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| | | | Review by Elizabeth Young from Welwyn Garden City
Dorset is a lovely county, the views from the rolling hills into the valleys are spectacular, and the coastline is just amazing.
We found plenty to see and do in and around Lyme Regis during our stay and there is still more to see, so much so that we will be booking again for summer 2008.
The Local people are so friendly and helpful, which when is a strange place is very welcome.
Play detective on the Hardy trail
Thomas Hardy may have been dead for more than 70 years, but he is still big business in West Dorset - aka Wessex - Hardy's fictional county and the setting for virtually all his novels and poems.
The Mayor Of Casterbridge is probably most familiar to those who studied it at school but a new ITV production should bring Hardy's tale of the man who sold his wife at a country fair then rose to become a successful businessman and mayor to a wider audience.
Dorset's county town Dorchester is Hardy's Casterbridge. Handsome houses line the streets and the old Roman walls are marked out with shady avenues of trees. Everywhere you turn are reminders of The Mayor Of Casterbridge - after a few hours, you start to forget it's fiction.
The house of mayor Michael Henchard is now a Barclays bank, walk down the street a bit further and you come across the old water-pump - the meeting point for the town's gossips. Round the corner is the Kings Arms hotel with its big bow window looking over the street.
Sitting on the steps opposite is where Henchard's discarded wife Susan looked up and realised her once good-for-nothing drunk of a husband had become mayor.
And this is the appeal of Hardy tourism. It gives you the opportunity to play detective. Hardy uses real buildings in real towns and villages. He juggles them about a bit - the house where so-and-so lived may have been conveniently located to a street with a better view - but this is all part of the fun.
You can recognise places, pubs, hotels, streets and views so accurately it might have been written 40 years ago, rather than 115.
Travel Guide: Dorset
Harbour a hankering for Poole
From the Daily Mail
The skipper on our ferry was getting excited.
'Look over there, my mum's downstairs!' he shouted. Our entire group - my husband and I, three children and parents-in-law - turned to follow his gaze. We'd just been told this was Millionaires' Mile, a row of seafront properties with one of the best panoramic views in Britain.
The ferry slowed so we could see his mother. She was not in the Gothic residence with turrets, nor in the grand domicile on a maritime theme, but when we passed a sumptuous modern house with a glass frontage, there she was.
'Wave!' said the skipper encouragingly. 'My mum is the cleaner.'
Of all the views in all the seasides, the tip of the Sandbanks peninsula has to be my favourite. It's a pendant of land which hangs out between Poole and Bournemouth, as if eager to get a front-row seat.
It's a small resort with an exquisite seashore, a couple of smart hotels and some rather exclusive houses. Some of the homes on Millionaires' Mile are occupied for just six weeks a year, but their owners clearly think the million-pound price tags are worth it. The reason is one of the most unrivalled seascapes in Britain.
In the distance are the distinctive shapes of Old Harry Rocks, standing clear from the mainland like coconut cakes; stretching up towards them, the inviting shores of Shell Bay and Studland. Way out east lies the Isle of Wight, while an array of unspoilt, green islands decorates the waters to the west.
This is the gateway to Poole Harbour, second only in size to Sydney's. At this maritime crossroads, it's impossible not to stop and watch the world go by. Every morning, an armada of boats - yachts, dinghies, catamarans and speedboats - glides into the blue distance.
There are tourist ferries from Sandbanks to Poole and huge vessels leaving daily for France and the Channel Islands, cutting a swathe through the smaller fry; a beautiful soap opera of boat life and just the right spot for the grandparents to bring their extended family for a birthday celebration.
Travel Guide: Dorset
Poole Britannia!
The well-groomed thirtysomething couple intently scanning the estate agent's window looked disappointed. It is difficult for most people to find a home in a town where a two-bedroom seaside flat can cost more than £1million.
'Too expensive?' I venture. 'Too small,' says the man. 'We're from New York and we're looking for something more spacious. Tell me, is the weather around here always as good as this?'
Quite how Poole in Dorset has become Britain's New Cool in the sizzling summer of 2003 is a bit of a mystery. But cool it is, with beachside property prices in exclusive Sandbanks said to be the fourth highest in the world, behind Mayfair, Manhattan and Tokyo.
Poole has long been famous as a centre for yachting, watersports and traditional bucket-and-spade holidays.
It's best known for having the world's second largest natural harbour, as well as making million-pound Sunseeker motor yachts, Poole pottery and Ryvita biscuits.
But its recent elevation to international celebrity status has resulted in new hotels as well as a profusion of smart new restaurants and chic waterfront bars.
Getting there: By car: 108 miles from London; 166 miles from Birmingham; 71 miles from Bristol.
By rail: Two hours from Waterloo.
By air: Bournemouth International Airport is six miles away. A daily Ryanair flight departs Glasgow Prestwick.
Where to stay: Gold: Harbour Heights (01202 707272) on the hill above Sandbanks has recently reopened as a four-star hotel after a change of ownership and a makeover in a modern, minimalist style. Most of the 38 bedrooms have views of Poole Harbour.
Silver: The Mansion House (01202 685666) is a Georgian building converted into a comfortable three-star, and is a two-minute walk from The Quay. Rooms are decorated in country house style with antiques and fine period paintings.
The restaurant regularly wins AA and RAC dining awards.
Bronze: Sandbanks Hotel (01202 707377) belongs to the same group as Harbour Heights and the equally ritzy Haven Hotel. Its position on Sandbanks Beach makes it a family favourite.
It has a heated swimming pool and a dedicated children's restaurant.
