base to avoid falling stones.  There’s a long stay car park behind East Beach and a smaller short stay car park just before entering the harbour area in front of the Bridport Arms Hotel.  Toilets are located at the main West Bay Road car park and baby changing facilities are provided as well.  Dogs are permitted on the beach all year round, but it is a clean zone that’s regularly patrolled by wardens imposing fines, so don’t forget to clean up after your pets!

A National Trust beach, Cogden is a little known, secluded sand and shingle beach that comes complete with a members’ car park.  It has a wonderful sense of feeling remote but being surprisingly easy to access – the bus even stops there!  There aren’t any facilities, but it’s a beautiful setting, and in truth, the lack of goings on is part of its charm.  Dogs are allowed on the beach all year round and it’s a haven for walkers looking to explore the area with the National Trust’s two mile/one-hour circular walk passing through it from flower-filled farmland, past ground nesting birds and along this striking section of the Jurassic Coast, known for having the largest shingle ridge in the world.

Under the golden glow of the majestic sandstone cliffs and the Golden Cap, the highest cliff on the south coast, West Bay Beach (made famous by the popular drama series Broadchurch) is in the south of the historic market town of Bridport.  At the western end of Chesil Beach, the area forms part of the Dorset Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site within Lyme Bay and is a wonderful location for family holidays.  Bridport Town is a short bus ride away or a very pleasant 20-minute walk.  The beach itself is shingle, sand and pebbles with steep shelving, a slipway and a harbour.  There’s an auxiliary coastguard and lifeguards at your service, toilets, disabled toilets and a beachside refreshment kiosk.  Nearby activities include kayaking, snorkeling, fishing, sailing, swimming surfing and jet skiing.  There are also car parks close by and while dogs are banned from May to September, they are allowed out of the summer season.

A small pebble beach close to the historic market town of Bridport, Eype Beach is a steep shelved beach (Eype means ‘steep place’) with beautiful views of the West Dorset coast.  Dogs are permitted all year round and refreshments are available at Lower Eype.  The beach is part of one of the most beautiful little villages in the area, where buildings can be traced back to the late 18^th century.  Consisting of Lower Eype and Higher Eype, it’s the lower part of the village that has access to the beach, which also boasts the magnificent Golden Cap, the highest cliff on the south coast at 191-metres above sea level.  The beach is favoured by swimmers and fishing fans as well as avid fossil hunters, and there is parking nearby for a few cars as well as toilets and a pub.