Is Bournemouth Pier better to photograph than walk along? Discover its unlikely royal beginnings, Victorian roller skating, wartime explosion and surprising showbusiness connections, plus what visitors can enjoy today.
Three Red Arrows rise above Bournemouth’s cliffs, but why are they there? Discover the story of Jon Egging, the children who helped design his memorial, its dramatic relocation and another forgotten aviation tragedy nearby.
Some of the most beautiful parts of Sherborne Castle are the rooms you aren’t allowed to photograph. From its unforgettable dining room and Red Drawing Room to Capability Brown’s sweeping lakeside gardens, here’s why this historic family home became one of my most memorable Historic Houses visits.
Looking for the best day trips from Bournemouth by car? Discover 12 brilliant escapes across Dorset, Hampshire and Wiltshire, from dramatic coastlines and ruined castles to picturesque villages, historic towns and hidden gems worth the drive.
Sherborne Old Castle is free to explore, but these scattered Dorset ruins once formed a vast medieval palace. Discover its bishops, Sir Walter Raleigh, Civil War siege and what it is like to visit today.
We wandered over because Sherborne Abbey looked beautiful from the street. Then we discovered it was free, stepped inside and looked up. Beneath that extraordinary golden fan-vaulted ceiling is more than 1,300 years of history — including monks, kings, riots, fire and the people of Sherborne eventually buying their church back.
Sherborne is one of those Dorset towns where history hasn’t been tidied away behind a ticket desk. Honey-coloured streets, medieval gateways, independent shops and one extraordinary Abbey all sit together in a town that still feels very much alive.
Weymouth was only meant to be a quick stop on the way to Portland Bill. Instead, we wandered through the old streets, crossed the harbour, found Brewers Quay and walked back along the beach. It’s an easy free stop — although summer parking can sting a little.
You’ve probably passed Bournemouth’s Lansdowne Clock Tower countless times without giving it much thought. But behind that familiar red-brick landmark is a 1910 foundation stone, the origins of local higher education, a 150-foot tower — and a £12 million restoration completed more than a century later.