B&B: Individual Touristik Poole (tel: 01202 673419) may seem a strange name for a guesthouse, but friendly German owner Renate Wadham believes it helps attract overseas visitors.
The house is on the edge of Hamworthy Park and Beach.
Travel Guide: Dorset
Lashings of ginger beer and fun in Blyton's Dorset
Blytonia, that land of thatched cottages, rolling fields, crumbling castles and cheery-faced policemen on bicycles is largely a land of the imagination.
The characters, plots and locations of Enid Blyton's adventures revealed themselves to her, she said, as if projected on a screen in her mind. All she was required to do was to describe the action as it unfolded.
But her imagination was nurtured by her regular visits to Dorset, as Blyton's daughter, Gillian Baverstock, who first holidayed in Swanage with her mother in the spring of 1941, reveals.
Whispering Island in Five Have A Mystery To Solve (1962) was modelled on Brownsea Island in Poole Harbour, she says. ('Yes, the island is real, and lies in the great harbour, still full of whispering trees,' Blyton wrote in a note fronting the book).
Manor Farm in Stourton Caundle, near Dorchester, which Blyton bought in the late Fifties, inspired Five Go To Finniston Farm (1960) and the heathland of Five Go To Mystery Moor (1954) was drawn from Hartland Moor near Corfe.
'A lot of the natural life that Mother described in these books is very much Dorset,' says Mrs Baverstock. 'It's the birds, the gorse, the heather.'
It is believed that Blyton first visited the area with a trip to Corfe Castle in 1931. She revisited it 10 years later with her daughter who remembers: 'We climbed up the hill and sat in the castle, where we saw brambles growing through the flags of the courtyard and heard jackdaws calling.'
The following year Blyton published Five On A Treasure Island, the first of the 21 Famous Five books. In it Julian, Dick, Anne, George and Timmy the dog discover gold ingots in the dungeon of the ruined castle on Kirrin Island.
Her description of Kirrin Castle is clearly based on Corfe: 'On a low hill rose the ruined castle. It had been built of big white stones. Broken archways, tumbledown towers, ruined walls - that was all there was left of a once beautiful castle, proud and strong. Now the jackdaws nested in it.'
My visit to Blyton's Dorset coincided with the first Enid Blyton Day at Corfe Castle, taking place to commemorate 60 years of the Famous Five.
Travel Guide: Dorset
Fossils, fish and Fowles
My catch bore little relation to the basket of fresh prawns on display at the harbour seafood stall.
Although I had only minutes earlier fished it from a salty pool on Monmouth beach at Lyme Regis, it was already past its sell-by date - by 160 million years.
Fossils, in my case an ammonite from the Jurassic period, are simply waiting to be gathered at this quaint Dorset seaside resort.
Finding these jewels requires little skill, just eagle eyes and a bit of luck. Fragments of fossilised rock are washed from the crumbling cliffs.
Lyme Regis - on the Dorset and Devon Jurassic Coast, which two years ago became Britain's first World Heritage Site - remains the quintessential British seaside resort, surprisingly unchanged.
Once an important port and fashionable watering hole, it reclaimed its fame through local author John Fowles, who based part of The French Lieutenant's Woman here.
The cluster of Georgian houses and fisherman's cottages tumble down a steep hill and hide behind the Cobb, the man-made harbour wall, which protects it from westerly storms.
Lyme Regis has made few concessions to the demands of mass tourism, with only a handful of hotels to supplement the B&Bs and self-catering cottages.
How to get there: By road: 156 miles from London, 153 miles from Birmingham, 75 miles from Bristol. By rail: nearest station is Axminster, on the Waterloo to Exeter line.
Travel Guide: Dorset
All Manor of delights
From the Mail on Sunday
There are a number of enchanting things about Moonfleet. One of them is the long drive towards the hotel through rural Dorset to the coast.
As you skirt Weymouth to the east and get closer to the hotel, the roads get smaller until you are finally skimming down the narrowest of lanes only wide enough to hold one car.
The day we arrived, the sun was blistering and the tunnel of green we were driving through turned a wild emerald. That sun would stay with us for the week and, after blue skies that lasted all day, we would spend dreamy time watching spectacular sunsets.
As you turn into the drive, ahead of you is a Georgian gem.
On first sight, the Moonfleet Manor Hotel is reassuringly small - the size of a slightly grand country house. What greets you as you emerge from the gloom of the interior is a blaze of blue ocean and that very particular kind of lush green which is so much a part of an English summer.
Moonfleet overlooks a strip of water called the Fleet. The Fleet lies between the massive drift of shingle that is Chesil Beach and the shore. Beyond Chesil Beach lies France.
I was there for a short week with my son. Daddy is a travelling man and he had packed us off, me given a map and his son supplied with four pairs of batteries. These last would come in handy.
Mummy began to relax to the point of torpor, but luckily the Game Boy kept firing on all cylinders and my son hardly noticed. Plus, there were many other children.
Which? Hotel Guide has put Moonfleet among the top three family-friendly establishments in Britain. The guide highlighted Moonfleet's facilities, food and location.
I am sure there were people at Moonfleet who did not have children but I didn't see them. It is a child-friendly zone end-to-end and because of that you can watch the grown-ups visibly relax as the kids play. For the working mum with a child in tow it's ideal.
Travel Guide: Dorset
Home of the Tufty Club
From the Daily Mail
A tiny island community of 30 human beings and 250 red squirrels, a bird refuge and a playground for rich eccentrics... Sounds like some craggy Shetland outcrop, yet Brownsea Island is just a mile from busy Poole Harbour, in Dorset.
