The Granary B&B, Mangerton, near Bridport and Beaminster, Dorset

West Dorset

Mangerton is well placed to visit some of the most interesting towns and villages of West Dorset. Bridport & West Bay , Beaminster ,  Dorchester, Sherborne are all within easy reach.

Nearer to hand are a string of exquisite honey-coloured little villages and hamlets set in hidden valleys by sparkling streams or nestling below Eggardon Hill: West Milton and Loscombe, Nettlecombe and Powerstock, Loders and Uploders, North and South Poorton.

This is, of course, Hardy Country and his birthplace at Bockhampton and the house he built at Max Gate can also be visited.

There are magnificent houses to visit: Mapperton , Forde Abbey, Montecute and Athelhampton All these have notable gardens and in addition there are famous gardens at Abbotsbury and Minterne Magna.

There is also the Giant at Cerne Abbas

On the Jurassic Coast within easy reach are Portland, Weymouth, The Chesil beach, Abbotsbury, Burton Bradstock, West Bay, Seatown, Golden Cap, Charmouth, Lyme Regis.

As well as the South-West coastal path, there is glorious walking both from the doorstep and further afield. The Wessex Ridgeway is within easy reach.

Nearby is the iron-age hillfort of Eggardon, and the whole area  is rich in hill forts and earthworks, some from the Bronze Age, as well as more recent legacies from the Romans.

There are some excellent websites giving detailed descriptions of walks:

The Long Distance Walkers Association has a most informative list of local trails. See also:

Walks on Wednesday mornings Walks for Softies & Walking in Dorset are fairly gentle strolls, whilst Walks in Dorset tend to be much longer.