Just booked a week at campsite in Dorset for summer holidays.

[OhMyStarryEyedSurprise]

What outdoors local gems are there in Dorset? We might do a couple of days out somewhere but I'm really asking for must-see or must-do activities in the Dorset area. Any regular Dorset holiday makers or Dorset locals want to share their knowledge or experience?

Campsite is in Swanage, Dorset if anyone knows around there at all? Very rural. Can't wait!

Any recommendations or advice for must-see places very welcome as the furtherst we've ever been down south was London.

Hit me with your Dorset gems please!

[Bobbyelvis4ever]

Dorset Heavy Horse Farm is great, it’s about an hour from Swanage, but might make a good stop en route home

[Elderflower14]

Tyneham Village
Moreton Church

[FourChimneys]

Somewhere along there is a field with genuine dinosaur footprints in the rock. All quite low key with just a noticeboard. We came across it on a walk and it was quite weird, standing exactly where a dinosaur had once stood.

Maybe someone can do a link or you could Google it.

I love Dorset, it is one of my favourite counties.

[LakieLady]

Lovely walks at Arne nature reserve. There are deer, and we saw a buzzard at close quarters last time I was there.

Brownsea island is worth a visit too. There are red squirrels, and lovely views across Poole Harbour.

[Festivalpartygirl]

Dorset Water Park, near Corfe, also popping up for the summer from June 4th in Wimborne is 110metre Slip and Water Slide, looks fun.

[MrsSkylerWhite]

Swanage is fabulous. Corfe Castle, the model village there and a boat to Brownsea Island are really nice day trips.

[Tree543]

Monkey World
Tank Museum

[FleeceNavidadfromtheSheep]

Seek out the chalk hill figures. Verne Abbas Giant and Osmington white horse.

Walk out to Old Harry rocks.

Lulworth is interesting, quite a hike to Dursley Door and can get very busy, so go early.

[FleeceNavidadfromtheSheep]

Cerne Abbas giant.

[JustATomCat]

@ButterSageSpaghetti

Agree - plus Abbotsbury Children's farm if you have kids is amazing (you can get a combo ticket)

The farm isn't open anymore but the Tropical gardens down the road from the Swannery are. 😊

[ButterSageSpaghetti]

@JustATomCat oh no! Very sad to hear this. Many years of very happy family holiday trips there. Sad times. The Gardena are good though - did a few Easter and night time lights things there

[wonkygorgeous]

Lots to do. Rural Dorset is beautiful. Keeping to the Purbeck peninsula as the road into Swanage is bumper to bumper in the summer with tourists so you may want to plan outings locally using the back roads.

Avoiding the main roads you have
Kimmeridge (fossils)
Tyneham when the road is open.
Corfe castle (National Trust)
Swanage stream train railway
Durlston castle with activities in the summer holidays.
Swanage (fish and chips) and boat trips, a nice beach and crabbing off the pier.
Dancing ledge and the pub at Worth Matravers
Beautiful beaches at Studland (National Trust).

A tiny bit further, 20 mins, is
Arn bird sanctuary
Blue Pool
Lulworth and Durdle Door, you can do the back roads to avoid traffic.
Lulworth castle (English Heritage)

Further again
The hills (National Trust) above Ringstead Bay with the coastal walk down to it. Beautiful views of Portland and Weymouth bay.

Brownsea island (National Trust) is a lovely day out too. Go early and be the first boat onto the island to see the red squirrels before they hide!

Moreton to see the church and the grave of Laurence of Arabia. Moreton has nice gardens/animal park and a tea room, also a ford that children enjoy with nets for catching minnows. You'll need padding shoes as it's stony.

[OhMyStarryEyedSurprise]

Oh my goodness! I'm blown away by all these suggestions - thank you to all who have commented. The question is more like what isn't there to do near Swanage! I'll make a list and investigate these further. There's almost too much to do by the sounds of it. All of it sounds very up our street, too. There's lots of free or seemingly low-cost suggestions too which will be terrific. Off to Google these places now... Thanks to everyone.

[Ginisatonic]

@FourChimneys

Somewhere along there is a field with genuine dinosaur footprints in the rock. All quite low key with just a noticeboard. We came across it on a walk and it was quite weird, standing exactly where a dinosaur had once stood.

Maybe someone can do a link or you could Google it.

I love Dorset, it is one of my favourite counties.