A 12-minute ferry ride from the end of Poole High Street takes you from the world of Dixons and Woolworths to a fairy-tale land without roads and mains water - but with its own fire service (the island was burnt to a crisp in 1934, and they don't want it to happen again).
From the moment you set foot on the quayside, in front of the little castle, now a holiday hotel for John Lewis staff, you have to pinch yourself to make sure you're not dreaming.
Children's prams are provided free, while two-seater motorised buggies enable the less nimble to navigate the island's interior. Children dressed as pirates rush off into the woods, causing hens and geese to scurry away. 'My lot are doing the treasure hunt trail,' explains a panting mother.'Should keep them occupied for a couple of hours.' No question about it.
But the island's too small - at a mile-and-a-half long and half-a-mile wide - for them to get lost. A third of the island is a designated bird reserve but you're allowed inside the gates only on conducted tours.
Serious twitchers trill the praises of Brownsea's birds (herons, oystercatchers, curlews, woodpeckers) but trippers less interested in birds can also find plenty to interest them - from armies of leaf-bearing ants to small clusters of fan-tailed peacocks, from gobbling turkeycocks to luminous green dragonflies. Plus deer and rabbits so keen to be here they swim across from the mainland.
'We'd rather they didn't,' says island manager Barry Guest, who's lived on the island for 40 years.'They disrupt the ecological balance.'
But the red squirrels are the island's star turn, with their pointed, lynx-like ears and amazingly wispy, weightless tails, which divide down the middle like a pair of gentlemen's fluffy side-whiskers.
Hounded from the mainland by its ruthless grey rival, the red squirrel - popular for years as Tufty, the road safety mascot - found a refuge on Brownsea, owned, until 1961, by an eccentric old lady, Mary Bonham-Christie, who forbade all hunting and fishing and vetoed animal control, decreeing the island should be left wild. Lord Baden-Powell, in 1907, held the first-ever Scout camp on Brownsea.
Today, Brownsea belongs to the National Trust, which bought it with the help of £100,000 raised by locals determined to repel property developers.
Although ferries now call every 15 minutes, as opposed to the once-a-day post boat back in Miss Bonham-Christie's era, something about the island belongs not just to another century - but to another world.
TRAVEL FACTS:
It's your last chance to see Tufty and his friends this year - Brownsea (01202 707744) closes on October 1 until next April, 10am-6pm (5pm low season). Admission £3.50 adults, £1.50 children. Ferries (£5 return) every 15 minutes.
Travel Guide: Dorset
Hidden treasure off the South Coast
From the Daily Mail
Children love islands. Show them a strip of sea and a distant land mass and they pipe up like characters out of Enid Blyton: 'Gosh, a real island! D'you think there'll be buried treasure there?' 'Jolly well hope so,' I say, sounding more like a Girl Guide leader than a member of the Famous Five.
I must confess, though, that before last summer I knew nothing of Brownsea Island, a 500-acre jewel off the Dorset coast. For anyone who doesn't know their Scouting history, this is where Lord Baden-Powell set up his first camp with 22 boys in the August of 1907.
Ninety years later, khaki suits and woggles are still to be spotted, like a sober national costume, all over the island. But we are uniform-free, a party of day-trippers among thousands who make the 25-minute voyage every summer. (Only organised scout groups may camp here; there is no camp site or provision for members of the public.) Many come to admire its colourful past, which included Viking invasions, a medieval castle and quantities of lost pirate treasure.
In Edwardian times, Brownsea was a private estate, with its own pleasure steamer and golf course. At one time it had a thriving industry growing daffodils. During World War II, it became a 'decoy', sending up flares to distract Nazi bombers. Today, the island is under the protective umbrella of the National Trust, whose job is to balance the needs of nature and the increasing number of sightseers.
At Poole Quay, potential visitors are warned they cannot land at Brownsea without paying the entrance fee. Dogs are unwelcome because the island has a large free-range population of peacocks and rare red squirrels.
The 25-minute trip across Poole Harbour was just long enough to let the children, Frances and Joe, know this is a proper island, not one of those cheating headlands. As we chugged towards the picturesque quayside there was a frisson of excitement.
The reception area offers a swift introduction to the island, including a video, giant map and leaflets. We opted for the Smugglers' Trail and the excellent Guide For Children - a fascinating potted history with its own ground plan - adequate reading for the interested adult, too. Armed with picnic lunch and a football, we were on our way.
Travel Guide: Dorset
A family hit
The beach was a great hit, although it was a bit crowded, and we liked the Kids Zone idea - coloured tags to correspond to areas of the beach so you can trace your child if they wander.
Ours were content to stay close to all the food we'd brought with us - beach cafes being crowded and pricey and our kids being dead fussy.
When we were in town the illuminations were on in the gardens, which run right through the centre of Bournemouth. Children can help light thousands of candles in coloured jars, which are strung together to make pictures.
Three-year-old Callum was entranced by the whole thing. It takes place several times over the summer, apparently.
On Friday night there were really good fireworks over the pier, with thousands of people out to watch. It was another regular summer thing, a local resident told us.
Joe, 11, was excited about the IMAX cinema by the beach but, unfortunately, it's not open yet. He also got excited by the hot-air balloon in the pleasure gardens, but lost interest when he found out it's tethered and doesn't go anywhere - just up and down.
We took a bus to Poole and Joe found consolation on the old quay, where all kinds of interesting boats were tied up and he could watch the big ferries coming in. Callum was more interested in a boat ride on the lake in Poole Park, where we also fed the ducks, swans and Canada geese and rode on the little train.
