DORSET!

WillyB

Registered user
Joined
Jul 29, 2020
Messages
41
Reaction score
0
Location
Northumberland
Hi all,

The wife and l think we will leave Europe for 2021 for at least a year to see how things pan out, Brexit and Covid -19.
So' we have always fancied Dorset area and plan to do about 10-14 days, we would like a base camp (caravan/cabin or the like for 7 nights) and daily runs around the Dorset area (must do Laurence of Arabia's house) it's on my to do list.
Our obligatory Scotland trip's are pretty much planned.
We will be riding down from Northumberland and staying one or two nights on route down.

Any recommendations for lodgings and good roads please.
TIA,

WillyB
 
This week's MCN had a decent route round some of Dorset. It's a loop I ride regularly as I live in West bay, so have a start/finish point already. There are loads of good roads here and usually well maintained. The coast road from West Bay to Portesham is superb. Stop for an ice cream at the viewing point for Chesil Beach.

There are loads of walks. The south west coast path starts or finishes in Poole. There are a number of ancient hill forts to see. Corfe Castle is well worth a look, as is Portland sculpture park, which includes a (mediocre) Antony Gormley. Cerne Abbas giant if you feel the need for some extra fertility.

Moto Corsa has an excellent selection of exotica and a decent cafe. Maybe leave the credit card at home. Those MVs look very enticing.

Palmers beer is rather moreish and you can tour the brewery. It's England's only thatched brewery and is on the southern edge of Bridport. If you watched Broadchurch you will recognise loads of places in Bridport and, mainly, West Bay.

There is loads of good food, especially sea food. Mark Hix has a place in Lyme Regis. Lyme is a bugger to park in during the tourist season. It's worth a walk out on The Cob (the harbour pier, as featured in The French Lieutenant's Woman).

Dorset operates its own time scale. Nothing happens quickly. You soon learn to relax and enjoy it. I love it here and wouldn't live anywhere else now.
 
We stayed over at the Lulworth Cove inn a few years ago really beautiful place if you want to impress the missis. Also a good place for scenic walks if you are a keen walker.
 
Lots to do and see in Dorset, Swanage & Durlston Head, Kimmeridge , Bovington Tank Museum, Chapmans Pool, Sherborne, Compton Abbas airfield Cafe, Milton Abbas. Clay Pigeon cafe. Plot a route around these places and you will encounter some good roads.
 
The road from lulworth to wool and then wool to the tank museum and then out to the A 35 is brilliant. Then head for blandford and take the C13 to Compton Abbas airfield is one of the best but may now have speed limits. The airfield has a good cafe, food, bar. And most the local roads are good. You are close to zig zag hill. There is so many good roads you won't go wrong.
 
Tank museum is excellent. Not sure of when you will be there but if you can coincide with their Tank Fest 26/6/21 (double check). We spent a week touring around very nice area.:thumb2
 
Beware of speed cameras; after a day at the Tank Museum and an evening in Weymouth I got pinged, ok fair cop but the speed awareness course was back in Dorset and they won’t let you do it locally.

This tale has a Covid caveat as such courses are on-line now.
 
The Swannery at Abbotsbury..
Take a jolly over to Yeoviton Museum,whilst in the area Haynes motor museum Sparkford..3ml or so away
 
If camping, we like Portesham as the pub, Kings Arms is a short walk the site doesn’t have a social and is quiet at night. You can walk to plenty of places including Abbotsbury and the beach, you will find it between Weybiza and West Bay.

There are loads of campsites in Dorset and they can be pricey in the summer school holidays.
 
Hi all,

The wife and l think we will leave Europe for 2021 for at least a year to see how things pan out, Brexit and Covid -19.
So' we have always fancied Dorset area and plan to do about 10-14 days, we would like a base camp (caravan/cabin or the like for 7 nights) and daily runs around the Dorset area (must do Laurence of Arabia's house) it's on my to do list.
Our obligatory Scotland trip's are pretty much planned.
We will be riding down from Northumberland and staying one or two nights on route down.

Any recommendations for lodgings and good roads please.
TIA,

WillyB

Did exactly what you are proposing a couple of yrs ago and had great time. There is actually a Lawrence of Arabia Trail which may sound bit crap but proved one of the unplanned discovered highlights of the trip. As others have said there are loads of truly great museums in the area and the many c£20 plus entrance fees can be neatly side stepped by joining the bmct in advance which gets you into most museums free of charge if there is a motorbike inside eg tank museum has LofArabia Brough Superior (or at least identical version?). Good luck! https://www.bmct.org/membership
 
I see I am a little late to this thread ... did you go ?
If you havn't already heard me rave about it ( I put a thread on hear earlier this year ) take a look at the Gaggle of Geese at Buckland Newton DT2 7BS. Great pub with food and camping / glamping etc if you fancy some of that. It is a great base from which to work out of .. take a look.
 


Back
Top Bottom