Check out this stunning timelapse video of Bridport Dorset at night. Definitely going to add a visit to Bridport on our itinerary for May.

From the video description:

A labour of love, four months in the making. I moved to Bridport just over a year ago and immediately fell in love with the place. What better way to show my affection for such a place than to make a movie about it?

Shot on a Nikon D7000 camera, producing 16MP stills for a 25fps video. Some shots in this were 30 second exposures, meaning I had to stay with the camera for an hour and a half just to get six seconds of footage.

I see far too many touristy video features about the West Dorset coastline. Too many quaint holiday cottages and clichéd shots of people eating ice cream on the beach. This video was shot in the winter and, for a growing number of people interested in stargazing, shows that Bridport is a fantastic location for seeing the night sky. It is also beautiful at night.

Dorset: Bridport by Night is a post from: Anglotopia.net

Here’s another great article from our friends at Visit Britain that highlights the best sites to visit in Dorset – our favorite English county.

1). Explore the glorious Dorset countryside by following one of the many walking trails which criss-cross the county. The Wessex Ridgeway is one of the longest – along the way there are intriguing artistic sculptures with poetry by James Crowdon.
www.dorsetforyou.com/wessexridgeway

2). Go to a farmers market held in the key towns around the county to savour some of the area’s delicious local food; one of the best is Bridport’s every second Saturday of the month; the town is in the heart of Dorset’s farmlands. Dorset Vinny Cheese with Knob Biscuits or Dorset Apple Cake are just
two of the local specialities. If you visit during Dorset Food Week in October, you can join in activities at over 100 locations.
www.dorsetfoodweek.co.uk .

3). Take to the water on some of the country’s finest sailing and watersports spots – the National Sailing Academy is at Weymouth & Portland in recognition of the quality of the waters. There are plenty of locations to hire boats and kayaks or let someone else do the work and take a boat trip from one of the harbours such as Weymouth, Swanage or Lyme Regis.
www.wpnsa.org.uk .

4). Visit one of the county’s many gardens which flourish in one of the country’s mildest climates. Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens has a extensive collection of plants from around the world www.abbotsbury-tourism.co.uk ; Athelhampton House is famous for its topiary www.athelhamptonhouse.co.uk and Knoll Gardens is seen as one of the best gardens for grasses in the country www.knollgardens.co.uk

5). Dorset hosts England’s only natural World Heritage Site, known fondly as The Jurassic Coast. The beaches of Lyme Regis or Charmouth www.charmouth.org abound with fossils – regular guided public fossil walks are held.www.lymeregismuseum.co.uk

6). Dorset’s coastal location ensures fresh fish is available at the local pubs and restaurants; watch the catch come into picturesque Weymouth Harbour and then eat at one of the restaurants around the harbour or pop down to the Crab House Café overlooking Chesil Beach www.crabhousecafe.co.uk . Along the coast there are other seafood restaurants such as the Hive Beach Café in Burton Bradstock www.hivebeachcafe.co.uk and Shell Bay in Studland www.shellbay.net .

7). Unwind by flying through the trees at Go Ape! in Moors Valley Country Park and Forest, one of the country’s best outdoor leisure parks (more sedately you can also hire bikes to cycle around!)
www.moors-valley.co.uk

8). Climb up to the top of Christchurch Priory for panoramic views across the area. The Priory is the longest church in England and one of the few to survive Henry VIII’s Dissolution of the Monasteries www.christchurchpriory.org

9). Clamber up to the top of the prehistoric hillforts such as Hambledon Hill near Blandford Forum or Eggardon Hill near Bridport for some of the best views of Dorset – steep climes are involved but there’s always a pub nearby!

10). Explore Thomas Hardy country; key ‘musts’ are seeing Hardy’s rather stern statue in Dorchester, visiting the Dorset County Museum www.dorsetcountymuseum.org for the world’s largest collection of Hardy memorabilia and visiting the picturesque cottage where he was born www.nationaltrust.org. Around the Dorset countryside are countless places which appeared in his novels – much of the countryside looks the same as in his novels.

11). Admire the glorious fan- vaulted ceiling of the county’s ‘cathedral’ Sherborne Abbey www.sherborneabbey.com. Afterwards, explore the boutiques and antique shops of Sherborne, one of the county’s most historic and attractive towns.

12). Follow the Swanage Art Trail for a taste of county’s artistic richness; the trail takes you around a series of paintings by famous visiting artists such as Paul Nash and Walter Field http://www.swanageseen.co.uk/hello-world/. The biannual Dorset Arts Week is one of the largest in open studio events in the country www.dorsetartweeks.co.uk

For further information: www.visit-dorset.com

Top 12 things to do in Dorset – Best Tourist Sites in Our Favorite County – Dorset is a post from: Anglotopia.net

I recently found an older show that chronicled the secrets of various counties in Britain and I downloaded the Dorset episode. I really enjoyed it and decided to throw it on YouTube for everyone else to enjoy.

Check it out below:

Video: Secrets of Dorset – What to See and Do in Dorset is a post from: Anglotopia.net

There’s nothing like holidays to the British seaside. Fish and chips, games arcades, buckets and spades and sticks of rock candy have formed a popular image in the minds of travellers everywhere. But where exactly does one find the quintessential British seaside? Take your pick from the three major players: Brighton, Blackpool and Bournemouth.

BRIGHTON: Best for escaping the city

Brighton’s proximity to the capital makes this a popular destination with Londoners seeking cheap holidays by the sea. Brighton is defined by its famous pier – built in 1889 and now an array of glittering lights and candy floss. While romantics should try to win their sweetheart a prize in the games arcade, the more daring can tackle the rides and the rollercoaster perched at the end. On hot days the shingle beach is packed with sunbathers and swimmers while the promenade is busy with stalls selling icecreams and seafood cups. Brighton’s history is cherished here; the world’s oldest electric railway runs between the Pier and Black Rock, and many will recognise the façade of The Grand Hotel, first built in 1864.

BLACKPOOL: Best for a slice of nostalgia

Blackpool began life as a booming seaside resort in the 1880s, and its promenade once featured fortune-tellers, fish and chip shops, donkey rides and pubs. The glamour may have faded somewhat but the pubs, donkeys and fish and chip shops are still there, and for the most part Blackpool still retains its nostalgic charm. Its most famous landmark is Blackpool Tower which was inspired by the Eiffel Tower (and now a Grade 1 listed building). Unlike its fellow seaside resorts Blackpool boasts three piers in all: the North Pier which has a tramway and theatre; the Central Pier, known for its Ferris wheel; and the South Pier, beside Pleasure Beach, which features a lively theme park.