Travel Guide: Dorset
Why Bournemouth isn't boring
Think Bournemouth and you might think "boring" but don't turn your nose up at this Dorset seaside resort.
It was known as the Modern Health and Pleasure Beach Resort 180 years ago. Today it's pure pleasure and there's not a hint of tack that can come as part of the package.
Whether you are a beach dweller or a landlubber, this town will keep you amused from dawn to dusk.
Bournemouth is renowned for its beach and the seven miles of fine, clean, golden sand live up to the reputation. Buckets and spades are a must if you've children who want to play on the beach.
Adults will be too busy to build sandcastles with beach volleyball (the Volleyball Grand Prix is on Aug 26-28), jet skis (a bit pricey at £20 for 20 minutes) and speedboat rides for the more adventurous.
The seaside activities are not just for thrillseekers. For those who prefer to take things at a more leisurely pace, Dorset Belle Cruises give you tours of the bay for £4.50.
It's a gentle pace, allowing you to absorb not only the coastline but the informative commentary. You may even pick up celeb gossip as Max Bygraves' home can be seen from the boat.
Travel Guide: Dorset
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| | | | Follow the landmarks of a great writer
Just fewer than 25,000 people visit Dorchester every year - many drawn by Thomas Hardy. The Hardy tourist trail starts in town with a series of special walks that lead round the landmarks of Casterbridge.
Outside Dorchester is Max Gate - the house designed by Hardy and built by his brother. Surrounded by dozens of privacy-giving trees, Max Gate has some of Hardy's original furniture in the dining room and lounge - the only two rooms open to the public. His study has been taken lock, stock and barrel to the Dorset County Museum where it has been re-created.
A must on the Hardy trail is the house where he was born back in 1840. One of four children, Hardy grew up in a very pretty thatched cottage just outside the little village of Higher Bockington.
The cottage is now owned by the National Trust and is well worth a peek inside - all sloping floors, pokey rooms and low ceilings.
Dorchester's town crier Alistair Chisholm runs Hardy tours that take in both of his homes and other landmarks. You pick up Alistair's The Thomas Hardy Explorer outside the Dorset County Museum in Dorchester.
It's impossible to miss: it is painted black and white, like a zebra. Blue Badge tour guide Alistair takes in the Hardy homes and landmarks round the surrounding villages including a farmhouse in Lower Lewell which is believed to be the inspiration for Talbot Haze in Tess Of The d'Urbervilles. Last stop is Stinsford Churchyard where Hardy's heart is buried - his ashes are in Poets Corner in Westminster Abbey. Rumour has it his heart was kept in a biscuit tin before the funeral and was stolen by a hungry cat. Some say a pig's heart was buried instead, some reckon the cat - including the author's heart - was buried.
Of course, Hardy is not necessarily for all the family but West Dorset has plenty more to offer. The countryside is beautiful - rolling hills, charming villages and spectacular coastal walks.
Near to Dorchester is the famous Cerne giant - a 180-foot naked man carved out of chalk on the hillside. No one knows why he was created or by whom.
You can also trace the history of the Tolpuddle martyrs and see the cells where they were held during their trial, walk round ancient hill forts and see Poundbury - a village dreamt up by Prince Charles. Little ones are bound to enjoy the swannery at Abbotsbury - go in June to see the baby swans hatch.
West Dorset Tourism 01305 267992
West Dorset websites: http://www.westdorset.com
http://www.westdorset-dc.gov.uk
The generation fun and games
Thirty years ago, London families and other city dwellers came to the sprawling Sandbanks Hotel, which dominates the best part of Sandbanks' famous Blue Flag beach. They still do. A long list of attractions for the younger set includes a children's restaurant, heated pool, adventure playground and evening entertainment.
However, the grandparents in our group sought something more civilised and opted for the Haven, one of Sandbanks' two sister hotels (the third is the Chine Hotel in Bournemouth), which is how we came to be admiring the view from the Haven's private beach at the end of Sandbanks.
It's funny to think that on this spot 100 years ago, Guglielmo Marconi conducted experiments which led him to invent the wireless telegraphy system. How could he have focused on science with all that natural beauty around?
For the children - from 11-year-old Frances down to her 11-week-old baby cousin, Zak - there was plenty to satisfy their varying demands. My three threw themselves straight in - to the swimming pool, the ferry trips and the clay workshop at Poole Pottery. Joseph, five, took his grandfather on a ferry ride to Shell Bay and back again. Frances took to the potter's wheel and Alice, nine, took baby Zak in her arms.
Poole Pottery was a highlight, with its 'have-ago' area and fascinating factory tour, though there were too many bargains in the factory shop. Next door was Carter's restaurant, a surprisingly stylish eatery attached to the pottery. One Jesse Carter was the original Poole Pottery owner, back in 1873. Today, the pottery is Dorset's most popular tourist attraction, with more than a million visitors a year.
But see the quaint Quay, too. At the end of a hot day, the sea mist rolled in and we caught our ferry back to Sandbanks. The horizon was full of returning boats, their colourful paintwork shining in the evening sun. Back on land, a row of sparkling houses winked back. Sandbanks is definitely the place to be cleaning windows.
Where to eat and what to do
Where to eat: Gold: La Roche Brasserie in The Haven Hotel (01202 707333) at the mouth of Poole Harbour takes the honours in a town that is rich in fine dining opportunities.
Siver: Storm (01202 674970) in the High Street has the freshest fish in the area. Owner Peter Miles works as a prawn fisherman by day before donning his chef's hat at night.
Old fishing lamps hang from the ceiling and the walls are decorated with seascapes.
