Discover Magical, Mystical Dorset
08/26/2007 12:08 a.m.
The South coast of England is renowned and justly famous. From the immortal white cliffs of Dover in Kent, to the historical beachside resorts of Brighton in Sussex and the great harbor of Portsmouth and the rustic Isle of Wight in Hampshire, they are names and places that most North Americans are familiar with, even though they may never have visited them.
Ask most North Americans to continue describing England's South coast and the next stop will likely be Devon and Cornwall, with their moody windswept bays and emerald rolling fields. Unfortunately they would have missed out on the South coast's best kept secret, the enchanting and mystical county of Dorset, which is well known to your specialized travel agent.
Set between Devon and Hampshire, Dorset is a rarity in the South coast or even in all of Britain, a blessedly rural, underpopulated and eco-friendly county butted up against some of the swiftest-developing burgeoning areas of the outer southwestern quadrant of the London commuter corridor.
The twin port cities of Bournemouth and Poole are physically part of Dorset, but spiritually they belong on the other side of the line in Hampshire. They are lovely, vibrant, active cities in their own right, but they do not share the true Dorset magic. If you want to experience that magic for yourself all you have to do is make arrangements with your travel agent and head west on A35 about five miles to the sleepy village of Slepe. This tiny town stands for everything Dorset is: Slepe-y, comfortable, snugged up in a tiny thached roof cottage or low roofed 16th century pub, reading a book or discussing the latest soccer score and Coronation Street episode.
The prototypical British lifestyle which is only a fond memory in London, Manchester or Birmingham is still alive and very well, thank you, in rural Dorset. As you follow the A35 through Bere Regis and the comically named Puddletown (the gateway to Piddlehinton and Piddletrenthide!!!), you will soon arrive at what may be Britain's smallest city or largest town, whichever way you want to look at it: Dorchester is arguably the largest British city without a Cathedral, a historical mistake which may have contributed to modern Dorchester becoming one of the most pleasant urban areas in the country.
From its pedestrian only High Street with its hidden courtyards and craftsman-packed alleyways featuring an impressive Teddy Bear Museum, to the Military Museum where you can view weapons and uniforms from the eras as well as see Hitler's own desk, Dorchester is a continually unfolding surprise and your travel agent can certainly accommodate you in a variety of cozy B&Bs or hotels in the town center. You cannot walk a block in Dorchester without being reminded of the town's favorite son, Thomas Hardy the great Victorian author of Tess of the d'Urbervilles, The Mayor of Casterbridge, Jude The Obscure, and Far From The Madding Crowd, all set in his beloved Dorset.
Dorchester is a true jewel of English history and pride in every respect, even if your aesthetic senses are set a bit askew by Poundsbury, a new 400 acre pet project of Prince Charles which can only be defined as Olde England designed by Disney on the town outskirts. Few people really know what to do about Poundsbury, but it certainly is an architectural curiosity/aberration that is worth a gawk, even if only to wonder why the Prince couldn't find something more worthwhile to spend his billions on.
There is so much more to alluring Dorset, so just ask your travel agent to guide you from the magnificent harbor at Weymouth with its marvelous beaches and its rare double low tide, to the famous Bill lighthouse at the tip of Portland Island which lent its name to the cement. It is a magnificent county to discover as one of the last vestiges of a Britain which has long since been buried... under Portland cement.
Tags: western europe, bournemouth, bristol, exeter
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