BOURNEMOUTH: Best for natural beauty

Perhaps slightly lighter on the arcades than its seaside counterparts, Bournemouth lets its more natural attractions take centre stage – such as its beautiful towering sandstone cliffs and sandy stretch of beach.  Protected by both the Isle of Purbeck and the Isle of Wight, the weather here is balmier here then you might expect, perfect for making the most of its great surf beach. Visit one or both of the piers here – Bournemouth pier has been open since 1880, and now houses a massive leisure complex stretching 35ft out to sea. Its stylish twin, Boscombe Pier, which hosts exhibitions and concerts, was even voted “2010 Pier of the Year” by the National Piers Society.

Be Beside The Seaside in Britain: Brighton, Blackpool or Bournemouth? is a post from: Anglotopia.net

Midway between Dorchester and Bridport and just a few miles inland from Dorset’s spectacular Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site lies the beautiful small village of Littlebredy.

Missed by most visitors to the area, the village is a living testament of all that is good about Dorset’s countryside. “Far From The Madding Crowd,” relax and take in the peace and tranquility.

If you’re planning a trip to the area, take a look at http://www.resort-guide.co.uk, West Dorset section, to find a wide range of places to stay to suit all pockets.

Video: Discover Dorset’s Hidden Treasure – Little Bredy Village is a post from: Anglotopia.net

Max Gate was Thomas Hardy’s home for over 40 years from 1885 to his death in 1928. He bought the 1.5-acre site, on the windswept ridge a mile from the centre of Dorchester, from the Duchy of Cornwall.

Hardy’s Cottage was the birthplace of novelist and poet Thomas Hardy (1840-1928). He spent his childhood and early years here, returning from periods in London and elsewhere to relax in the family home, only leaving it when he married his first wife in 1874. Max Gate and Hardy’s Cottage are now owned by the National Trust.

Videos: Check out Thomas Hardy’s House and Max Gate in Dorset is a post from: Anglotopia.net

Athelhampton Manor was around prior to 1066 and was mentioned in the Doomsday book of 1086. The present house and gardens date from around 1485, when Sir William Martyn received a license to enclose and fortify his manor with walls of stone and lime and build towers and crenellate them.

The formal gardens lie mainly to the south and east, built by Alfred Cart de Lafontaine between 1891 and 1899. The house and gardens were acquired by the Cooke family in 1957. It is still a family home as well as a welcoming destination for visitors. Wander at your will. There was a very friendly guide during our visit, and the gardens and fountains are magnificent.

Check out the official Athelhampton Manor Website Here.

Video: Exploring Athelhampton House & Gardens in Dorset is a post from: Anglotopia.net

From Mapperton to Pilsdon Pen, Beaminster to Bridport, this tiny part of West Dorset is what I now call home. Here is a French view of this sleepy corner of the world.

Video: West Dorset’s views around Beaminster and Bridport is a post from: Anglotopia.net

I’m definitely going to add this to the list of things I want to do on our next trip to England (slated for November 2011).

This news comes via Dark Dorset:

The country home where Thomas Hardy wrote some of his best known novels is to be opened in full to the public for the first time.

Max Gate in Dorchester, Dorset, was designed by the author himself and is where he played host to the luminaries of his time including Rudyard Kipling, Robert Louis Stevenson, Marie Stopes and H G Wells.

From mid-March thousands of paying visitors will be able to examine the Victorian villa which is just down the road from the cottage where Hardy was born.

Source.

Max Gate website at the National Trust.

Thomas Hardy’s House to Open to the Public in 2011 is a post from: Anglotopia.net

I found this little gem on the British Pathe films website – a great archive of old British newsreel footage. It’s a short travelogue on Shaftesbury, Dorset – my favorite village in England.

What’s amazing is how little has changed since this film was made. Though the trees on the Park Walk are no longer there, which is a shame.

SHAFTESBURY (issue title is THIS ENGLAND)

Lovely Old Newsreel of Shaftesbury, Dorset from British Pathe Films is a post from: Anglotopia.net

I heard through the grapevine that a short film was shot in Updown Cottage – the picturesque cottage on Gold Hill in Shaftesbury, Dorset that we stayed in last November.

It’s an interesting little short – but I’m most interested in the on location shooting. The cottage looks lovely. It’s a shame we won’t be able to make it out that way when we’re in England this week.

Click to view a larger version.

For more information about staying in Updown Cottage, check out their website.

Great Short Film Starring Updown Cottage in Shaftesbury is a post from: Anglotopia.net

These pictures were sent to me from someone who lives on Gold Hill and also happens to work in the new Gold Hill Books bookshop located at the top of the hill. She snapped these pictures during the last bout of snow. Frankly, they are lovely. I would give my left foot to sled down that hill. Thanks for sharing them.

Pictures of England – Gold Hill in Shaftesbury Covered in Snow is a post from: Anglotopia.net

Since I love Shaftesbury so much, I have news alerts set up to notify me of the latest news. However, Shaftesbury is such a quiet village, I don’t get many alerts!

Got an interesting one yesterday – Hovis Bread, who made Gold Hill in Shaftesbury iconically famous with the classic ‘boy on a bike’ ad, have decided to give it a 21st century makeover.

Here’s a little video all about it:

From the article in the Mail here:

Olympic champions have to earn a crust and even well-bread cyclists like Victoria Pendleton are no different. We all knead cash, after all.

The 29-year-old won sprint gold in Beijing in 2008 as is now hoping to match Sir Chris Hoy’s achievement’s in China by scooping three titles at the London 2012 Games.

She will go for individual and team sprint as well the keirin – and to prove it is not just a half-baked notion, Pendleton has been unveiled as the new face of Hovis bread in the lead up to her home Olympics.

The initial Hovis ads- fetauring a small boy wheeling his bike up narrow, cobbled northern streets – were filmed back in 1973 and have become world famous – even though the ‘northern’ streets were actually in Shaftesbury in Dorset. The brass band playing Dvorak’s ‘New World’ Symphony in the background was real though.

So to bring the product up to date, the company buttered up ‘Queen Victoria,’ offered her the right amount of dough after deciding she was the best thing since, well, sliced bread and gave her a three-year deal to star as their public image

Well, good luck to her in the Olympics. She’s quite a good looking woman – she’ll make a great face for Hovis bread!
.

Shaftesbury News: Hovis Bread and Gold Hill Get a New Spokeswoman – Victoria Pendleton is a post from: Anglotopia.net

Editor’s Note – In case you missed any of the posts about our recent trip to England, here’s an aggregated list of all the posts so you can check out what you didn’t have a chance to read. Enjoy!

Trip to England 2009 – Day One – The British Airways Face to Face Events – In case you’re new to the blog I thought I should give a brief explanation as to how we got to go on the trip. Basically we won a contest. British Airways held a contest called the Face of Opportunity – and it’s premise was the businesses are more successful if you conduct meetings and deals face to face instead of via the phone or e-mail. So, they launched a brilliant contest to help small business owners achieve their goals by facilitating those face to face meetings. Click to read more.