Bronze: The Warehouse Brasserie (01202 677238) is on the first floor of an old warehouse on The Quay and is favoured by clients of the Sunseeker yard on the opposite side of the water. It specialises in fresh fish.
Best cream tea: La Plaza (01202 678600) in the High Street is in an impressive Georgian house dated 1704.
Where to partyPoole is publand, not clubland. The Custom House (01202 676767)on The Quay used to be just that, but is now a popular cafe and bar.
The minimalist Oyster Quay (01202 668669), also on The Quay, is a classic example of the town's regeneration.
What to doMonkey World (0800 456600) at nearby Wareham is a 65-acre ape rescue centre. Open daily 10am-5pm (6pm July and August). Adults £7, Children £5.50. Family ticket, £21.
Heritage Coast Cruise (0800 0960695) is a daily one-hour boat trip through the harbour, with views of Brownsea Island, Sandbanks, Studland and Old Harry Rocks. Adults £5, children £3.
Compton Acres Gardens (01202 700778), between Poole and Bournemouth, includes water gardens, a deer sanctuary, restaurants and a model railway exhibition. Open daily. Adults £5.45, Children £3.95.
Poole Pottery (01202 668681) attracts a million tourists a year to The Quay. Open daily, 9am-5.30pm (Sun 10.30am-4.30pm).
Waterfront Museum (01202 262600) is housed in one of the oldest medieval buildings in Poole. It tells the story of the town's seafaring past. Open April to October, Mon-Sat 10am-5pm; Sun 12-5pm. November to March 10am-3pm; Sun 12-3pm. Admission free.
Brownsea Island (01202 707744) is a tranquil oasis of 500 acres of heath and woodland in Poole Harbour. Brownsea Island Ferries (01929 462383) operate from Sandbanks and Poole Quay. Adults £3.50-£5.50, children £2.50-£3.50. Landing fee: adults £3.70, children £1.70. Family landing tickets for two adults and up to three children, £9.
Best beach: Poole has held Blue Flags for 14 years, stretching for three miles towards Bournemouth. The locals favour Branksome Chine.
Best thing: The resort is so spread out and the beach so long that overcrowding is never a problem.
Worst thing: Not being able to afford a Sunseeker yacht.
A ginger-beer tasting
Corfe has an eerie mystery. I can see why the broken hulk that now seems to tumble down the hillside captured Blyton's imagination.
It became a ruin 350 years ago when Parliamentary troops blew it apart to ensure that it could never be lived in again. Their destruction has created a melancholy beauty.
Fallen walls are lodged against those still standing, arches are split in two as if ripped apart by giant hands and every doorway and window opens on to sky.
For Enid Blyton Day marquees had gone up on the grassy slope of the outer bailey and families with notebooks and pens crawled over the ruins looking for clues in the Secret Password Hunt.
In one tent there were screenings of black-and-white episodes of Five On A Treasure Island (1957), part of which was filmed at Corfe Castle.
In another were stalls of Blyton collectables, plus a ginger-beer tasting.
Local author Viviene Endecott signed copies of a new booklet, The Dorset Days Of Enid Blyton.
'I was sick of everyone always associating literary Dorset with Thomas Hardy, someone who we had to study at school, but never mentioning the connection with Enid Blyton, who we had all read for pleasure,' she says. She also runs Famous Five weekends for small groups.
It's true that the area has done little to trumpet its relationship with one of the world's best-known children's writers. The National Trust - which also owns Brownsea Island - has taken the first step by installing a model of 'Kirrin Castle' in a window outside Corfe Castle.
The village of Corfe retains its charm: houses snuggle around the hill. The station, a stop on the popular Swanage Railway, is a pristine example of the way things used to look: freshly swept platforms, smartly dressed porters, luggage trolleys, a tin advert for Oxo on a cream-painted picket fence, neat hedges and a stationmaster's house.
Where to stay and eat
Where to stay: All accommodation can be booked through the Tourist Information hotline (tel: 01305 269035). Prices per person per night, unless stated otherwise and correct in May 2003.
Gold: Three-star Hotel Alexandra (tel: 01297 442 010) has commanding sea views. A private gate from the lawn takes you into the Langmuir Gardens, which sweep down to the beach. Half board £50-110.
Silver: Two-star Hotel Buena Vista (tel: 01297 442494) on Pound Street has sea views and is well positioned for the shops and beach. Half board £60-70.
B&B: The White House (tel: 01297 443420) is an 18th-century Georgian house at the top of the town. All seven rooms en suite, £22-28.
Self-catering: Blacksmith Cottage (tel: 01297 489778) sleeps four, £275-520. Cliff Cottage (tel: 01420 472512) sleeps four, £185-385. Bay Cottage (tel: 01297 444593) sleeps six, £280-550.
Where to eat: Gold: Turles Bistro (tel: 01297 445792) fish specialties. Main course £12-14.
The Fish Restaurant (tel: 01297 444111) serves local fish, crab and lobster. £25 for three courses.
Rumours Fruits de Mer (tel: 01297 444740) in Old Lyme, no children under 14. Main course £11-12.
Silver: By The Bay (tel: 01297 442668), lunch and dinner. All-day restaurant and cafe. Main course £7-10.
Royal Standard Inn (tel: 01297 442637), ancient pub by the Cobb. Main courses £6-£12. Filled baguette £4.95.
Cream teas: Jane Austen's Genteel Tea at the Georgian Tea Room on Broad Street, £4.55.
High ratio of staff
Separate from the main house is another building with a mini hangar containing all manner of games for the children, like bowls, croquet and tennis. There were also swimming pools with supervised sessions for the children in the morning.