Nearest car park for the dinosaur footprints is the national trust Spyway car park. That’s also the place to park for Dancing Ledge.

[WimbyAce]

Dorset is beautiful, loads of nice spots along the coast, Studland, Hengistbury Head. Brownsea Island is a must, can't recommend it enough! Lulworth Cove, Corfe Castle, Monkey World, Adventure Wonderland. The Walled Garden at Moreton is a little gem and free entry. Arne is also absolutely beautiful. Blue Pool near Wareham, gorgeous. Also New Forest not too far away, Furzey Gardens is a treat. Depends how much travelling you want to do tbh but there is plenty to see and do!

[RowanAlong]

Locally to Swanage - Corfe Castle, Blue Pool near Wareham, Durdle Door, Studland Beach, Knoll beach (NT, boat/kayak/paddleboard hire), Lulworth Cove.
Further West, Abbotsbury (chapel, Subtropical gardens, Swannery). Sealife at Weymouth good for kids.

[GetTheGoodLookingGuy]

Weymouth has an arcade on the seafront with 2p slot machines (Swanage has one too but it’s rubbish - you get through your money really quickly compared to Weymouth). The Weymouth one also has some rides outside - bumper cars etc.

[mycatisannoying]

I don't know the area, but do relate to your excitement about having a change of scene! I can't wait for our holiday in the summer

[Knackeredbutnot]

Abbotsbury is great, but your kids might be a bit old for the farm. If you like fossils / geology then check out thefossilacademy (on YouTube) for fossil hunting tips. He’s Dorset based (a bit further West in Lyme Regis) but would highly recommend if you wanted to have a private walk, find some fossils and learn about collecting.

[ThirtyCharacterUsernamesOnly30]

Lots of lovely things to do in Dorset, but I have to admit, I never want to see another tank again after visiting The Tank Museum. I know the clue is in the name, but there were sooo many tanks, everyone else I was with loved it, but I was like, 'no more tanks, please, no more tanks!'

[TweenTrauma]

West Bay is my favourite place in Dorset, the kids love it! Nice beaches, lovely harbour, rib charter boats (either leisurely or fast!), nice little shops, lots of kiosks to get food, and they have a fun fair in the summer.

If you get a rainy day the swimming pool in Bridport is great, they have a kids pool with a couple of slides and they sometimes have big inflatables in the main pool.

[Fizbosshoes]

We went last year to Swanage and loved it (kids aged 11 and 14) but all of us - even overly optimistic DH - were a bit underwhelmed with Corfe Castle and thought that + steam train was an expensive day out! (We don't have a dog but thought £3 to take a dog on the train was a bit much!!)

[BookShark]

Our usual week in Dorset includes...

Putlake adventure farm for soft play and bottle feeding goats, tractor rides etc. DD is far too old (11) but still loves it as it's tradition!
Kimmeridge for rock pooling and finding ammonites
Weymouth for the Sea Life centre, crazy golf and donkey rides on the beach
Lots of walking - Corfe Castle ridge walk (get the train to Harman's Cross and then walk to Corfe Castle, then train back to Swanage), Arne nature reserve, all along the Jurassic Coast, especially Old Harry Rocks, Dancing Ledge, Durlston Country Park and Chapman's Pool.
The Blue Pool is a bit overpriced but we spend ages looking for the hidden squirrels, owls and woodpeckers (they're just models, but we fail to every time!)
Sandbanks for beach and crazy golf
Crabbing off Poole Quay

Eating-wise - the Castle Inn and the Greyhound (both in Corfe Castle), the Bankes Arms in Studland, the Square and Compass (only food option is a pasty, but you're really going for the cider!) and Shell Bay for the view. We also love Pig on the Beach, but that's a bit more £££ so depends on your budget.

Enjoy! We love Dorset and can't wait to move back - just need to get DD through secondary and then we'll be straight there!

[OhMyStarryEyedSurprise]

Thanks everyone - been furiously googling all of these. Quick question - is there a really good crazy golf in Dorset anywhere? Inside or out? Preferably out but either might be good to know! Also - any outdoor activity-type centres? The place we are camping is very, very basic. Won't name it on here. So we have the basics but ultimately it's just a field with showers.

[twilightcafe]

Purbeck Breezer bus has a stunning route that goes from Swanage to Bournemouth via a chain ferry.