Trip to England 2009 – Day Two – London Arrival and More British Airways Face to Face Events – Every time I’ve landed in London, I’ve always had to get off the plane on the tarmac, pile into a bus and drive to the terminal, which was old, dingy and usually involved a lot of walking. It was never a pleasant experiece – especially after being on a plane for 8 hours. Click to read more.

Trip to England 2009 – Day Three – Being a Tourist for a Day in London – Due to the shortness of our trip to England – we were only going to have one full day in London and we wanted to make the most of it. As Dispatches from the North Columnist Lisa Coulson wrote about in the weeks up to our trip, she’d had a tempestuous relationship with London and wanted to get the grand tour from me – someone who had a passion for London despite it’s warts. Click to read more.

Trip to England 2009 – Day Four – Leaving London for Salisbury and Shaftesbury – Even though we’d had an exhausting day touring the sites in London the day before – I still woke up around 5am. I blame jet lag and excitement. We had another busy day planned and I couldn’t wait to get it started! Click to read more.

Trip to England – Day Five – The Heaven That is Shaftesbury, Updown Cottage, Weymouth – On Saturday I awoke in our warm, soft and comfortable bed in Updown Cottage. I woke up as the sun was coming up. I didn’t want to miss a beautiful Dorset sunrise as the Blackmore vale was filled with sunlight. That didn’t quite happen though, as it was raining and quite windy. But I still managed to take far too many pictures than were necessary of that early morning… Click to read more.

Trip to England 2009 – Day 6 – Final Bits of England and the Journey Home – This will be a rather short post and will be the hardest to write. I woke up again ridiculously early to photograph the morning in Shaftesbury. It was raining and blustery. One thing I was really looking forward to was picking up the Sunday papers and having a cup of tea on our last morning in Updown Cottage… Click to read more.

A Video Tour of Updown Cottage – The self catering cottage that we stayed in Shaftesbury, Dorset. Heaven on Earth. Can’t wait to go back.

Random Observations from our Trip to England – A collection of seemingly random thoughts about our trip and England in general.

Pictures from our Trip - Check out this post for all our trip related pictures.

A New Dream Achieved – Everyone I Know Must Read This Post – A special post dedicated to everyone who played a part in making the whole trip possible.

Trip To England 2009 – Recap of All Posts is a post from: Anglotopia.net

This is just one of those stories that could only come out of Britain. A town in Dorset, Poole to be specific, decided to replace their traditional real Christmas tree with a fake one, for health and safety reasons (many Anglophiles will have heard of that phrase).

So, they replaced a beautiful real tree with what was basically a big green traffic cone. Citizens were not amused.

In fact, people were so unhappy that it began to be vandalized and the town finally saw some sense and took the ugly monstrosity down. They plan to replace it with a real tree this time, health and safety be damned.

From the BBC Article:

A Dorset town’s ridiculed fake Christmas tree – which was put up in place of a real fir amid safety fears – has been taken down.

Some residents likened the £14,000 fake tree in Poole to a “huge traffic cone” or “a witch’s hat”.

The 33ft (10m) tall “tree” had been chosen because of fears that a real one could topple over in strong winds.

The Dolphin Shopping Centre has donated a real fir tree which will be erected on Tuesday.

The fake tree was damaged in a suspected vandal attack last week and Dorset Police is studying town centre CCTV footage in connection with the incident.

It was made of turf held together by metal mesh and was chosen by the town centre management board.

I applaud the city for seeing some sense and putting up a REAL Christmas tree.

Anglophile Oddities: Town Replaces Christmas Tree With Giant Traffic Cone – Citizens Revolt is a post from: Anglotopia.net

While we stayed in Updown Cottage, I took the chance to use my iPhone to take a video tour of Updown Cottage in Shaftesbury, Dorset, so that you guys could get an idea of just how lovely the place really is.

If you’re looking to get away from it all and stay in your own Self Catering Accommodation in Dorset, then Updown Cottage is a MUST.

The tour is about 7 minutes long, please forgive the wind at the beginning and the Blair Witch style camerawork. Updown Cottage deserves better!

If you’d like to stay in Updown Cottage – then check out their website for details and to check on availability. Happy Travels!

A Video Tour of Updown Cottage – Self Catering Cottage in Shaftesbury, Dorset is a post from: Anglotopia.net

This came across my feeds a couple days ago. BT – formerly known at British Telecom – wants to phase out the ubiquitous red phone boxes. While from a business perspective, it makes sense (who actually uses them anyway?), from a cultural perspective, it’s a tragedy.

Can you think of a bigger British Icon known all around the world that when you see it, you think Britain? Other than the Queen?

Well, my favorite county, Dorset, is going to fight a battle to keep their red phone boxes.

From a recent article on the BBC:

A proposal by BT to remove the telephone equipment from 85 pay phones in West Dorset is likely to be opposed by the district council.

It is concerned that people in areas with poor mobile phone signals would be unable to contact help in an emergency.

BT has written to parish and town councils in West Dorset to ask them to consider ‘adopting’ their local phone box for £1, with the phone removed.

BT is looking at decommissioning hundreds of phone boxes across the country as it says the rise in popularity of mobile phones means some pay phones are no longer profitable or very well used.

I applaud the West Dorset District council for standing up to BT and trying to keep an iconic British design icon, where it belongs – still in use.

Disappearing Britain: Savings the Red Phone Boxes of Dorset is a post from: Anglotopia.net

My Final Shot of Gold Hill – and England

Editor’s Note: This is the fifth part in a week long series about our fantastic trip to England two weeks ago. If you’d like to see the rest of the posts about our journey, click here.

This will be a rather short post and will be the hardest to write.

I woke up again ridiculously early to photograph the morning in Shaftesbury. It was raining and blustery. One thing I was really looking forward to was picking up the Sunday papers and having a cup of tea on our last morning in Updown Cottage.

I set out pretty early, grabbed a few pictures, but then the rain started pouring and by the time I’d stopped at the news agents to get the newspapers, I was soaked from head to toe.

But I didn’t mind. It wouldn’t be a proper British Holiday if I wasn’t miserably wet, right?

Our flight was at 3:30 in the afternoon, so we had a half a day to enjoy the rest of our trip. We planned 3 hours to get us to Heathrow by car, which ended up being plenty of time.

We read our newspapers, Jackie didn’t have as much luck with breakfast as I did the day before, so we just snacked, enjoyed our tea, the newspapers and our last glimpses of the Blackmore Vale from the dining room.

One thing I had been afraid to do during our entire stay was drive the car up the cobbles on Gold Hill to Updown Cottage – it just seemed wrong to do so and it was quite a narrow squeeze to get up the hill and I didn’t fancy finding out how good the insurance was that we’d paid through the nose for. However, I didn’t really want to lug all our luggage back down Gold Hill and walk them down St. James to our car to load it up.

So, with much bravery and gusto – I managed to drive all the way to the top of Gold Hill, turn the car around and park it in front of Updown Cottage to load up the car. I was quite pleased with myself.