Every afternoon there is a different activity for children, such as cricket, skittles, football, even Nintendo.
For those with young children and babies there's a Den with a high ratio of staff. Whenever I looked in, the staff were playing with the littlies in a very hands-on way.
The outside sitting area with loungers and tables caters for the parents, who can chill out while the children play on the swings and climbing frames within sight.
My son played on the beach quite happily, trying to dig himself through to Australia. I asked one boy why he liked Moonfleet and he just said: 'The space.'
Beyond the house are fabulous views across high-rolling hills. The site itself feels spacious, but it is also safe. Youngsters can wander about on their own. This is a place where you can allow your children some freedom. As there are so many children it is easy for them all to find pals to play with.
A number of people I spoke to were on their second visit, or, if it was their first, were planning to come again. One mum mentioned with huge gratitude that the hotel was prepared to clean babies' bottles.
Because there are children everywhere there is a huge tolerance for their behaviour. I didn't see any bad behaviour, there was just a generally easygoing attitude of live and let live.
Another mother said how much she liked the relaxed attitude to dress. The hotel has smart prices, but there is no feeling that guests have to dress up to the nines.
Picnicking on Peacock Hill
Whatever your child seeks from an island adventure, Brownsea has a little of it to offer. Every twist of the path yields a new terrain - lawns and open grassland, pine woods and sandy beaches, deciduous forests, a lagoon and freshwater lakes.
We picnicked on Peacock Hill - in hindsight, not a wise move. As we sat munching sandwiches, the peacocks, a large cockerel and an assortment of other large birds encircled us, on the lookout for crumbs. Worn down by their piercing cries, we soon moved on.
Brownsea contains lots of interesting landmarks. There's the castle, of course - a grand pile with its own jetty, which was gutted by fire in 1896 and immediately rebuilt. It is leased by the John Lewis Partnership, whose employees can use it for holidays. The other brand of overnighter is the Scout - Brownsea is a place of pilgrimage for girls and boys who still camp in the shade of the Baden-Powell memorial stone.
But our children were intent on pursuing the Famous Five theme, five-year-old Joe playing the part of 'Doggie Timmie' with sound-effects. We trekked, played football and paddled along the beach. We roamed, stopping at the occasional information hut to identify the cormorants, oyster catchers and other unusual birds.
We did not see any red squirrels or sika deer, but could feel their presence as we skirted the pine forests. Nor did we find any pirate's treasure, although our Smuggler's Map indicated chilling deeds had once been done at 'Blood Alley' and 'Cut-Throat Jake's Camp'.
Brownsea is just big enough to give the illusion of escape from the real world. There are no roads, only tracks and well-signed paths, with the occasional ruin, church, or abandoned pottery works to remind you that people once came here for more than the view.
As we collapsed for tea and cake in the National Trust cafe, we noticed most of the adults were dressed in Boy Scout brown. Scout leaders are the official organisers of adventure for the modern child. Where better to look for it than on an island? But remember, you'll have to bring your own treasure.
Karting and clubbing by the sea
Bournemouth is known as the floral town due to the extensive number of trees and plants.
To see how the land lies go up in the Vistarama balloon tethered in the gardens behind pier approach.
Away from the sea, the action doesn't stop. Just 15 minutes drive from the beach is the Matchams Leisure Park fun kart circuit. You can either try the basic go-karts or go karting for real.
They'll dress you in suits, helmets and gloves before you take your mates on the circuit. The flags are confusing for beginners, but the karts are easy to handle and there's a winners' podium to fuel egos.
Bournemouth has a student population in excess of 12,000, so expect queues if you're into clubbing. Jumpin' Jacks next to the pier scores highly on fun and atmosphere.
There are also quasar laser combat and 10-pin bowling at the Bournemouth Superbowl complex in Glen Fern Road. The complex is a little tatty round the edges but this doesn't detract from the fun.
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| | | | Blackouts and rationing
By comparison, when I visited the seaside resort of Swanage, it looked dull. The beach was deserted, as were the promenade cafes. It was hard to believe Blyton had had a fondness for the place.
Blyton stayed at the Studland Bay Hotel, north of Swanage, and after taking up golf later in life with second husband Kenneth Darrell Waters, bought a local golf club in 1951.
Johnny James, Waters's caddy, was Blyton's inspiration for the groundsman Lucas in Five Have A Mystery To Solve.
It wasn't only the Famous Five books that featured the people and places of Dorset. A swimming pool hollowed out of the rocks at Langton Matravers may have been the inspiration for a pool in First Term At Malory Towers (1946).
A heavy-footed Purbeck policeman, PC Rone, was the model for PC Plod in the Noddy books.
Blyton's books have often been criticised for presenting an unrealistically cosy world but Mrs Baverstock makes an interesting point.
The Famous Five series was begun during the Second World War. Children feared evacuation, invasion and bombing. Blackouts and rationing were part of daily life.
'The whole ambience of the books was to remind children of what life had been like and to assure them that those times would come back again,' she says.
*For further information visit www.dorset-cc.gov.uk or call 01305 221001
Activities and beaches
Activities: Fossil-hunting: Dr Colin Dawes gives expert tuition on Sundays throughout the year, as well as Wednesdays and Fridays from April to September. Meet at The Old Forge Fossil Shop at 1pm; adults £7, children £3.
Dinosaurland Fossil Museum (tel: 01297 443541) offers a clinic for free analysis and guided beach walks.
Ghost and smuggler walks of Lyme Regis with Richard J. Fox. Ninety-minute tours. Details, tel: 01297 445097.
