Places to Visit

Houghton Lodge and Downview Farm are situated in the heart of Dorset,

which makes their location an ideal starting point to explore our beautiful and interesting county, even on rainy days...

Here are a few suggestions and a few of our personal favorite places to go and see... we are always adding to this list...

Lulworth Cove and Fossil Forest, Lulworth Castle and Durdle Door.

...Great walks and views of the Dorset and the Jurassic Coast....

Weymouth Beach and Town, Nothe Fort.

...Punch and Judy, Sand Sculpture, Large Safe Beach, Amusements, Weymouth Pavilion, Sea life Centre, Fish and Chips, Night Clubs and Bars, Shopping. A Great Day Out for All the Family... the list is endless...

Shell Bay, Studland Beach, Views Old Harry Rocks.

Studland Beach has lots of sand and you can even go naked if you want!

Swanage and Durlston Country Park.

Swanage is a lovely small seaside town you have to visit, shops, pubs, restaurants, Fish and Chips, fishing for crabs, Amusements... You can even ride on Steam Trains too and from Corfe Castle. Durlston Country Park... amazing views of the coast and wildlife (Dolphins)...

Sanbanks.

One of the best beaches in Dorset... You can cross the entrance of Poole Harbor by car, on the Chain Ferry to Studland Beach and Swanage.

Chesil Beach, Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens & Swannery.

Chesil Beach is an amazing natural wonder... a must see... miles of pebble beach stretching from Portland to West Bay, Fantastic Fishing all year round. Abbotsbury, picture postcard village and Swannery... The Beautiful Subtropical Gardens are a must visit... 

Wareham, Arne RSPB Reserve

Wareham (on the way to Swanage)... interesting town on the river. pubs restaurants and boats....

Arne RSPB Reserve ...Great walks on heathland down to the shore of Poole Harbor, lots of wildlife from rare birds, dear and even ants.

West Bay Harbor and Bridport.

West Bay, great interesting little harbor at the end of Chesil Beach, Fish and Chips, Pubs and Restaurants

Portland Bill Light House, Church Ope Cove and The Pirates Graveyard !!!

Just on the other side of Weymouth, the impressive red and white light house right at the end of Portland is something to be seen... amazing views of Chesil Beach and the Jurassic Coast.

Lyme Regis and Charmouth.

Lyme Regis is Fab place to go for a day out, the kids will love it... Fossil Shops, Museums, ice cream, fish and chips, also pubs and restaurants, and the famous sea wall with harbor, brilliant views of Golden Cap and The Jurassic Coast. Charmouth... Fantastic Fossil Hunting, even for the kids... great fossil shop and cafe.

Ringstead Bay...

Great Views of Portland, You might even see the Dolphins... One tip is to park at the top of the hill and look at the view.

Dancing Ledge.

Fantastic walk to the cliff tops with stunning views of the coast.

Worbarrow Bay.

Great walks on the Dorset Coast and cliff tops.

Osmington Mills.

One of Our favorite pubs... with food for all... dogs welcome... popular in the summer months though... also a good dog walk east to Ringstead Bay. Great Fishing!

Hive Beach, Burton Bradstock.

Good Fishing and interesting beach with sandstone cliffs.

Poole, Poole Harbor and Brownsea Island

Poole. (Home of The R.N.L.I. and Sunseaker) Poole has a large shopping centre with lots of shops, The Old town of Poole and Poole Quay ...lots of restaurants, (seafood included) and pubs and clubs.... even more fish and chips! You can catch boat trips to Brownsea Island from the Quay and go visit the red squirrels and peacocks on Brownsea or just sit and watch the hundreds of boats go by.

Bournemouth and Bournemouth Beach.

Bournemouth has Night Clubs, Bars, Restaurants, Lots of shopping to be done here.. fantastic beach can be very busy though... the Pier, theatres and cinemas... etc. etc.

Kimmeridge Bay. Jurassic Coast.

Rock pools and Fossil Hunting walks along the Dorset Coast.

MUSEUMS, CASTLES, ZOOS & AQUARIUMS

The Etches Collection. Kimmeridge, Dorset. View the amazing Giant Sea Monster from the BBC documentary.

Learn about how it lived, hunted, and died in the Jurassic seas of Kimmeridge 150 million years ago.

The Tank Museum. Bovington.

The Worlds Best Collection... Great day out... even on a rainy day... very impressive... we go again and again... live displays of tanks in the summer months... it is a must go and see! You can even see the actual Sherman and Tiger tanks from the movie Fury.

Monkey World Ape Rescue Centre. Wareham.

(As seen on TV) Fantastic !! the children will love it and well worth a visit... best to go on a sunny day... lots of monkeys and apes of all shapes and sizes... a full day out.

Kingston Lacy House and Gardens. Wimborne.

National Trust Property... Walk around this Fantastic Country House and view the paintings... another must visit and about 25min. away... the gardens are beautiful, cafe and woodland walks... 

Wimborne also offers many pubs and restaurants... 

Longleat Safari Park. Warminster.

Well worth the slightly longer drive to Warminster... a full great day out... drive through enclosures... Lions, Cheetahs, Elephants, Giraffes, and some cheeky Monkeys, they even had their own car!

Sherborne Castle.

Built by Sir Walter Raleigh set in 40 acres of landscaped gardens... some great works of art.

Corfe Castle.

An impressive, must see, Medieval castle and village... step back in time and imagine... I have lost count of the times we have visited... National Trust Property

Wimborne Minster.

Fascinating...705AD In the Minster you will find the man who didn't want to be buried in or out of the Minster and the Chained Library.

Also remember to visit in Wimborne the Priest House Museum, Wimborne Model Town and The Tivoli Theatre.

Dorset County Museum. Dorchester.

Amazing building giving you an insight into the history in and around Dorset... Whilst in Dorchester you can visit hill fort, Maiden Castle, over looking the town from the South.

The Keep Military Museum. Dorchester.

History of soldiers throughout the ages.

Athelhampton House. Dorchester.

Peaceful gardens from the 15th century

Russell-Coats Art Gallery and Museum. Bournemouth.

Well worth a visit, very eclectic and fascinating Victorian manor house.

Hardy's Cottage.

The famous author... beautiful setting.

Tyneham Village.

Taken over by the MOD in WWII... walk around and explore the deserted village and there is also a great walk down to the beach.

Weymouth Sealife Park.

Penguins, fish and crocodiles...