With much sadness we loaded the car, tidied up the cottage, left a small gift for Simon and Jane and piled into the car and left Updown Cottage for the airport.

We’ll be back.

Driving to Heathrow

I was still a little bummed that we’d missed our chance to see Stonehenge, but as we went down the A303 towards London, I realized that the A303 actually runs practically next to the national monument.

So, about 40 minutes into a drive, sure enough there it was, Stonehenge. I wish I’d been able to take a picture but I was driving. One thing that struck us about it was how rather small it looked – from the road at 50mph at least.

Still, it was rather amazing to see and we’ll definitely have to make a trip their on our next journey to England.

The traffic to Heathrow cooperated and we made good time. It was a drive that I didn’t want to end. The scenery was amazing and I was quite enjoying driving the British way.

Traffic got worse as we got closer to the airport and bad signage in the airport complex meant we had to make a big circle through the whole placejust to find the rental car return lot. We dropped off our car and took the courtesy shuttle to Terminal Five.

Even though we were leaving, I was very much looking forward to going through Terminal Five again – and it didn’t disappoint. The departures area is amazing is it’s massiveness. There were no lines and we got right through baggage check. The British Airways staff were friendly and helpful. There was a slight problem with our luggage as I didn’t know I couldn’t carry my new umbrella onto the plane with me and I had to check it as oversized baggage and hope that it made it to Chicago.

After we’d made our way through security – our goal was to eat a full meal before we were trapped on a plane, hungry. So we grabbed a bite at a pub in airport. The food was all right but it took forever for it to get to us and we were on a time crunch. We still had souvenir shopping to do and time was running out.

We were a little disappointed in the shopping selection in Terminal Five – but that may have been because we didn’t have enough time for a proper walkabout. We were especially dismayed at the Harrods in Terminal five that seemed to only carry luxury goods and none of the touristy stuff we were used to in the old terminal.

Still, we managed to load up on souvenirs for everyone at a tatty store right before we had to make a beeline for the plane. One thing I was looking forward to was being to board the plane at the gate – as that was the selling point of Terminal Five. Sadly, that was not to be the case, we were loaded onto a bus and driven to the plane sitting on the tarmac. We were delayed taking off as Heathrow is quite busy and we had to wait our turn. But it was no big deal, we had plenty to keep us entertained. I wanted to stay in England as long as possible.

The flight home from England is always the worse – you’re sad the trip is over and it’s actually longer because the plane is flying into the headwinds. Still, the British Airways staff on board managed to make it go by quickly and in 8 hours we’d landed at home in Chicago.

My parents were waiting for us at the airport and they were kind enough to give a lift home, which was wonderful of them and was just what we needed after being cooped up on that plane for so long. My umbrella also survived oversized baggage.

After souvenirs had been passed out and my parents had left, it was just us as we prepared to go to bed.

It wasn’t Updown Cottage.

It wasn’t the Park Lane Hilton.

But it was home.

We both went to sleep with the same question running through our heads:

When will England be home?

Trip to England 2009 – Day 6 – Final Bits of England and the Journey Home is a post from: Anglotopia.net

Editor’s Note: This is the fifth part in a week long series about our fantastic trip to England two weeks ago. If you’d like to see the rest of the posts about our journey, click here.

On Saturday I awoke in our warm, soft and comfortable bed in Updown Cottage. I woke up as the sun was coming up. I didn’t want to miss a beautiful Dorset sunrise as the Blackmore vale was filled with sunlight. That didn’t quite happen though, as it was raining and quite windy. But I still managed to take far too many pictures than were necessary of that early morning.

We’d had a little bit of trouble sleeping the night before. One thing we were not prepared for was just how quiet Shaftesbury is. We’re used to having a fan for white noise when we sleep, so it was hard to sleep with no background noise, other than silence. That first morning though – we’d slept with the windows open, so there was a lovely chill in the air and when we awoke, it was no longer silent. The air was filled with the sounds of birds, beginning their day.

It was truly lovely.

After I’d had my fill of taking many pictures, I made my way down to the kitchen with the plan to make a delicious, slightly traditional English breakfast. Simon and Jane, the owners of Updown Cottage, had left us a welcome basket that featured everything that we would need to make a good breakfast. The kitchen features everything you need to cook breakfast, including an electric tea kettle and a beautiful AGA cooker.

So, I set about cooking breakfast on unfamiliar cookware. I had mild success, until I set the smoke alarm off. I had intended to make Jackie breakfast in bed, but the smoke alarm woke her up and she made her way down, hungry for some tea.

Speaking of tea, the welcome basket featured Devonshire Tea and I must say, it is quite possibly the best tea that I’ve ever had. I highly recommend giving it a go. I keep it in my desk at work to help remind me of that wonderful morning in Dorset.

I managed to finish cooking breakfast, but it was a little off, at least the eggs were. But it was edible and we enjoyed eating in the lovely dining room at Updown Cottage, at the Provincial style table that overlooks the lovely garden.

The plan for the day was simple, we wanted to enjoy ourselves and take it easy after the long days we’d just had. So we fancied a spot of shopping on the high street and a trip down to Weymouth to see Chesil Beach and the ocean. I’d never seen the ocean and since we had a car, it just made sense to drive on down and have a look.

Shopping on Shaftesbury High Street

The High Street had changed quite a bit since that last time we’d been there, 3 years ago. Some storefronts were empty, others had changed to new businesses. The Woolworths was gone, but the WH Smith was still there as were the country outfitters.

One of the goals of my trip was to find a proper English umbrella. Every umbrella I’ve bought this year has turned to crap with a single Chicago wind gust. Our umbrellas are cheap and are not made to last. Even the expensive ones are terrible. They’re all made in the same factory in China. I’d been on the lookout for a proper British Brolly the whole trip and the only one I’d found that was of quality was at Harrod’s and it was way more than I was willing to pay.

Luckily, there’s a good shop in Shaftesbury called Squires that sells typical English country menswear and they had a good selection of umbrellas and they were well priced. So, after much deliberation, I sprang for one and it has been a worthwhile investment. It is holding up well to Chicago wind gusts, it’s sturdy and keeps you dry.

We popped in and out of the stores and bought various bips and bobs. My favorite acquisition was a Dorset themed 2010 Calendar that features lovely images from all over northern Dorset throughout the year.

By far my favorite stop, though, was Gold Hill Books. I’m not sure when the last time Shaftesbury had a good bookstore was – I don’t think the WH Smith really counts – but it’s a lovely little shop right at the top of Gold Hill. If features a great selection of local books so if you’re interested in local history, it’s the place to stop. They also have many maps, guidebooks and an excellent selection of fiction. The shop owner is very helpful and she directed us towards some interesting tourist attractions in the area.