Rent a beach hut (tel: 01297 445175) £35.75, rising to £51.70 per week in July and August.
Deep-sea fishing (tel: 01297 443606). Lyme Regis Museum (tel: 01297 443370), the story of Lyme, including its connections with Jane Austen, Beatrix Potter, Lord Joseph Lister and John Fowles.
Marine Aquarium on the Cobb. Adults £2, children £1.50.
Best beach: Front Beach and Cobb Gate Beach have the finest stretches of sand. Black Ven is the best place to find small fossils.
Serious fossil hunters head for Monmouth Beach to view the grey limestone outcrop known as the Graveyard of Ammonites.
High, crumbling and unclimbable cliffs enclose the beaches and it is easy to get cut off by the tide. The best and safest time to collect fossils is three hours either side of low tide after the sea has been rough.
Further information from Lyme Regis Tourist Information, tel: 01297 442138.
Best thing about resort: Lack of commercialisation, old shops on Broad Street, the Cobb.
Worst thing about resort: Midsummer crowds, especially at weekends. Narrow, steep roads and limited parking lead to appalling jams.
Welded at the hip
There are kiddies' lunches and teas, though youngsters and even babies are welcome in the main restaurant at night. Parents would come with their new-born babies at the beginning of the evening. Rarely would any of the babies cry, but if they did one of the waitresses immediately stepped forward and picked up the child and cuddled it while the parents ate.
Nor was this unusual. The staff seem very mindful of what it takes for a parent with children to be able to enjoy their holiday. They are just as good with the older children.
By the end of the week the staff organising the kids' activities, and who must have seen hundreds of children across the summer, knew my son's name and used it.
There was so much to occupy us at the hotel that during my short stay, I never left. But there is plenty beyond to explore if you are there longer.
One intrepid couple I met would pick up a pile of croissants for breakfast and then go out walking. Apparently there are beautiful views and many lovely walks.
They ambled off with their three children, the youngest just three months. Luckily, their oldest was seven and he and my son welded at the hip.
Heads bowed in deepest concentration over their Game Boys, they whiled away hours leaving this mother free to indulge in a series of treatments on offer at the hotel. Shiatsu. Deep Swedish Massage. And an extraordinary facial which required a plastic mask.
I don't know much about facials as I never normally have them, but this one did quite literally flatten out a few wrinkles. And then a last head-and-shoulders massage on the day we left.
Getting in the car and driving away was hard.
TRAVEL FACTS:
Moonfleet Manor Hotel is on 01305 786948.
Other traffic-free islands your children (and you) will love:
Some of the following islands allow emergency vehicles, but motorised transport will be rare.
BURGH ISLAND (near Bigbury-on-Sea, Devon). Noel Coward, Agatha Christie and The Beatles have stayed on bijou 26-acre Burgh Island. Cross over the sand causeway at low tide the lurching sea tractor. Lots of cliffs and coves, a 14th-century inn, smuggler ghost, and bird sanctuary.
High point: Burgh Island Hotel, restored to its art deco splendour.
LUNDY ISLAND (Bristol Channel). Takes just over two hours from Bideford Quay, on the MS Oldenburg, to reach picturesque Lundy Island. (Extra ferries from Ilfracombe Pier in the summer.) Three miles long, Lundy boasts a medieval castle, three lighthouses and an admiralty lookout - some of which you can stay in. There's also small campsite. Additional attractions include black rabbits, seals and puffins - the island's name comes from the Norse for puffin.
High point: Basking sharks can be seen in surrounding waters.
HEIR ISLAND (near Skibbereen, W. Cork, Republic of Ireland). One of the smallest inhabited islands off the West coast, approachable by ferry (a four-minute journey from Cunnamore Pier) and from Baltimore in the summer. Features like Roaring Water Bay well describe the rugged landscape, but the West Cork people are known for their gentility. Heir Island is particularly renowned for the wonderful cuisine at Island Cottage, which also claims to be one of the world's smallest cookery schools. Walk, sail and fish, or study the profusion of wild flowers and rare birds. Stay in a rented cottage.
High point: Views of Fastnet Rock, Mount Gabriel and surrounding islands.
SARK (near Guernsey, Channel Islands) The last independent feudal state in Europe, Sark is an island gem, with excellent hotels, shops and horse-drawn carriages. Access is mostly in high season by boat from either Guernsey or Jersey. Cycle along unspoilt lanes, visit the sandy beach. Seafood is a speciality.
High point: La Coupee, a mini gorge connecting the main island with Little Sark.
ARAN ISLANDS (Galway Bay, Republic of Ireland). Home of the famous sweater, the Aran Islands (Inishmore, Inishmaan and Inisheer) are spectacular, rocky and popular with tourists. Arrive by ferry from Galway City, or Doolin in Clare, or fly with Aer Arann from Connemara. Day-trippers head for the largest, Inishmore, but discerning tourists extend their pilgrimage to the unspoilt charm of the two smaller islands, with harbours only big enough for one boat at a time. Inishmaan's pub is alive with traditional music and there's a museum and knitwear factory with shop.
High point: Dun Aengus, a prehistoric fort towering above the cliffs of Inishmore.
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| | Destination Guide : Dorset |
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| | | Beautiful coastline |  | Why go on holiday to Dorset?
For Thomas Hardy country and cream teas, glorious stretches of coastline and beautiful beaches, historic market towns and swinging seaside resorts.
How much does it cost?
National Express return coach travel from London to Bournemouth costs about £20.
Return rail travel from London (Waterloo) to Bournemouth is around £40.
