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 |
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