Weymouth

After we’d had our fill of shopping, we decided that it was a good time to journey down to the ocean. My goal was to see Chesil beach, it’s on my ‘Britain Bucket List.’ The recent book by the same name by Ian McEwan is one of my favorites.

We hopped into our little car, planned our route and headed down to Weymouth. The drive down was lovely, I just love driving on English country lanes. We got to see some lovely scenery and pass through some very beautiful villages. It was not a quick drive – it took almost an hour.

Our atlas did a good job of guiding us down to Weymouth, but once we got there, it was pretty much useless. So, we followed our noses and headed for what we thought could be the ocean. We passed through a roundabout, rounded and curve and there it was: the ocean.

It was so beautiful it took my breath away and almost reduced me to tears. We quickly got lost and thought we were heading back towards the city center, when in actuality we made a giant circle and ended up back where we started. We took a different way and pulled onto the promenade area of Weymouth, filled with gaming rooms, hotels and various other amusements.

The weather was atrocious, but Weymouth Harbor was still a beautiful sight. It was incredible to see the English channel lapping on the shore. We parked the car and admired the scenery. We wandered into the high street area, which was rather large and explored the various shops. We didn’t really buy anything though, they had many of the same shops that Shaftesbury did and really, we didn’t see anything worth buying.

In all honesty, Weymouth reminded us a lot of a town near our hometown called Michigan City. It’s a very tatty placed, a little rundown with lots of shopping, expansive beaches and a general tiredness about it. That’s exactly how I would describe Weymouth, though the weather probably had something to do with the feeling.

Still, Weymouth is an interesting place to visit. Sadly, we were out of time and it was very clear that we would not have time to see Chesil Beach. We had to get back to Shaftesbury to meet Simon and Jane for afternoon tea. So, we bid farewell to that interesting little seaside town and made our way back to Shaftesbury. Chesil Beach would just have to wait for another time.

Back to Shaftesbury

We made it back to Shaftesbury after dark and just in time to meet Simon and Jane at The Salt Cellar – an excellent little cafe at the top of Gold Hill. They have the best chocolate cake I’ve ever had!

Tea was lovely and it was great to chat with Simon and Jane, learn some local gossip and hear some of the history of the cottage. Simon is a bit of a techno geek and we chatted about that as well. We headed back to the cottage and visited some more while Simon checked on a leaking faucet (it wasn’t leaking, just stupid Americans not knowing how to work a British tap). It was a lovely evening and we can’t wait to see Simon and Jane again, so welcoming!

After they’d left, we had to sort out dinner for the evening. On their way out of town, Simon called us to let us know what restaurants were still open on a Saturday night in such a sleepy little village. We opted for an Italian Restaurant called Amore, located in an old church.

The place was lovely, they converted the old church into a a scene from Italy, with lovely paintings on the wall – it had the feeling of an authentic Italian courtyard. The place was even staffed by real Italians. My wife is of Italian descent, so she has a critical eye towards any food claiming to be Italian. The food was fantastically delicious and met her approval!

After dinner, we took the long way back to Updown Cottage and strolled through the village, stopping at the local Somerfield grocery store to pick up provisions for the next day’s breakfast. It was a very romantic walk, the air was filled with the rich smell of wood burning fireplaces. I was in my Anglophile Zen place and it was heaven. I did not want the evening to end because the next day, we would be leaving it.

After our stroll, we settled into the Cottage, engorged on the Harrod’s chocolates we bought a couple days before and discovered a hilarious new British Comedy (well new to us) called Peep Show. It was so funny, we ended up sitting and watching 5 episodes!

We turned in pretty late as Peep Show managed to keep us awake. I was a little sad, going to bed on our last night in England. It was strange to think that I would be going to sleep in Shaftesbury and the next night I would be going to sleep in my own bed, back home in Valparaiso, Indiana.

I didn’t want it to end. But one thing you learn in life is that all good things must come to an end.

Check back tomorrow for the chronicle of our journey to the airport and our bleary eyed homecoming.

Trip to England – Day Five – The Heaven That is Shaftesbury, Updown Cottage, Weymouth is a post from: Anglotopia.net

Salisbury Catheral – Hiding Behind a Tree

Editor’s Note: This is the Fourth part in a week long series about our fantastic trip to England last week. If you’d like to see the rest of the posts about our journey, click here.

Even though we’d had an exhausting day touring the sites in London the day before – I still woke up around 5am. I blame jet lag and excitement. We had another busy day planned and I couldn’t wait to get it started!

The plan for day four was:

• Catch a cab to Paddington Station
• Ride the Heathrow Express to the Airport and pick up our Rental Car
• Drive to Salisbury and Get a Tour from local Matt Penny
• Hit up Stonehenge then head to Shaftesbury before it got dark

The day did not go quite to plan and it all started with traffic. Normally a cab ride from the Park Lane Hilton to Paddington Station would take about ten minutes. For some reason or another – traffic was really bad coming off the flyover and it took forever to get to the train station.

By the time we got to the train station, the train was leaving in 10 minutes and we were starving. Jackie ran off to find us some sustenance while I waited outside the train. British Airways had provided us with free Heathrow Express tickets – which was lovely of them. It really is the quickest way to get to and from the airport but we normally wouldn’t pay for it (£25 or so a return ticket).

We boarded the train in time and scarfed down a croissant while the train sped to Heathrow. The journey is lightning fast and we were at the airport in no time. The only problem was that we were already running about an hour late.

Once we got to the airport, we had to navigate the terminal to find the rental desk, then wait for the free shuttle to the parking lot and eventually we made it to the rental lot. A few signed papers later and we were in possession of a nice Mercedes hatchback for the next two days. I’ll write more about the process of renting a car in the UK in a future post – it ended up costing almost twice what I was quoted – pretty much because of that magic word: insurance.

When we were in the car, we plotted our course to Salisbury on the map, I familiarized myself with the controls of the car, texted Matt to let him know we would be an hour late and we hit the road.

Driving in England was an amazing experience and I picked it up right away. The whole wrong side of the road thing didn’t really phase me. The most difficult thing to deal with was keeping a sense of space for the left side of the car. Jackie had to warm me of hedges quite a few times because I’m so used to worrying about it the other way around.

We merged onto the M4, then the M25 and then off onto the M3 towards Wiltshire. Navigating the motorways was no sweat and I was impressed with how high the speed limits were. But I didn’t dare speed – I’m well aware of Britain’s love for the Speed Camera.

We saw some amazing countryside on the way to Salisbury and it was a shame that we couldn’t explore more, we were on a schedule and had to keep it. We arrived to Salisbury around 12:30 and met up with Matt outside the city center in a car park, so he could guide us in.

Salisbury

The day before, Anglotopia columnist Lisa had said that she thought I would love Salisbury and she was right. Salisbury is a fantastic town. We parked the car in the central car park and Matt led us into the city center. We got to know each other a little bit and that was nice.

