Dorset is a fascinating county with a varied landscape. We give you 5 of our favourite facts about living in Dorset.

• The Celtic name ‘Dorseteschire’ means the place of fisticuffs!
• Enid Blyton bought Purbeck Golf Club for £1 and she used to holiday in Swanage. Many of her ‘Five’ series of books are based around the Isle of Purbeck and Poole Harbour
• Gold Hill, Shaftesbury has been immortalised by advertisements for Hovis bread with a delivery boy seen pushing a bike up the steeply cobbled street lined by thatched cottages
• A chilli pepper grown in Dorset claims to be the World’s hottest. The Dorset Naga is so fiery that gloves have to be worn to handle it.
• At the Bloody Assizes in 1685 following the Monmouth Rebellion, Judge Jeffreys was responsible for sending 74 people from the Dorchester area to their execution and transporting a further 175

If you are looking for property in Dorset, let us help you with your search for a countryside home.

North Dorset State Primary Schools

All Saints CE VC Primary School, Bishops Caundle

Archbishop Wake CE Primary School, Blandford Forum

Blandford St Mary CE VA Primary School, Blandford St Mary

Cranborne CE VA First School, Cranborne

Downlands Community Primary School, Blandford Camp

Durweston CE Primary School, Durweston

Gillingham Primary School, Gillingham, Dorset

Milldown CE VC Primary School, Blandford Forum

Milton-On-Stour CE VA Primary School, Milton on Stour, Gillingham

Motcombe Primary School, Motcombe

Okeford Fitzpaine CE VA School, Okeford Fitzpaine

Pimperne CE VC Primary School, Pimperne

Shaftesbury CE VC Primary School, Shaftesbury

Sherborne Abbey CE VC Primary School, Sherborne

Sherborne Primary School, Sherborne

Shillingstone CE VA Primary School, Shillingstone

Sixpenny Handley First School, Sixpenny Handley

Southill Primary School, Weymouth

Spetisbury Hall & Sloper’s CE VA Primary School, Spetisbury

St Andrew’s CE VA Primary School, Fontmell Magna

St Georges CE VA School, Bourton

St Gregory’s CE Primary School, Marnhull

St Mary The Virgin CE VA School, Gillingham

St Mary’s Catholic Primary School, Marnhull

St Nicholas CE VA Primary School, Child Okeford

Stalbridge CE Primary School, Stalbridge

Stower Provost Community School, Stour Provost

The Abbey CE VA Primary School,Shaftesbury

Thornford CE VA Primary School, Thornford

William Barnes Primary School, Sturminster Newton

Wyke Primary School, Gillingham

North Dorset State Secondary Schools

The Blandford School, Blandford Forum

Gillingham School, Gillingham

The Gryphon School, Sherborne

Shaftesbury School, Shaftesbury

Sturminster Newton High School, Sturminster Newton

North Dorset Special School

Yewstock School, Sturminster Newton

North Dorset Independent Schools

Bryanston School, Bryanston (ages 13-18)

Clayesmore Preparatory School, Iwerne Minster (ages 3-13)

Clayesmore School, Iwerne Minster (ages 13-19)

Hanford School, Child Okeford (ages 7-13)

Hollyfields School, Gillingham (ages 4-9)

International College, Sherborne School Sherborne (ages 11-17)

Knighton House School, Durweston (ages 3-13)

Leweston School, Sherborne (ages 3-19)

Milton Abbey School, Milton Abbas (ages 13-19)

Port Regis Preparatory School, Motcombe (ages 3-14)

Sherborne Preparatory School, Sherborne (ages 2-13)

Sherborne School, Sherborne (ages 12-18)

Sherborne Girls, Sherborne (ages 11-19)

St Mary’s School, Shaftesbury (ages 9-19)

Rural View estate agency recommends a variety of favourite places of interest in Dorset. If you are looking for fun by the sea or an inland adventure, we can help.

Abbotsbury Swannery	Established in the 14th Century, the only managed colony of nesting mute swans. The adjoining sub-tropical gardens has many rare and exotic plants
Athelhampton Manor	A fine 15th Century manor house near Puddletown in Dorset with lovely gardens
Badbury Rings	One of England’s’ finest prehistoric hill fort once belonging to the Durotiges tribe and having commanding views
Bovington Tank Museum	The World’s largest collection of armoured fighting vehicles is on our doorstep in Dorset
Brownsea Island	National Trust owned, the largest of Poole harbour’s islands is home of red squirrels, is rich in birdlife and the cradle of the Boy Scout movement
Cerne Abbas Giant	The largest hill figure in Britain cut into Dorset chalk, famous for its huge knobbled club and prominent genitalia
Chesil Beach	An 18 mile shingle bank extending from Burton Bradstock to the Isle of Portland, the Fleet Nature Reserve behind is an important tidal wetland
Corfe Castle	Remains of the Dorset castle founded in 1080 by William the Conqueror on a steep hill, scene of Edward the Martyr’s murder and destroyed in the Civil War
Dorset Museum	Gothic style building housing diverse range of artefacts from dinosaur footprints, prehistoric and roman remains to Thomas Hardy manuscripts
Hardy’s Cottage	Birthplace of Dorset poet Thomas Hardy, a small thatched cottage where he wrote some his early novels
Kingston Lacy	National Trust owned 17th Century house standing in beautiful grounds built for the Bankes family and housing an outstanding collection of work of arts
Lulworth Castle	A former 17th Century Lodge owned by the Weld family since 1641 and much altered since
Lulworth Cove	A horseshoe shaped cove part of Dorsets Jurassic Coast and close to the spectacular limestone arch of Durdle Door
Maiden Castle	The largest hill fort in Britain dating back some 3,000 years but with high ramparts still well preserved
Russell-Coates Gallery	Cliff top Victorian building in Bournemouth housing a varied art collection
Sherborne Castle	Actually two castles; the ruins of an early 12th Century one and the current country house built for Sir Walter Raleigh in 1594
Studland	Approached from Poole via a chain ferry, a long stretch of sandy beach and nature reserve owned by the National Trust stretching to Old Harry Rocks
Tyneham	The remains of a Dorset village near Worbarrow Bay requisitioned by the military in 1943