Chesil Beach by Jim Champion

EAT: In the centre of the South coast lies the pretty seaside and harbour town of Weymouth, hosts to a superb farmers market. Here you can sample the very freshest organic produce from quality and little-known farms in the surrounding area. A colourful plethora of goodies is on offer from cheeses and wines to meat and chutneys.

DRINK: Inland to the north sits the town of Sherbourne, home to the Sherbourne Castle, built by Sir Walter Raleigh in the 17th century. The picturesque grounds include the award winning Sherborne Castle Estate Vineyard. Highly regarded in the wine trade, the vineyard produces approximately 12,000 bottles of high quality English wine from a range of grape varieties including Pinot noir and Baccus, not to mention its own label of brandy. Visitors to the castle can sample the fruits of the estate’s labour and purchase Sherborne Castle Special Reserve label bottles from the gift shop.

STAY: Just north of Blandford Forum in the tiny village of Compton Abbas is The Old Forge, a B&B with a twist; here you can spend the night in a Gypsy Caravan. The Showman’s Wagon was built in 1934 and has been painstakingly restored in the Romany tradition; it now stands prettily in the meadow of the Old Forge with beautiful views across the countryside. The caravan includes a double bed, shower and loo. Breakfast is included in your stay, enjoy locally sourced produce after a good night’s sleep in the comfort of your cosy wagon.

EXPLORE: Down in Portland, on the peninsula south of Weymouth, lies Church Ope Cove, one of the only sheltered beaches on Portland’s exposed coast and ever popular for bathing and relaxing. However, above the cove on the hills is a wooded area which conceals ruins of an ancient church and its graveyard, dating back to the 13th century. Search through the headstones to spot the ones which bear the mark of the skulls and crossbones, here be pirates!

DIG: Still on Portland, to the northwest, keen-eyed explorers might stumble across Tout Quarry. In this abandoned stone quarry, masons and sculptors have honed their skills over the years and left behind some masterpieces. The paths that wend their way through the quarry reveal sculptures and carvings including a ship, a fireplace and a helicopter. Tout Quarry runs courses and workshops for those who want to try their hand at a bit of masonry.

LISTEN: West of the New Forest is Cranbourne and its Ancient Technology Centre, home of The Earthouse. Gather round in this unique theatre and music venue and prepare to be mesmerised by some of the finest storytellers in the land. It is advisable to bring a cushion and perhaps a blanket; there are no creature comforts at the Earthouse as you are whisked back to a candlelit time before technology. Enjoy ripping yarns beneath the stars twinkling through the skylight.

READ: A visit to the South coast will always bring back memories of childhood bedtimes for those who were treated to Enid Blyton’s tales of The Famous Five. Many of her stories were set in and around the seaside town of Swanage and Corfe Castle (renamed Kirrin Castle by Blyton). A visit to Corfe Castle village is well worth it for fans of The Five, take a picnic in the grounds and be sure to include lashings of ginger beer. In the village square sits the Ginger Pop Shop devoted to childhood; it sells all manner of toys and gadgets not to mention a huge range of Enid Blyton books, audiobooks and souvenirs.

IMAGINE: For more wonder and magic, head north from Weymouth once again to Bincombe. Above the village is an ancient landscape including the Bincombe Bumps, a series of Bronze Age barrows. It is said that these bumps are the homes of fairies and if you put your ear to the ground at noon, you can hear their songs.

About the author: Ashley Auckle works with B+B Weymouth, a boutique Bed and Breakfast in Weymouth, Dorset.

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