The Jurassic Coast, at Weymouth, is only 9 miles away (multimap map). Nowhere on the Dorset coast from Bournemouth, Poole and Studland to Charmouth, Lyme Regis and Bridport is more than an hour’s drive away. Choose your spot: from sandy Weymouth and Swanage to pebbly Chesil Beach; watch or take part in sailing, motorboat excursions and fishing trips from Charmouth or Lyme Regis.
Walk along the coastal path and the undercliff anywhere from Lulworth Cove to Studland, Ringstead and Golden Cap, and watch out for interesting birds and orchids.
There is lots to do in the village and the surrounding area: in addition to fossiling, watch out for garden open days, fetes, historic country houses, Europe’s largest prehistoric hill fort at Maiden Castle and the Swannery and gardens at Abbotsbury. Have a look at Prince Charles’ urban development down the road at Poundbury.
Thomas Hardy's birthplace is nearby as is the delightfully furnished tudor Athelhampton Manor with its topiary gardens and excellent food. T E Lawrence lived not far away and Hardy’s Monument (Nelson’s Flagship fame) dominates a hill to the South West.
The Tolpuddle martyrs lived just ten miles to the east. Minstead House Gardens, originally the Churchill family’s home, with its two mile woodland walk makes for a pleasant excursion. If you are into antiques, it will be worth checking out the local auctions.
Dorset is an agricultural county, and farmers’ markets are the real thing: local produce sold by local producers.
Dorset is a county of small towns and hundreds of villages nestling in folds in the hills, a place with thatched cottages and buildings built of Portland, Purbeck and Ham stone, combined with flint. A countryside with long views and intimate vistas, where green is the predominant colour and sheep and cattle abound.
Dorchester is well worth a visit. There’s the market on Wednesday mornings with hundreds of stalls offering variety and value, the Dinosaur Museum, a large antique market, a beautiful park, a pedestrian main shopping street with most of the shops you know and a few local ones as well. Visit Dorchester’s website and the "Visit Dorchester" website.