‘The greatest biodiversity in England’ – a wander through the Isle of Purbeck ‘super’ nature reserve
Alongside rare birds, reptiles and insects, this corner of Dorset, poignantly depicted in Mike Leigh’s Nuts in May, serves up brilliant heathland walks, sea views and pints of local ale
April 2024
Lyme Regis: a real taste of the Dorset coast with an exciting new food scene
The pub walk
A Wessex trail: Dorset’s Hardy Way leads to the historic Smugglers Inn
February 2024
The pub walk
Walking ancient Dorset paths to megaliths – and a village pub
In this ancient corner of England near Abbotsbury, stone circles punctuate the open downland. Our writer picks a misty but atmospheric day to explore
August 2023
Of Thomas Hardy and PJ Harvey: on the trail of Dorset’s inspirational powers
Five of the best walks on England’s South West Coast Path
April 2023
‘Travel is medicine’: how the Sherborne Travel Writing Festival can inspire our trips
‘Travel back in time’: six of Britain’s best heritage railways
February 2023
Taking the Tesla to Truro? Warnings over lack of electric charging points
Holiday spots risk being overwhelmed this summer as many are not ready to deal with rise in electric vehicles
October 2022
Full-steam ahead at 100: the Flying Scotsman set for centenary UK tour
The iconic green locomotive, which turns 100 next year, is about to leave the station for a fortnight of special trips – and celebrated by a new story book from Michael Morpurgo
September 2022
Country diary
Country diary 1947: birds under attack on Dorset heaths
10 September 1947: When the Dartford warbler’s haunts are not being cut up by tanks they are being laid waste by fire
August 2022
A great coast walk to a great pub: the Anchor Inn, Dorset
Dramatic views, a jungly undercliff and geological wonders are the highlights of this South West Coast Path route to a brilliantly sited hostelry with great beer and food
July 2022
Notes on chocolate
Notes on chocolate: life is sweet at a seaside tasting session
The pub walk
A great Dorset coast walk to a great pub: the Sailor’s Return
April 2022
10 of UK’s best active rural holidays
Stay in a shepherd’s hut for the lambing season, try dry stone walling in the Peak District or go trekking with sheep or alpacas
March 2022
‘They’re coming this way!’ A day trip with dolphins in Lyme Bay
A marine nature trip into the English Channel from Weymouth proves an exhilarating introduction to an often unseen panoply of UK wildlife
November 2021
The pub walk
A great walk to a great pub: the New Inn, Cerne Abbas, Dorset
Walk in the shadow of Cerne Abbas’s infamous giant then slake your thirst at a 400-year-old inn
September 2021
Dorset with a hint of Finland: sustainable tourism on a weekend break
Car-free coast
More drama than Broadchurch: a car-free trip around West Bay, Dorset
April 2021
Fifehead revisited: my ride through north Dorset’s mysterious past
Cycling deep into Thomas Hardy country to uncover the story of an ancestral home that vanished (almost) without a trace