I really liked the look and feel of Salisbury. One of the coolest sights was that pretty much wherever you were in Salisbury, you could see the massive cathedral spire off in the distance, shrouded in early afternoon mist.

Our Excellent Tour Guide Matt Penny

Matt led us to the town center, where there was a French Market on – which we didn’t really linger in. The market wasn’t very crowded that day as most Brits were pretty unhappy with Ireland’s treatment by Frenchman Thierry Henri.

We were starving and our first priority was to eat. We had a taste for fish and chips and we entrusted Matt to take us to a good place. He took us to Stoby’s – a fish and chips takeaway with a sit down restaurant. It was a very interesting little building, with the restaurant spread over 4 floors. It was cramped and intimate and smelled of fish and chips.

I loved it.

When the food came I was a little apprehensive as it looked quite foreign, but when I dove in – I tasted what was possibly the best fish and chips that I’d ever had. And their chips! My god were they good! I’m going to need to make a trip back to Salisbury just to visit Stoby’s!

No Picture Can do the Painting Justice, I’m Afraid

After our delicious lunch – Matt showed us around the city center – which was breathtaking and lovely. Our first stop was St Thomas’s church – I thought it a little strange that we were visiting a little chapel in the same town as a massive cathedral – but Matt had a reason. Inside St Thomas’s is the famous Doom painting that depicts the events in the Book of Revelations.

It’s an amazing work of art that managed to survive since the 1400′s – it even survived the dissolution of the monasteries when it was whitewashed over. The painting depicts Jesus lording over his new kingdom with the dead rising from the grave and the damned being sent down to hell. It’s incredible – as is the setting. It was lovely little church.

After that Matt took us through the streets of Salisbury and pointed out many cool local facts and history. We saw the pub where late former Prime Minister Ted Heath used to drink (and his house a bit later). I know I sound hackneyed but Salisbury was just a lovely picture postcard of a town.

Eventually we made our way to the cathedral close – which was interesting, the area directly around the cathedral is surrounded by ancient walls and there is actually a sort of city within a city with houses, schools and businesses inside. One thing that struck me was how quiet it was inside – you couldn’t hear bustling Salisbury outside the walls.

We passed by Matt’s old school and learned two interesting facts – William Golding – author of the Lord of the Flies was headmaster there at one time (Christ, I hated reading that book!). The second fact was that Matt actually went to school with Ralph Fiennes – also known to most as Lord Voldemort.

We explored the close and I took a million pictures and then, there it was:

The cathedral. What a magnificent site it was.

Despite being covered in scaffolding on one side – it was still amazing. The size, the scale, amazing. Coming from America – where they just don’t build them like this – you never truly grasp the scale of a proper cathedral until your standing next to it.

Salisbury Cathedral is famous for several reasons – first, it’s got the UK’s largest Cathedral spire at 404ft. Sedcond, it’s home to the world’s oldest working mechanical clock (1386). Third, it’s home to one of only 4 remaining copies of the Magna Carta – the foundation of modern parliamentary democracy (that includes you America).

We walked around the cathedral and I snapped pictures and Matt told us some interesting anecdotes and pointed out what all the statues on the front meant. And then we went inside.

I really don’t think my words can do justice to the inside, so I’ll let my pictures do the talking.

Onward Shaftesbury

Since our day had been shortened by traffic delays and learning to drive in England, we decided to pass on Stonehenge. It was getting late in the day and we wanted to make sure that we got to Updown Cottage in Shaftesbury while it was still light out. Stonehenge has been there for 5,000 years, it’s not going anywhere, right?

We bid Matt farewell and he gave us directions for our onward journey. If you’re reading this Matt – thanks again for taking the day off of work and showing us around your town. We’ll definitely be back. Matt keeps his own blog about the history of Salisbury and it’s always an interesting read – check out his blog here.

The drive to Shaftesbury was even more amazing than the drive to Salisbury – we drove through green rolling hills. I mean it was literally hill after hill. There isn’t a straight road in Northern Dorset!

As sunset approached, we finally made it to Shaftesbury and faced a rather distressing issue – I didn’t know how to get to the bottom of Gold Hill by car – I knew by foot, but cars must go a different way. My senses, knowing that they were where they belonged after 3 years of anticipation guided us to the proper roads and pretty quickly we had parked the car, unloaded our bags and began hoisting them up the hill to our cottage.

It’s safe to say that by this point in the day we were pretty knackered!

The owners of Updown Cottage, Simon and Jane Colston, happened to be in the village, waiting for our wood delivery so they popped round to have a chat. It was great to finally meet them in person. Jane and Simon have been a (loyal) advertiser on Anglotopia for nearly six months now and we’ve greatly enjoyed e-mailing back and forth. It was just so lovely to meet them in person. They didn’t want to impose on us for too long and they were on their way after a bit of visiting.

The irony is that since we’d arrived at near dark – I hadn’t actually seen Gold Hill properly yet. That would wait for tomorrow morning. We ordered a pizza from the local Pizza Palace – it was delivered quickly. We attempted to start a fire in the stone fireplace – and we had moderate success after Jackie looked up how to start a fire on Wikipedia… We curled up and watched some British Telly.

It was heaven and perfect end to a perfect day.

Check back tomorrow for more about our stay at Updown Cottage and our full day in Dorset – which included a drive down to the seaside.

Trip to England 2009 – Day Four – Leaving London for Salisbury and Shaftesbury is a post from: Anglotopia.net

One of the most beautiful parts of Gold Hill is the abbey ruins that make up one side of it. The whole reason Shaftesbury exists is because of the founding of the abbey in the 14th century.

The abbey was ‘dissolved’ by Henry the VIII during the Reformation and all that’s left is the old abbey walls and some other ruins.

Many of the quaint cottages in town are built from the stone salvaged from the abbey ruins over the years.

Fast forward to today and the abbey wall is national landmark that’s Grade I listed – meaning it can never be torn town or altered in anyway.

Despite that – it needed a spot of weeding to prevent the whole thing from falling down. So, it took some clever kit and know how to clean up the abbey wallk without harming them in anyway.

From a recent BBC Article:

The survey and measuring instruments used during the extensive clean will mean that any changes to the wall’s structure can be monitored.

The two-day weeding process involved a team of four men removing all vegetation and roots that had grown along, and through, the wall.
If left unchecked they would have eventually damaged the wall’s structure.

The space behind the wall has gradually been filled in with soil, and now reaches near to the top of the wall and forms the gardens of nearby private homes.

Cllr Lester Dibben, Shaftesbury’s Mayor and Chairman of Shaftesbury Town Council, said:

“We were getting comments from the public about the amount of foliage on the wall, and if the wall was safe, so we asked the Dorset Countryside Ranger Service to have a look at it.

“We also decided to do a survey of the wall.”

Here’s hoping it won’t need any more weeding for a few hundred years!

