things to do in Dorset

Top 20 Historical things to do in Dorset in 2023

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Dorset is well-known for its beaches, Jurassic coastline, and the famous Cerne Giant. History buffs visiting Dorset will not be disappointed by the wealth of historical landmarks and museums.

The whole family may enjoy a selection of intriguing things to do in Dorset that span a wide range of history, from the Romans through to the ever-popular Henry VIII and the Tudors.

You may even visit a Castle that Henry VIII constructed. Dorset’s major towns all provide a broad selection of attractions, most of which are acceptable for tourists in inclement weather. Many of the larger sites offer cafés, outdoor play areas, and adventure playgrounds, making them ideal for family outings and day trips.

It’s a good idea to check with the venue to see if a particular attraction is open, as some are only open at specific seasons of the year.

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Portland Castle 

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Portland Castle, close to Weymouth, is probably the best-preserved example of the string of south coast fortifications constructed by Henry VIII. The Castle was designed to protect against invasion from France and Spain. It was still in use during World War 2.

The Tudor kitchens are a particular highlight.

Portland Castle is an English Heritage site.

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Toilets: Yes

Car Park: Yes

Walking: No

Dog Friendly: Yes

Kids Playground: No

Cafe / Restaurant: Yes

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Adult £7.80

Child (5-17 years) £4.70

Concession £7.00

Family (2 adults, up to 3 children) £20.30

Family (1 adult, up to 3 children) £12.50

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Cerne Giant

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The Cerne Giant is a hill figure in Dorset, England, near the settlement of Cerne Abbas. It stands 55 metres (180 feet) tall and shows a standing naked man with a visible erection brandishing a massive club in his right hand.

The age is unknown; the earliest written record is only from the 17th Century. However, some scholars suggest that it dates from around 700AD.

The Cerne Giant is a National Trust site.

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Toilets: No

Car Park: Yes

Walking: Yes

Dog Friendly: Yes

Kids Playground: Yes

Cafe / Restaurant: No

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Sherborne Abbey

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Sherborne Abbey in central Dorset has been inhabited since Roman times. In the Victorian era, part of a Roman Mosaic pavement was discovered deep beneath the floor and proof that the Saxon cathedral of 705AD was erected on the site of a prior church.

It became a Benedictine Abbey in 961

The Abbey was surrendered to King Henry VIII in 1539, but unlike the majority of them, it was not destroyed. It now acts as a Parish church.

It is open for visitors seven days a week, but check that services are not taking place beforehand.

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Toilets: No

Car Park: No

Walking: No

Dog Friendly: No

Kids Playground: No

Cafe / Restaurant: No

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Portland Bill Lighthouse 

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The Trinity House-controlled Portland Bill Lighthouse is distinctly white and red striped. It stands 41 metres tall (135 ft). It was finished by 1906 and initially shined forth on January 11, 1906.

The lighthouse directs passing vessels through the dangerous waters near the Bill and serves as a navigational aid for ships travelling the English Channel.

A brand new visitors centre has recently opened.

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Adults £8.50

Family ticket (2 adults and up to 2 children) £25.00

Child (age 16 & under) £6.50
Please note the minimum height restriction of 1.1 metres tall to climb the tower

Concession £7.50

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Toilets: Yes

Car Park: Yes

Walking: No

Dog Friendly: Yes

Kids Playground: No

Cafe / Restaurant: Yes

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Maiden Castle 

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Maiden Castle in Dorset is one of Europe’s largest and most intricate Iron Age hillforts, measuring 50 football fields in size. Its massive double ramparts, most of which were erected in the first century BC, formerly defended hundreds of citizens. The brilliant white chalk ramparts would have towered over the surrounding countryside when they were initially erected.

Excavations at Maiden Castle have revealed much about its past, including a Neolithic enclosure from around 3500 BC and a Roman temple erected in the 4th century AD. The scientists also discovered a late Iron Age cemetery, where many of those interred had suffered horrendous injuries.

Maiden Castle is an English Heritage Site.

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Toilets: No

Car Park: Yes

Walking: Yes

Dog Friendly: Yes

Kids Playground: No

Cafe / Restaurant: No

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Corfe Castle 

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Corfe Castle is one of the most dramatic sights in Dorset.

The fortress, built by William the Conqueror in the 11th Century, dominates a break in the Purbeck Hills on the road between Wareham and Swanage. The first phase was one of the first castles in England to be constructed in part with stone, whereas the majority were constructed with earth and timber. In the 12th and 13th centuries, Corfe Castle underwent major structural changes.

In the Tudor era, the castle was sold by Elizabeth I. it was destroyed in the civil war.

Visiting the remains of Corfe Castle is one of the most popular things to do in Dorset for families; they have a recently introduced dragon trail. There are also extensive walking trails near the site.

Corfe Castle is a National Trust site.

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Adult £10.00

Child £5.00

Family £25.00

Group Adult £9.00

Group Child £4.50

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Toilets: Yes

Car Park: Yes

Walking: Yes

Dog Friendly: Yes

Kids Playground: Yes

Cafe / Restaurant: Yes

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Kingston Lacy 

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Kingston Lacy, near Wimborne Minister Dorset, was the seat of the Bankes family who had lived at Corfe Castle.

