dorset
Dorset's dramatic Jurassic coast, vast pebble beaches and bird-rich moorland and marshes are a hiker's dream – here are the county's top 6 walks
Dorset is on eof the UK's most beautiful counties with a stunning coastline. Check out the best walks in Dorset
From simple livestock enclosure to Europe’s most complex hillfort – step inside Maiden Castle, Dorset’s archaeological mystery
Explore 6,000 years of British history at Maiden Castle – a vast Iron Age fortress where sheep now graze, skylarks sing, and echoes of ancient battles linger in the ramparts
Did a Dorset peninsula inspire Enid Blyton's Kirrin Island? Discover the landscape that gave us the Famous Five
Pack the cucumber sandwiches and ginger beer for a vintage adventure along the coastline that was beloved by the best-selling children’s writer, says Ali Wood
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UK film locations: Discover the breathtaking locations that have gained fame through the magic of cinema.
Ever wanted to storm Winterfell or sip tea in Downton? Follow in the footsteps of the stars with our guide to Britain's best-known filming locations.
Podcast: A gentle adventure exploring mysterious Eggardon Hill in Dorset
Join Kevin Parr for a fascinating ramble in an ancient hillfort – and an important discussion about dogs and livestock with the local farmer – in episode 11, season 14 of the Countryfile Magazine Plodcast
Podcast: A walk with Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall at River Cottage
Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall talks about the power of eating for health and happiness in episode 3, season 14 of the Countryfile Magazine Plodcast
Podcast: Enjoy a dreamy summer's day at the Cerne Abbas Brewery in Dorset
Meet the wonderful cast of characters brewing beer the traditional way at the Cerne Abbas Brewery in Dorset in episode 6, season 13 of the BBC Countryfile Magazine Plodcast
Guide to the Jurassic Coast: where to stay, what to do and best walks
Discover spectacular walks, go fossil hunting and relaxing on some of Britain's most beautiful beaches with a visit to the spectacular Jurassic Coast in Devon and Dorset.
Podcast: Foraging for fungi in Dorset with two brilliant naturalists
Learn about the magic and mystery of fungi with expert mushroom hunter John Wright. He joins our own Kevin Parr for a ramble in a hidden corner of Dorset. John's book A Spotters Guide to Countryside Mysteries is out now. Later in the plodcast, the team talk about the etiquette of saying 'hello' (or not!) to strangers on a country walk – and we capture on tape a strange bird singing in the depths of November.
Podcast: Strange tales at a Dorset henge… Part 2 of the Knowlton Circles mystery with Mary-Ann Ochota
In episode 2 of our new podcast series, Histories and Mysteries of the Countryside, historian and broadcaster Mary-Ann Ochota explores the deeply enigmatic henge and ruined church forgotten in the Dorset countryside – and hears strange tales of the supernatural from local people
Podcast: The mystery of Knowlton Circles with Mary-Ann Ochota, Part one
In the first of a new series of podcasts – Histories and Mysteries of the Countryside – broadcaster and archaeologist Mary-Ann Ochota wanders ancient landscapes in Dorset to unravel the enigma of Knowlton Circles
Podcast: A morning on the Dorset heaths in search of Britain's rarest reptile
Roam the untamed heaths of Dorset in search of smooth snakes and other rare wildlife in episode 8, season 9 of the Countryfile podcast
Podcast: Explore the Dorset coast in search of adders and spring migrants
In the 100th episode of the BBC Countryfile Magazine podcast, explore the Dorset coast in search of adders with naturalist Kevin Parr (episode 4, season 9 of the podcast).
A cold and beautiful winter's day in Dorset
Spend an atmospheric January day by a Dorset lake with angle Kevin Parr as he reveals the joys and frustrations of fishing – in episode 4, season 8 of the Countryfile Magazine podcast
Podcast: Listen to folktales and old stories on a Halloween walk in Dorset
Enjoy an autumn walk at dusk in Dorset and listen to storyteller Martin Maudsley tell chilling tales of ancient folklore, ghosts and mysterious happenings in episode 5 of season 7 of the BBC Countryfile Magazine podcast
Day out: Shute’s Lane and Hell Lane, Dorset
Connecting Symondsbury with North Chideock, Shute’s Lane and Hell Lane together form one of Britain’s finest sunken trails.
Podcast: On the trail of an assassin in the ancient holloways of Dorset
Follow in the footsteps of a literary hero as storyteller Martin Maudsley tracks down Rogue Male in deepest Dorset in episode 4, season 6 of the BBC Countryfile Magazine plodcast
Podcast: Nightingales at dawn in Dorset – magical, beautiful and moving
Enjoy the fabulous song of nightingales and other spring birds on a Dorset common at dawn in episode 11 of season 5 of the BBC Countryfile Magazine plodcast
Virtual escapes: Britain's shimmering shores
Discover magical marine life, beautiful beaches and awe-inspiring clifftops with our stay-at-home guide to the UK's most spectacular coastlines.
Podcast: A gentle nature ramble in rural Dorset – with a magnificent dawn chorus
Hear a magnificent dawn chorus in Dorset – plus encounters with skylarks and grass snakes – in episode 5, season 5 of the BBC Countryfile Magazine podcast
Dorset guide: where to visit, stay, eat and local walks
Explore the sweeping shoreline and fascinating geology of Dorset’s historic Jurassic Coast with our expert guide on the best places to visit in Dorset, places to stay and walking routes.
Day Out: Thomas Hardy's Cottage, Dorset
Explore the tree-shrouded home and surrounding Dorset woodland that inspired novelist and poet Thomas Hardy to pen many of his great works
Britain’s forgotten naturalist: Cyril Diver
On Countryfile Ellie Harrison visited the Studland peninsula in Dorset to report on an innovative citizen science project that repeats the ecological survey work of a 1930s conservation pioneer.
Blue Pool, Dorset
Cast modern life aside at a sparkling little lake that glitters in hues of blue and green, in a magical woodland setting with an absorbing history, says Ali Wood.