Gold Hill Gets a Weeding is a post from: Anglotopia.net

We lost the power cable to our video camera on our last trip to England and never got around to replacing it, so that tape sat in the camcorder for nearly three years.

We finally got a new charger and loe and behold we found the video footage of our last trip to Blighty. I edited it together and have posted it to YouTube for anyone that may enjoy watching a lame home video.

Shaftesbury and Dorset March 2007:

Ghosts of England Trip Past – Video of our Trip to Shaftesbury in March 2007 is a post from: Anglotopia.net

My Best Picture of Gold Hill

When I publish this post I will actually be in Britain in two weeks. Just 14 days. It’s been almost three years since I set foot in the green and pleasant land that is Britain. It’s been a long, tough journey with several trips planned and several trips canceled. At one point we even had plane tickets purchased, but had to cancel them at the last minute.

Not a day has gone by for the last three years that I didn’t think “How can I get back to Britain?”

It’s driven my wife mad. It drove me to start this blog and without this blog I would not be getting on an airplane to London in 14 days.

I’ve always had trouble quantifying my love for Britain. WHY oh WHY do I love Britain so much? I sort of have an answer.

To me, Britain, England, London – it’s all about dreams and the power to fulfill them yourself.

This is an essay that not many people will care to read – but if you make it to the end, I hope that you understand where I’m coming from. Maybe you have a similar story – maybe you feel exactly the same way.

The Poster

While my interest in all things Britain goes back well into my youth, a particular moment is really the beginning of it all. I was in Hobby Lobby during my high school years, I don’t remember why I was there but I was there with one of my best friends.

I loved having posters of far away places on my bedroom walls. I wanted to travel and see the world. I was probably the youngest subscriber to National Geographic Traveler. So, whenever I was in a store that sold posters, you can bet I’d always take a look and see if there was somewhere new that I could hang on my wall.

I came across a poster of a quaint English Village. It didn’t say really say where it was, just ‘Gold Hill Dorset’ which sounded completely foreign to me. If I came across it now, I would call it ‘chocolate box perfect.’ It was the cottages of Gold Hill, bathed in golden sunlight with the Blackmore Vale lit up proudly behind it. I thought the poster was rather cool, it looked like England and I decided that the poster was going to come home with me.

I hung it up on my wall next to my bed. Not a day went by that I didn’t look at that poster and wonder, could I ever go to a place like that? It looked like paradise to someone miserable in high school.

High School

I was miserable in high school. I wasn’t popular (but I wasn’t unpopular) just quiet and antisocial. I went through the motions of high school because I always had one foot out. I was not meant to be there. I wasn’t learning much. I was wasting my time. It was just an obstacle in the way of The Rest of My Life.

I spent my high school years flitting from class to class, wishing for it to be over. Getting a crush on girl after girl and it never going anywhere beyond stupid love poetry. To keep it brief, I was very lonely. But I didn’t really mind.

The toughest part about high school (studying was not a challenge for me) was having to get up so early every day. I don’t do early very well. It was painful to get up every morning for school. To get dressed, eat, get on that bus in the cold of winter and go to a place you didn’t want to be more than anything was cruel.

Yet, every morning, I’d look up at that poster and think “the day won’t be so bad, because one day, I’ll get to go there.”

Where is There?

Jackie Decorating For Our First Christmas - Note the Poster Behind Her

Thanks to the wonders of the internet – it didn’t take me long to figure out where Gold Hill was. It is located in a small English Village in the county of Dorset exotically called Shaftesbury.

I looked it up in my guidebooks (these were the days before Wikipedia mind you) and realized that it was a place I had been looking at for years. When many people think of England, they think of a scene similar to Gold Hill. Thatched, limewashed cottages, crooked and barely standing on a cobblestoned street.

I wanted to go there so bad. I’d always been taught in life by my wonderful parents, that if you want something, well then by all means go get it. It’s your life and you can do what you want with it.

When I went to England for the first time at 17 – I was not able to go to Shaftesbury. I was with my mother, neither of us had been to England before. We didn’t even know how we would get there. We were afraid to leave the unfamiliar confines of London for the unfamiliar wilderness that was rural England. Even though I hated London on my first trip, I resolved to come back. I expected to Love London one day. It was just going to take more than one date. Shaftesbury would wait – it’d been there for a thousand years, it was going anywhere.

The First Trip to Shaftesbury

By the time I was actually in a position to go to Shaftesbury, I was in a completely different place in my life. Yet, I still clung onto the dream of walking down that cobbled hill one day.

I was in college. I had met the love of my life and was going to marry her. The future was bright. I wasn’t lonely and miserable anymore. Yet the desire to see Shaftesbury in the flesh still burned strongly inside me.

One day I was regaling my girlfriend (now my wife) about stories from my first trip to England and she was very impressed and had done some international traveling herself. She said that she’d love to go to London one day.

I responded, “So, why don’t we?”

She had unwittingly unleashed a can of worms. We decided that we would go to London. She didn’t really believe it would happen – our relationship was still new enough to where she didn’t realize what I was actually capable of. She had yet to learn the lesson that when I set my mind to doing something, I damn well do it.

She didn’t really believe we were going until I pressed ‘buy’ on BritishAirways.com and bought those first fateful tickets.

It was a whirlwind trip that culminated in a surprise trip to Paris where I proposed to her on the Eiffel Tower. After we had returned to London from Paris, we were sitting in the hotel room with only a couple days of our trip left. I sort of lamented to my wife that I don’t think we’ll be able to go to Shaftesbury. We didn’t know how to travel by train into England. We didn’t know about train timetables or changes or super saver fares. After our hellish experience in Paris (we were pickpocketed), we were rather adventured out. Cost was an issue as we were running out of money.

But my newly minted fiance knew what Shaftesbury meant to me.

Finally she said, “Jon, you’ve been to Britain twice now and you haven’t been to the place of your dreams. That’s ridiculous.”

She picked up the phone and called the train station and asked everything we needed to know and booked our train tickets for the next day. Clearly I had made the right choice to propose to her.

Waterloo

We arose early the next day. The plan was to travel to Shaftesbury, spend a few hours there and then return back to London. It was going to be a long journey. It takes two hours to get there.

And it was a nightmare. I learned that day what engineering works were and also the false concern showed by customer service workers on the British railways. It took us many hours, a bus ride and another train later just to arrive in Gillingham, Dorset, which wasn’t even our destination. Shaftesbury doens’t have a train station, the nearest being Gillingham. We had to take a cab from Gillingham to Shaftesbury.

While the journey was pretty arduous – I was having the time of my life, I was seeing bits of England I had never seen before, I got to travel on a train, travel on a motorway and pretend to be some sort of sophisticated traveler. It was a grand day out. And it had only just begun.

The cab driver was a delight – not quite believing that two young Americans had found there way to his little corner of England – which he thought was boring. He droves us through green rolling hills – the weather was overcast and not very pleasant – but I didn’t care. It was England. I was in the countryside – a place I had not yet been.