The Kingston Lacy estate was formerly part of a royal estate inside the Wimborne lordship. The old home was located to the north of the current residence. It was constructed during the mediaeval time and used as a hunting lodge for the deer park to the northwest. The de Lacys, Earls of Lincoln, who owned it in addition to holdings at Shapwick and Blandford Forum, were among those who leased it to individuals who gained favour with the monarch.

The property has Tudor connections; Lady Margaret Beaufort, the mother of King Henry VII, was raised in Kingston Lacy.

As you might expect, there are extensive gardens and walking trails on the estate. It highlights that it is dog friendly.

Kingston Lacy is a National Trust site.

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Toilets: Yes

Car Park: Yes

Walking: Yes

Dog Friendly: Yes

Kids Playground: Yes

Cafe / Restaurant: Yes

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Adult £18.00

Child £9.00

Family £45.00

1 adult, 2 children £27.00

Group Adult £15.00

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Brownsea Island 

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A visit to the famous Brownsea Island, where the first scout camp took place, is one of the most popular things to do in Dorset.

Henry VIII fortified the island with a blockhouse which is now referred to as Brownsea Castle.

The island is also home to one of the few colonies of red squirrels in the country.

Brownsea Island is a National Trust site.

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Adult £21.50

Child £11.50

Family £54.50

1 adult and up to 3 children (aged 5-17) £33.00

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Toilets: Yes

Car Park: Yes

Walking: Yes

Dog Friendly: No

Kids Playground: Yes

Cafe / Restaurant: Yes

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Tyneham Village

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Dorset’s lost ghost village is certainly worth a short visit. Tyneham is located on the Jurassic Coast northeast of Worbarrow Bay, about 3.7 miles south of Wareham.

The village was requisitioned just before Christmas 1943 by the War office. The residents had just days’ notice to leave. They never returned.

The site is restricted and is only open when the Lulworth Ranges are open to the public.

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Toilets: Yes

Car Park: Yes

Walking: Yes

Dog Friendly: Yes

Kids Playground: No

Cafe / Restaurant: No

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Knowlton Church

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Knowlton Church, a destroyed stone church in Wimborne, is said to be one of Dorset’s most haunted locations. The Norman church was constructed in the 12th Century on the site of a Neolithic ceremonial henge earthwork…spooky in itself.

At Knowlton, there have been several ghost sightings, the most frequent of which are a hooded figure, a weeping nun, and a ghostly horse and rider. Whether you believe in ghosts or not, it’s a beautiful spot.

Knowlton Church is an English Heritage Site.

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Toilets: No

Car Park: Yes

Walking: No

Dog Friendly: Yes

Kids Playground: Yes

Cafe / Restaurant: No

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The Nine Stones

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The Nine Stones are Stonehedge’s baby cousin. They are irregular in shape and size but are arranged in an almost perfect circle of 8 meters in diameter.

The stones are believed to date from the Late Neolithic to Middle Bronze Age. 2500 to 1000 BC.

It is just one of four stone circles in Dorset.

The Nine Stones is an English Heritage site.

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Toilets: No

Car Park: Yes

Walking: No

Dog Friendly: Yes

Kids Playground: No

Cafe / Restaurant: No

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Hardy’s cottage

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It was in this traditional cob and thatch cottage that the author Thomas Hardy was born in 1840.

The site is near Dorchester in Dorset.

The garden is typical of a cottage garden, with roses surrounding the entrance and the sound of songbirds even in winter. Once inside, you’ll realise that 19th-century country living, with its open hearths, narrow windows, and stone flooring, wasn’t always pleasant.

Hardy’s cottage is a National Trust Site.

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Adult £8.00

Child £4.00

Family £2.00

Family one adult, two children £12.00

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Toilets: No

Car Park: Yes

Walking: No

Dog Friendly: Yes

Kids Playground: No

Cafe / Restaurant: Yes

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Badbury Rings

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Visitors should study an aerial photograph before their visit to get the most out it.

Badbury Rings is an Iron Age hill fort in east Dorset, England, and is a Scheduled Monument. It was in the Durotrige territory. A temple was constructed immediately west of the fort during the Roman era which began in 43AD, and a Romano-British settlement known as Vindocladia has located a short distance to the southwest.

The rings rise 100 meters above sea level and offer commanding views across Dorset.

Badbury Rings is a National Trust site.

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Toilets: No

Car Park: Yes

Walking: Yes

Dog Friendly: Yes

Kids Playground: Yes

Cafe / Restaurant: No

[/et_pb_toggle][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.15.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_cta title=”prices” button_url=”https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/kingston-lacy#Prices” url_new_window=”on” button_text=”Click here for more details” _builder_version=”4.15.0″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#ffd580″ hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]

Adult £18.00

Child £9.00

Family £45.00

1 adult, 2 children £27.00

Group Adult £15.00

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Jordan Hill Roman Temple 

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Jordan Hill Roman Temple is a ruin located on Jordan Hill close to Weymouth, Dorset, England.

Don’t expect to see anything other than the foundations!

