Places of interest in and around Blandford Forum

Blandford is set some 15 miles from the Dorset coast. Poole is the nearest port where there are frequent ferries to France and the Channel Islands.
Poole ferry information - www.directferries.co.uk/poole.htm

Bournemouth, with its exhibitions, theatres, concerts and cinemas lies five miles to the east of Poole. Driving times from Blandford are about 30 minutes to the ferry port and 45 minutes to the centre of Bournemouth.

Blandford is home to Royal Corps of Signals with the camp just outside the town. The Royal Corps of Signals museum at the camp is well worth a visit.
www.atra.mod.uk/atra/rstraining/index.htm

The Great Dorset Steam Fair takes place every year at Tarrant Hinton. The 500 acre site is alongside the Blandford to Salisbury road and takes place at the end of August, lasting for five days. If you haven't visited this unique celebration of the past glory of steam, you should put it on your list of 'Must do' things. It really is great fun and very impressive.
www.steam-fair.co.uk

A little further afield, on the Blandford to Wimborne road is Kingston Lacy House. Now owned by the National Trust, it has recently been restored. The house is well worth a visit as it has a wonderful collection of very fine paintings, acquired by the Bankes family over the century. The grounds and gardens are also worth seeing. Close by is one of Dorset's famous Iron Age Forts - Badbury Rings which has easy access and great views.
www.nationaltrust.org.uk

To the west of Blandford lies the county town of Dorchester - Casterbridge in Thomas Hardy's novels. South and west Dorset is very much Thomas Hardy country and worth exploring.
www.hardysociety.org

On your way to Dorchester it is worth breaking your journey and visiting Athlehampton House in Puddletown, three miles before you get to Dorchester
www.athelhampton.co.uk

Still further afield the Dorset and East Devon coasts have recently been made a 'World Heritage Site'. Popularly known as the Jurassic coast because the cliffs and beaches are rich in fossils from the time of the dinosaurs. The scenery is exceptional and the sea air bracing.
www.jurassiccoast.com

A few miles to the west of Weymouth lie the famous sub-tropical gardens and swannery of Abbotsbury. The shingle from Chesil beach absorbs the heat from the sun and releases it during the night, creating this sub tropical microclimate. The swannery is an important breeding ground for swans. Abbotsbury is a great place to take the family for an outing.
www.abbotsbury-tourism.co.uk

If you are feeling energetic, the Wessex Ridgeway passes close to Blandford as it goes from Marlborough to Lyme Regis 219km/136 miles.
www.ramblers.org.uk/info/paths/wessexridgeway.html

The Dorset Wildlife Trust has 38 nature reserves in Dorset, any one of which is worth visiting.
www.wildlifetrust.org.uk/dorset

Other links

i Dorset - The Dorset Directory
We're listed with Digital Dorset!
Dorset Only
List on Dorset List
Visit your Local Website @ www.2cUK.net
UK Pages - Web Directory
Dorset - Web Directory
The Hunter - The complete guide to travel, accommodation and real estate in The Hunter area.
Bed and breakfast in Dawlish - A small B&B in Dawlish, centrally located and close to the sea front and town centre.