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Things to Do in Dorset

Days out

Things to Do in Dorset

12 days out to consider for your Dorset cottage holiday.

Plan a day out

Visitor information and cottage bases nearby

Corfe Castle Heritage

Corfe Castle

A Norman royal castle blown apart in the Civil War
Abbotsbury Swannery Animals

Abbotsbury Swannery

The only managed colony of nesting mute swans

Family Days Out

6 attractions

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Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens Gardens

Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens

A Grade I walled garden grown from an 18th-century kitchen plot
Abbotsbury Swannery Animals

Abbotsbury Swannery

The only managed colony of nesting mute swans
Corfe Castle Heritage

Corfe Castle

A Norman royal castle blown apart in the Civil War

Unusual Things to Do

4 attractions

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Brownsea Island Outdoor

Brownsea Island

Poole Harbour's largest island, with red squirrels and no dogs
Old Harry Rocks Outdoor

Old Harry Rocks

Chalk sea stacks at the eastern end of the Jurassic Coast
Portland Bill Lighthouse Lighthouses

Portland Bill Lighthouse

Climb 155 steps to the lantern at Dorset's southern tip

Castles & Heritage Sites

3 attractions

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Corfe Castle Heritage

Corfe Castle

A Norman royal castle blown apart in the Civil War
Nothe Fort Heritage

Nothe Fort

Victorian harbour fort with tunnels and a Cold War bunker
Sherborne Castle and Gardens Heritage

Sherborne Castle and Gardens

Raleigh's house and a Capability Brown lake garden

Museums & Galleries

3 attractions

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Dorset Museum and Art Gallery Arts & Culture

Dorset Museum and Art Gallery

Hardy's study, a giant pliosaur skull and four floors in Dorchester
Nothe Fort Heritage

Nothe Fort

Victorian harbour fort with tunnels and a Cold War bunker
The Tank Museum Arts & Culture

The Tank Museum

Over 300 tanks and a running Tiger at Bovington

Gardens

2 attractions

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Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens Gardens

Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens

A Grade I walled garden grown from an 18th-century kitchen plot
Sherborne Castle and Gardens Heritage

Sherborne Castle and Gardens

Raleigh's house and a Capability Brown lake garden

Wildlife & Animal Attractions

2 attractions

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Abbotsbury Swannery Animals

Abbotsbury Swannery

The only managed colony of nesting mute swans
Monkey World Animals

Monkey World

A 65 acre ape rescue centre near Wareham

Outdoor Activities

2 attractions

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Brownsea Island Outdoor

Brownsea Island

Poole Harbour's largest island, with red squirrels and no dogs
Old Harry Rocks Outdoor

Old Harry Rocks

Chalk sea stacks at the eastern end of the Jurassic Coast

Indoor Attractions

1 attraction

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Dorset Museum and Art Gallery Arts & Culture

Dorset Museum and Art Gallery

Hardy's study, a giant pliosaur skull and four floors in Dorchester

Lighthouses

1 attraction

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Portland Bill Lighthouse Lighthouses

Portland Bill Lighthouse

Climb 155 steps to the lantern at Dorset's southern tip