Jordan Hill Roman Temple is an English Heritage site.

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Toilets: No

Car Park: Yes

Walking: Yes

Dog Friendly: Yes

Kids Playground: Yes

Cafe / Restaurant: No

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The Dinosaur Museum

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The Dinosaur Museum is in Dorchester, a stone’s throw from the world heritage site that is the Jurassic Coast. You can’t get much further back in history than the Dinosaurs.

This is one of the most popular things to do in Dorset for children.

The Dinosaur Museum is very hands-on, with lots of interactive displays. Expect this to be very busy during the school holidays.

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Toilets: Yes

Car Park: Yes

Walking: No

Dog Friendly: No

Kids Playground: No

Cafe / Restaurant: No

[/et_pb_toggle][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.15.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_cta title=”prices” button_url=”https://www.thedinosaurmuseum.com/admissions” url_new_window=”on” button_text=”Click here for more details” _builder_version=”4.15.0″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#ffd580″ hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]

Adults £10.00

Children £8.00

Children under 3 FREE

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Highcliffe Castle 

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Highcliffe Castle was built in the 1830s and is one of Dorset’s premier attractions. Interestingly the building uses reclaimed stones from ruined Abbeys in France.

The stately home even has its own private beach and nature reserve.

The gardens were designed by Capability Brown.

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Adult £7.00

Child Age 5-16 £3.00

Senior/ Student £6.50

Family (2 adults 2 children, 1 adult 3 children) £15.00

Under 5s: Free

Carer: Free

Historic Houses Association Members: Free

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Toilets: Yes

Car Park: Yes

Walking: No

Dog Friendly: No

Kids Playground: No

Cafe / Restaurant: Yes

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The Tank Museum

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The Tank Museum in Bovington, Dorset, is another favourite day out for children. It boasts the world’s most extensive collection of historical and modern tanks.

It even has a 1940s street to experience what the second world war was really like.

The place is enormous and even has its own arena for live events, including their annual Tankfest gathering.

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Toilets: Yes

Car Park: Yes

Walking: No

Dog Friendly: No

Kids Playground: Yes

Cafe / Restaurant: Yes

[/et_pb_toggle][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.15.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_cta title=”Prices” button_url=”https://tankmuseum.org/visit-us/tickets-and-prices/” url_new_window=”on” button_text=”Click here for more details” _builder_version=”4.15.0″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#ffd580″ hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]

Adult (16+) £16

Child (4-15) £9

Family (2 Adults + 2 Children) £42.50

Family (1 Adult + 2 Children) £29.50

Family (2 Adults + 1 Child) £37

Child (Under 4) Free

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Abbotsbury Abbey 

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Abbotsbury Abbey was a Benedictine monastery in the Dorset hamlet of Abbotsbury. The abbey was created in the 11th Century by Vikings that had converted to Christianity.

The abbey flourished and grew to become a local powerhouse, owning eight manor homes and communities. During the later Middle Ages, the abbey experienced a great deal of hardship. During Henry VIII’s dissolution, the final abbot, Roger Rhoddon, surrendered the monastery, and the place became the property of Sir Giles Strangways.

Close by is St Catherine’s Chapel, which seems to have been built in the 14th Century.

Abbotsbury Abbey and St Catherine’s Chapel are English Heritage Sites.

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Toilets: Yes

Car Park: Yes

Walking: Yes

Dog Friendly: Yes

Kids Playground: No

Cafe / Restaurant: Yes

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The Swanage Railway 

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The Swanage Railway, located on the Isle of Purbeck, is the ideal destination for a fun family day out on Dorset’s Jurassic Coast.

The historic railway attraction runs full-size steam trains along a stretch of track from Norden to Corfe Castle and down to the Victorian beach town of Swanage. Children love to go all “Harry Potter” and pretend they are on the Hogwarts express.

The attraction also offers some unique “experiences.

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Toilets: Yes

Car Park: Yes

Walking: No

Dog Friendly: Yes

Kids Playground: No

Cafe / Restaurant: Yes

[/et_pb_toggle][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.15.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_cta title=”price” button_url=”https://www.swanagerailway.co.uk/tickets” url_new_window=”on” button_text=”Click here for more details” _builder_version=”4.15.0″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#ffd580″ hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]

Adult: £25.00

Child: £12.50

Family: £70.00

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Sherborne Castle 

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Sherborne Castle in Dorest was built by the famous Tudor explorer Sir Walter Raleigh.

Today, it stands on a 1200-acre estate that also includes the ruins of the “old castle” built in the 12th century.

After Raleigh’s execution, it was sold to the Earl of Bristol in 1617.

During the civil war, it was subjected to a siege by the parliamentarian forces. The Castle was surrendered on the 17th of August 1645. It was left in ruins.

Locals usually use the term Sherborne New Castle to refer to the new house.

During the second world war, it was used as headquarters for the commando’s training for the D-Day beach landings.

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Adult: £14.50

Child (5-15): £4

Child (Under 5): Free

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Toilets: Yes

Car Park: Yes

Walking: Yes

Dog Friendly: Yes (Gardens Only)

Kids Playground: No

Cafe / Restaurant: Yes

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