London to Dorset - Interesting Stops?

ChilliBob

Guys, we're off to Dorset in a few days, Seatown, just outside Bridport to be specific. A new location for us. 

When travelling to Cornwall we often stop at Otter Valley field kitchen - a, suggestion I received from here I believe. Great place! 

Anyone have any ideas of decent stops on the way? Either for a nice lunch, or just interesting full stop. It's a 4hr journey of so and we'll have about 6-8 hours from when we leave until we can check in. I wondered about Winchester? Obviously places that are a big detour with grief parking aren't ideal. 

Oh and also suggestions for this neck of the woods is also interesting. I'm thinking Bridport, Brownsea island, Lyme Regis etc

Brambling

What do you like to do?

If you are National Trust members Kingston Lacey House and the Kingston Lacey estate is just outside Wimborne so depending which way you are coming may not be too much of a detour, I come off the M27 when visiting Dorset so drive pass Wimborne on the way down to Bridport.   Or maybe find somewhere in the New Forest for lunch

Abbotsbury tropical gardens is not that far from Bridport and Abbotsbury is a pretty little village.

If you like walking The Blue Poole near Wareham is worth a visit.  Or anywhere around Swanage there is the steam railway from Swanage to Corfe Castle 

Bridport isn't is a big town and has a old fashion feel to it, with no big shops market days are Saturday and Wednesday when the stalls line the roads so may be worth visiting then if you go.  West bay is the harbour / beach part of Bridport and is walkable from Bridport 

p00hsticks

It's been about 15 years since we were last down that way, but I seem to recall that Dorchester had a really quirky collection of little museums within walking distance of each other - I can remember a replica of Tutankhamens tomb, a large collection of replica terracotta army figures and a Teddy bear museum. I think we got a ticket that let us visit them all, but they may not be around any more....

Edit - looks like they are all still there and more
Museums in and around Dorchester - Dorchester Dorset

gwynlas

If you are using the M3 then Winchester is just off it and Salisbury is a little further along both have various market days on line. Off the M27 you could visit Lymington which is especially busy on a Saturday travelling through Lyndhurst and Brockenhurst. If the A3 then Portsmouth Fareham etc are on the way west, Dorchester and Weymouth are easily accessible from Bridport for days out.

ChilliBob

Brambling said:

What do you like to do?

If you are National Trust members Kingston Lacey House and the Kingston Lacey estate is just outside Wimborne so depending which way you are coming may not be too much of a detour, I come off the M27 when visiting Dorset so drive pass Wimborne on the way down to Bridport.   Or maybe find somewhere in the New Forest for lunch

Abbotsbury tropical gardens is not that far from Bridport and Abbotsbury is a pretty little village.

If you like walking The Blue Poole near Wareham is worth a visit.  Or anywhere around Swanage there is the steam railway from Swanage to Corfe Castle 

Bridport isn't is a big town and has a old fashion feel to it, with no big shops market days are Saturday and Wednesday when the stalls line the roads so may be worth visiting then if you go.  West bay is the harbour / beach part of Bridport and is walkable from Bridport 

Thanks. Looks like we will probably be M25 --> M3 --> M27 --> A31 --> A35

New Forest looks to be just over 2hr mark, depending on traffic of course. Does look like it's going to be chucking it down all day though - Friday - Boo! 

Thanks for the tip about market day. Will be our first break being quite so isolated - more used to breaks where we can walk to some kind of town within 10 mins or so. 

ChilliBob

p00hsticks said:

It's been about 15 years since we were last down that way, but I seem to recall that Dorchester had a really quirky collection of little museums within walking distance of each other - I can remember a replica of Tutankhamens tomb, a large collection of replica terracotta army figures and a Teddy bear museum. I think we got a ticket that let us visit them all, but they may not be around any more....

Edit - looks like they are all still there and more
Museums in and around Dorchester - Dorchester Dorset

That's quite a collection! I think it'll perhaps work better when our small people are less small. (15 months and 6 years). Thanks for the suggestion

ChilliBob

gwynlas said:

If you are using the M3 then Winchester is just off it and Salisbury is a little further along both have various market days on line. Off the M27 you could visit Lymington which is especially busy on a Saturday travelling through Lyndhurst and Brockenhurst. If the A3 then Portsmouth Fareham etc are on the way west, Dorchester and Weymouth are easily accessible from Bridport for days out.

Winchester is just that bit closer than the New Forest, so could work well.

Dorchester for a day trip looks decent, I'll see what the gang think.

Cheers!

Brambling

ChilliBob said:

Thanks. Looks like we will probably be M25 --> M3 --> M27 --> A31 --> A35

You are missing the worst of the traffic not going during the summer but as it's a Friday prepared for the coming off the M27 onto the A31 and crawling up the hill, it does depend on the time of day but recent years it can be slow any time as can the Wimborne Bypass where it drops from dual carriageway to single.  I love Dorset but it can be slow driving through sometimes no motorway and not a lot of dual carriageway but beautiful scenery to look at when waiting!

If you have small people I recommend Swanage which is a small seaside town and using the steam railway to Corfe Castle, your 6 year old may enjoy the castle ruins and the train.  Not sure what it costs to get in but Monkey World is also close by 

ChilliBob

Brambling said:

ChilliBob said:

Thanks. Looks like we will probably be M25 --> M3 --> M27 --> A31 --> A35

You are missing the worst of the traffic not going during the summer but as it's a Friday prepared for the coming off the M27 onto the A31 and crawling up the hill, it does depend on the time of day but recent years it can be slow any time as can the Wimborne Bypass where it drops from dual carriageway to single.  I love Dorset but it can be slow driving through sometimes no motorway and not a lot of dual carriageway but beautiful scenery to look at when waiting!

If you have small people I recommend Swanage which is a small seaside town and using the steam railway to Corfe Castle, your 6 year old may enjoy the castle ruins and the train.  Not sure what it costs to get in but Monkey World is also close by 

Thanks, that's a great shout regarding Swanage, we were going to stay there before, and I've been to Corfe caste myself ages ago. Monkey world, yeah, that sounds right up our street, take my two monkeys with me! 

cats_whiskers

Hi
Farmer Palmers Farm Park is just off the A35 may be worth a look for a day out with young children.

thegreenone

Depending on where you are starting, I would stick to the A31 rather than M25 & M3 (pick up the latter later!).  We used to visit Lymington a lot and always used the A31 from home in Surrey.  There are plenty of places to stop, should you need loo stops.  New Alresford has the Watercress Line.  Definitely, Swanage and Corfe.  Make sure you study the Swanage train timetable to get the steam trains as last time I went, not all were Steam.