Dorchester
Dorchester is an excellent town to visit whilst staying at our holiday park in Charmouth. This historic county town has plenty of things to see and do, including walking around the ancient Roman amphitheatre of Maumbury Rings, visiting the fantastic Dorset Museum or finding a treasured antique in the Dorchester Curiosity Centre.
Historic Sites of Interest
Dorchester is one of the oldest towns in Dorset - its history can be traced as far back as the Iron Age! Dorchester was arguably made most famous by the Romans who built the town here in 43 AD. Here are a selection of historic sites to visit in Dorchester if you are interested in this town’s remarkable past.
Maiden Castle
Maiden Castle is an ancient Iron Age hillfort and one of the best-preserved remaining in Europe. We highly recommend walking across this ancient site whilst visiting Dorchester. Despite being the size of roughly fifty football pitches, the walk around this settlement roughly takes up to forty-five minutes and is the perfect way to spend a sunny afternoon.
Please note that there will sometimes be sheep roaming around Maiden Castle, so, we please ask that dogs remain on the lead at all times.
Photo Credit - Flickr - Andy Lamb
The Dorset Museum
The Dorset Museum is a fantastic museum to visit to gain a greater understanding of the rich history this county has on offer. This local museum explores the past 250million years of Dorset’s history, ranging from dinosaurs discovered in Charmouth and along the Jurassic coast, to Roman invaders all the way to the famous Dorchester-local and world-famous author, Thomas Hardy. Tickets for The Dorset Museum can be booked online or can be bought upon arrival however, under 26s can enter the museum free of charge on weekends.
Poundbury
Poundbury is a unique town worth visiting on the outskirts of Dorchester. This beautiful town is best known for it's traditional Georgian architecture, well-kept gardens, and brightly coloured buildings. This area was built and designed by the once Prince of Wales, now King Charles III, with sustainability in mind. We highly encourage those visiting to walk around this charming town, rather than drive, as it has been designed with accessibility in mind. Although Poundbury is mainly housing, you will many independent cafes and shops dotted throughout the town as well as plenty of green spaces, such as the Woodlands Crescent Play Area and The Great Field.
Restaurants and Cafes
Dorchester has a wide range of cafes and restaurants to choose from. The hotspot for restaurants in Dorchester is Brewery Square, which is home to multiple chain restaurants and cafes including Wagamama, Pizza Express, Luciano’s, Hubbox, Côte, Vivo Lounge and Costa Coffee. Alternatively, there are many fantastic independent restaurants and cafes dotted throughout Dorchester town - our top recommendations are the ‘Kao San’ which is a brilliant Thai restaurant on High East Street, or even ‘Al Molo’ which is a fantastic Italian restaurant that has recently relocated to Dorchester from Weymouth.