Rail and coach fares can vary greatly depending on when you book and when you want to travel and you should always check with the operator for exact prices.
Pitching your tent or parking your caravan costs between £9 and £20 a night - sites are numerous. B&B from £18, hotels from £40 (double). Moderate evening meal around £12, pint from £2.
How do I get there?
By train: Bournemouth station is about a mile from the town centre and served by taxis and buses.
Poole station is a short walk from the town centre - buses run from here to the quay and to the Channel Island ferry point. Weymouth station is in the town centre.
By coach: National Express coaches arrive from all over the UK into Bournemouth travel interchange, next to the rail station for onward connections or buses to town centre.
By air: Bournemouth International airport is off the A338 just outside Bournemouth on the Salisbury Road. Taxis available.
By car: From the M27, take the M271 onto the A31 into Bournemouth and Poole. Other main A roads into Dorset include the A35 to Dorchester and Poole and A350 to Shaftesbury and Blandford.
When should I go?
Weather-wise, it's anyone's guess, though Dorset does have a milder climate than most, allowing palm trees to grow outdoors.
People-wise, towns like Bournemouth, Poole, Weymouth and Swanage (as well as the beaches) are heaving in July and August so if you want a quieter stay, opt for spring or autumn.
Prices hike up from Easter onwards so look for off-season breaks if on a budget. Going in the crowded summer has the advantage of many festivals and events along the coast.
Enjoy open air concerts and Shakespeare on Brownsea Island in July/August and Bournemouth and Swanage Carnivals and Regatta weeks in July.
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| | | Historic seaside resorts | | What should I do when I'm there?
Dorset has some of the country's best beaches - for good sand try Bournemouth and neighbouring Southbourne or Canford Cliffs, Sandbanks and Studland near Poole.
Quaint historic resorts that don't have great beaches but do have other compensatory features include Lyme Regis, Swanage and the pebbly but dramatic Durdle Door, near Lulworth.
The South West Coast Path is a spectacular walk running from Poole along the entire Dorset coast and particularly scenic between Windspit (near Worth Matravers) and Swanage.
What's typically Dorset to see?
Historic market towns like Dorchester, Wimborne, Shaftesbury and Sherborne (with its magnificent abbey), are all worth a look.
Christchurch with its priory church and gardens and riverside setting looking out to the nature reserve at Hengistbury Head is also worth visiting.
Poole's old town features medieval and Georgian buildings meandering down to the town's historic quay on the second-largest natural harbour in the world. Weymouth was favoured by King George III in his day but is now cheerfully fish and chippy.
Where can I catch up with history?
Bournemouth's Russell Cotes museum has a fine collection of objects from around the world. Poole's Waterfront Museum traces the history of this medieval town.
Visit National Trust-owned Kingston Lacy House and gardens near Wimborne to step back into the 17th century. Further back in time, Iron Age Britons created Maiden Castle near Dorchester and carved the Giant into the hillside at pretty Cerne Abbas.
Castle ruins, 1,000 years old, dominate the picturesque Corfe Castle nestling among the Purbeck hills (stop here for cream teas). Visit Lawrence of Arabia's cottage at Cloud's Hill near Wareham or Thomas Hardy's home at Higher Bockhampton near Dorchester.
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| | | Classic cream teas | | Where's good for nightlife?
Bournemouth has a lively young clubbing scene and masses of bars. Poole has lots of old pubs, many with live music, along its quayside. Both towns offer top-class classical music concerts and summer season theatre.
Weymouth and Swanage are family-orientated resorts with plenty of variety-type theatre and pubs. The small town of Wimborne comes to life each June when its annual folk festival attracts bands and dancers from all over the UK.
What's the food like?
Bournemouth is a cosmopolitan town offering everything from haute cuisine to fish and chips. Poole has the usual collection of pizza houses and ethnic restaurants with some, more expensive, alternatives serving good local fish dishes.
There's some good pub food to be had in far-flung outposts like Plush, near Dorchester or in Christchurch, where one pub has the locals queuing for its excellent Thai menu.
Christchurch salmon is good and lobster is popular along the coast. Dorset is also renowned for its lamb and its Blue Vinney cheese. Plenty of cream teas and Dorset apple cake are on offer for those not watching their waistline.
What should I buy?
There's a wide variety of typical seaside tat including sticks of jaw-breaking rock for the kids but more tasteful gift shops offer a variety of gifts with a nautical theme.
Check out numerous arts and crafts fairs running throughout the summer months. The annual open-air art show which runs in Bournemouth's Lower Gardens during July and August offers a chance to buy a local landscape to remember your visit.
There are antiques fairs all over the country most weekends if you're hunting a bargain.
What is there for children to do?
The Dinosaur Museum at Dorchester is a hands-on attraction and Dinosaurland at Lyme Regis, features a children's corner about fossils. You can also arrange guided fossil walks from here.
The Tank Museum at Bovington has over 300 exhibits and regular firepower demonstrations. The Tythe Barn at Abbotsbury has a children's farm where they can feed the animals.
In Bournemouth, visit the seafront aquarium. Take a boat out to Brownsea Island in Poole Harbour to see wild peacocks and picnic on this National Trust island.
Tourist office
Bournemouth Tourist Information Centre, Westover Road, Bournemouth, BH1 2BU. Tel. 0906 8020234 (calls cost 60p per minute).
Poole Tourist Office, 4, The High Street, Poole, Dorset, BH15 1BW. Tel. 01202 253 253.
New Forest tel. 01590 689 000. Christchurch tel. 01202 471 780. Swanage tel. 01929 422 885.
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| | Available rental properties in Dorset |
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