So much to see and do…

This elegant 17th century Italian-inspired country mansion is set in attractive formal gardens and extensive parkland. Housing paintings by Rubens, Van Dyck, Titian and Brueghel and explore the largest private collection of ancient Egyptian artefacts in the UK. There’s lots to see in ormal gardens too, created by Henrietta Bankes. Stroll around the Japanese Garden, complete with authentic tea house or take a sheltered walk through the woodland.

Thomas Hardy was born in 1840 in this small cob and thatch cottage, built by his great-grandfather. It was from here that Hardy wrote several of his early short stories, poetry and novels including 'Under the Greenwood Tree' and 'Far from the Madding Crowd'. It has an pretty cottage garden, with roses around the door. Once inside you’ll discover that 19th-century rural life, with its open hearths, small windows and stone floors, was far from idyllic.

The museum tells the harrowing tale of the martyrs’ arrest, trial and punishment, leading to the foundation of modern day trade unionism. It’s a modern, informative and educational exhibition with interactive touchscreen displays. Tolpuddle has long been a place of pilgrimage for trade unionists. and visitors can discover for themselves how the Tolpuddle Martyrs changed the face of social history and made such an impact on society.

This is the only place in the world where you are able to walk through the heart of a colony of nesting Mute Swans. This unique natural wildlife habitat is also popular with filmmakers and has been used as a location for Harry Potter filming. The swans at Abbotsbury are all free flying. You can help hand feed 600 swans or get lost in the giant maze (the largest willow maze in Dorset), swing on the swinging nests play area, at the Kennels café or browse the gift shop and even better, parking is free.

If you love water lilies you must visit Bennetts Water Gardens. Set over 8 acres they hold the national plant collection® of water lilies. There’s a Claude Monet-style Japanese bridge, a tropical house, woodland walks and a museum. Explore the gardens with the Visitor Guide which provides an introduction to the history, along with the flora and fauna to look out for. Café Monet serves coffees, homemade lunches, cakes and cream teas. The shop has a great selection of unusual gifts and plants for your garden

Set on a rolling hillside above the picturesque village of Cerne Abbas, the 180ft tall club-wielding man has long been regarded as a sign of fertility. No one is sure how old the Cerne Abbas Giant is, but a recent archaeological study dates the figure to around 700-1100AD which suggests the giant was first made by late Saxons. Enjoy a gentle stroll up to the Giant from Cerne Abbas. To avoid damage and erosion, access to the Giant is restricted. There is a picnic area a short walk away from the car park and viewing area.

Winner of the 2022 Historic Houses ‘Garden of the Year’ award and voted ‘Nation’s Finest Manor House’ by Country Life. A hidden Dorset gem with outstanding countryside views and much to explore. The Jacobean manor overlooks a large Italianate garden, with orangery, fountains, statues, herbaceous borders, bold topiary and grottoes. Informal lower gardens with colourful shrubs and rare trees, a spring garden and woodlands. Licensed café and free parking onsite.

This fairy-tale castle was originally built as a hunting lodge in the early 17th century to entertain aristocracy and royalty and has been the family seat of the Weld family for 400 years. Discover spectacular panoramic views over the Purbeck countryside and towards the Jurassic Coast from the Lulworth Castle tower. You can enjoy your picnic in the spacious grounds or visit The Castle Tearoom which offers hot drinks, cakes, snacks and ice creams and also has a small collection of gifts.

This ancient manor has been continually lived in since Saxon times and is mentioned in the Domesday book. The current house was largely constructed in Tudor times and remains pretty much unchanged to this day. it was extended in Elizabethan times when the West Wing and Kitchen Wings were added. Alfred Cart de Lafontaine purchased it in 1891 and created the fabulous gardens that surround the house and restored the house taking advice from his friend Thomas Hardy.

Langham Wine Estate offers various types of tour and has a tasting room, shop and cafe on site. Nestled amongst the rolling hills of rural Dorset, it really is a special place to visit.

If you’re bringing your bikes with you then we’ve got some lovely cycling routes around Milton Abbas. Here are the top 14 bike rides that explore the beautiful countryside we are lucky enough to be surrounded by.

A safe route for walkers, runners and cyclists it’s largely made up of sections of the old Somerset and Dorset Railway which linked Bristol and Bournemouth until the 1960s with stunning views of the River Stour.