The cabbie dropped us on on Shaftesbury High Street – right in front of the town hall and told us that to get to Gold Hill you had to walk behind the town hall and make your way there.

So, we did just that.

The moment we walked around that corner and Gold Hill was revealed to us is one of the happiest moments in my life.

That First Moment on Gold Hill Captured - Note My Lack of Beard

It didn’t quite register that there I was, the place I had dreamed about for so long. I was at Gold Hill. My feet were resting on the cobbles. I was taking a picture with my own camera. I could smell the rich country air. Feel the cool spring breeze. Hear the birds singing. It was a quiet day in March – a Monday in fact and we pretty much had Gold Hill to ourselves.

We sat on the benches of the Salt Cellar – the small cafe at the top of the hill (now a huge restaurant) and I just stared in marvel at where I was. A dream given reality. I could scarcely believe I was staring at those thatched roofs – those limewashed cottages, nestled together on the hill.

Not satisfied with just sitting there – we decided to go for a walk. We walked down Gold HIll, back up it, back out to the High Street. Explored the shops. Walked down Shooter’s Lane and explored the quiet country lanes. As we did this – we were presented with four seasons of weather. Rain. Sleet. Sun. Cold. It was miserable and wonderful. Paradise.

The Happy Couple

We ate lunch at Wharfe’s Restuarant and had the grand tour from their eccentric owner. Lunch was delicious and English. The place dates back nearly 800 years. It was an amazing experience. After that, we walked down a short lane and was presented with the other great view that Shaftesbury has – over the Blackmore Vale towards Melbury Hill. Many pictures were taken.

After that, with the weather still not quite cooperating (by American Standards) we stopped by Gold Hill one last time and then we headed back to the High Street where the cab was waiting to take us back to the train station. And that was our first odyssey to Shaftesbury, Dorset.

I was in love.

The Future

We’ve been back to Shaftesbury twice – each time we’ve stayed longer and longer. I’ve never fallen out of love with the place and everyday I think about being there. In two weeks I will be there. Instead of staying in our usual B&B – we’re going to get to sleep in an actual cottage on Gold Hill – the dream now comes full circle.

As for that fateful poster – we got sick of moving it every time we moved so I finally gave it to my parents. My dad took it and put it in his office. It’s a source of pride for him. He enjoys looking at it and telling visitors that it’s a real place, his son dreamed of going there and actually did. I’ve thought about taking the poster back now that we’ve settled – but I think it has a good home now.

Everyone has a dream and not everyone realizes that they have within them the power to make their dream a reality.

What’s your dream?

Dreams of Britain: My Love Affair with Shaftesbury Dorset Finally Explained is a post from: Anglotopia.net

One thing that was heavily requested in the recent Anglotopia user survey was more pictures. Ask and you shall recieve. I’ll try to do one giant picture post of week, focused on a place in Britain – my goal is to go county by county, but we’ll see.

Up first this week is my favorite county, Dorset.

A little bit about Dorset from the Wikipedia:

Dorset (or archaically, Dorsetshire), is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town has been Dorchester since at least 1305, situated in the south of the county. Between its extreme points Dorset measures 80 kilometres (50 mi) from east to west and 64 km (40 mi) north to south, and has an area of 2,653 square kilometres (1,024 sq mi). Dorset borders Devon to the west, Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north-east, and Hampshire to the east. Around half of Dorset’s population lives in the South East Dorset conurbation. The rest of the county is largely rural with a low population density. Dorset’s motto is ‘Who’s Afear’d’. It’s the only county with no Motorway running through it.

Dorset is famous for the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site, which features landforms such as Lulworth Cove, the Isle of Portland, Chesil Beach and Durdle Door, as well as the holiday resorts of Bournemouth, Poole, Weymouth, Swanage, and Lyme Regis. Dorset is the principal setting of the novels of Thomas Hardy, who was born near Dorchester. The county has a long history of human settlement and some notable archaeology, including the hill forts of Maiden Castle and Hod Hill.

Pictures of Dorset

The Flag of Dorset

Location of Dorset in England

Map of Dorset

Dark Clouds over Bournemouth Bay – Bournemouth Dorset – Picture from Freefoto.com

Iconic Deck Chairs in Bournemouth – Picture from Freefoto.com

Dorset Beach Huts – Bournemouth England – Photo from Freefoto.com

St John’s Church, Tolpuddle, Dorset – Photo from Freefoto.com

River Avon, Christchurch, Dorset – Photo from Freefoto.com

Street in Christchurch, Dorset – Photo from Freefoto.com

Twynham Castle, Christchurch, Dorset – Photo from Freefoto.com

Thatched Cottage, Tolpuddle, Dorset – Photo from Freefoto.com

Gold Hill, Shaftesbury, Dorset – Photo from Freefoto.com

Sunset, Old Harry, Handfast Point, Dorset – Photo from Freefoto.com

Corfe Castle, Dorset – Photo from Freefoto.com

Wareham Quay, Dorset – Photo from Freefoto.com

Water Mill, Sturminster Newton, Dorset – Photo from Freefoto.com

Cerne Abbas, Dorset, England – Photo from Freephoto.com

The Cerne Abbas Giant, Dorset, England – Photo from Freefoto.com

Britain’s smallest pub, Godmanstone – Photo from Freefoto.com

Swyre, Dorset, England – Photo from Freefoto.com

Chesil Beach seen from near Abbotsbury, Dorset, England – Photo from Freefoto.com

Chesil Beach, Dorset, England – Photo from Freefoto.com

Pictures of Britain: Beautiful Pictures from All Over Dorset is a post from: Anglotopia.net

Far From the Madding Crowd is by far my favorite British Novel. I love Dorset, where most Thomas Hardy stories are set and love to see traditional crafts kept alive. So, I was a little interested to see this article on the BBC Website about a couple who have started restoring traditional Shepard’s Huts, just like Farmer Oak lived in.

It’s a small enterprise dedicated to fine craftsmanship and creating modern uses for the iconic Dorset structure.

From the article on the BBC:

Hardy describes Oak’s hut as a small Noah’s Ark fitted with little wheels so that it could be dragged into fields at lambing time when the shepherd had to be near his flock day and night.

Sometime last century the art of building them died out – but now it’s being revived by a handful of small businesses.

One of those businesses is Plankridge and it’s based in a beautiful nature reserve in the hamlet of Druce near Puddletown in Dorset – right beside the fields and farms that were the setting for Far From the Madding Crowd.

Read the rest of the interesting article here.

You can also watch a lovely little video that gives an interesting perspective on the article here.

Well, I certainly would like one. At the end of the video, they comment that they’ve even gotten calls from America. That will most certainly be me one day. It would make a great writing shed.

Check out their lovely website here for more information.

Live Like Farmer Oak From Far From the Madding Crowd is a post from: Anglotopia.net