Dorset is a scenic and historic English county famed for its Jurassic Coast, market towns, cultural festivals, and literary heritage, offering diverse landscapes and accessible transport.
Lytes Cary is a Grade I listed historic manor house in Somerset dating from the 14th century, featuring a chapel, Great Hall with period furnishings, and extensive Arts and Crafts style gardens listed as Grade II. The National Trust owns the property and offers public access to the older parts of the house and the distinctive gardens set in themed 'rooms' with hedges, ponds, and an orchard.
7–22 Oct (another 13 days)
Local nature photographer Ben Pullitz displays wildlife and landscape photographs in a pop-up shop at Lytes Cary Manor.
Eggardon Hill is a prehistoric Iron Age hillfort located on chalk uplands in Dorset, England. Visitors can explore large earthworks and enjoy extensive views of the countryside and English Channel. The site is partly owned by the National Trust and offers free public access throughout the year.
Kingston Lacy is a historic 17th-century Italianate country house and estate near Wimborne Minster, Dorset, featuring extensive formal gardens, parkland, and a significant fine art collection. The house offers a blend of indoor tours with finely decorated interiors and outdoor exploration of its historic gardens and grounds.
7 Oct–8 Nov (another 30 days)
Explore 30 Pikachu trading cards illustrated by different artists, discover facts about the character and design your own Pikachu card as part of an art adventure at Kingston Lacy.
Montacute House is a late Elizabethan mansion in Somerset, England, known for its exceptional Renaissance architecture and the longest surviving Long Gallery in England. The venue offers both indoor experiences in its historic rooms and exhibitions, and outdoor experiences with its Grade I listed gardens and extensive parkland. It hosts historical portraits in partnership with the National Portrait Gallery and has served as a filming location for films and TV dramas.
Burrow Mump is a historic hill in Somerset featuring the ruins of a 15th-century church atop a Norman motte, offering visitors panoramic views and a significant war memorial managed by the National Trust.
Hambledon Hill is a prehistoric hill fort in Dorset featuring Neolithic and Iron Age earthworks. The site is a National Nature Reserve with significant wildlife and is owned by the National Trust, offering outdoor historical and natural exploration.
The Pepperbox is an historic hexagonal folly tower built in 1606 on Pepperbox Hill, Wiltshire. It offers panoramic views across the surrounding countryside including Salisbury. The tower is a Grade II listed building and a notable early folly, owned and preserved by the National Trust.
Thomas Hardy's Cottage in Dorset is the birthplace of the famous English author, featuring original period interiors, a cottage garden, and nearby woodlands with a visitor centre and trails.
Lewesdon Hill is the highest point in Dorset, England, managed by the National Trust with notable walking paths, natural scenery, and a WWII Spitfire crash memorial. The site offers outdoor exploration of its summit ridge, woodland, and historical significance.
Priest's House in Muchelney is a Grade I listed historic stone house built in the early 14th century for the parish priest. Owned by the National Trust, it showcases original medieval architecture including Gothic doorways and a 15th-century fireplace, with limited public access.
Hod Hill is a large Iron Age hillfort and Roman fort site in Dorset, England, featuring ancient earthworks, archaeological remains, and a calcareous grassland habitat, open to the public as a National Trust historic site.
Treasurer's House in Martock, Somerset, is a Grade I listed medieval house dating from the 13th century and owned by the National Trust. It features historic architecture including a great hall with a timber roof and medieval wall paintings, offering visitors an indoor historical experience.
Stoke sub Hamdon Priory is a historic 14th-century chantry college complex in Somerset featuring a Grade I listed great hall, medieval architecture, and ruins of outbuildings. Owned by the National Trust, it offers visitors a glimpse into medieval religious and farming life with indoor historic buildings and outdoor heritage site elements.
Clouds Hill is an early 19th-century isolated cottage in Dorset that was the home of T. E. Lawrence, now a museum preserving his original furniture and an exhibition about his life. It offers visitors an intimate look into the life of Lawrence of Arabia within a historic Grade II* listed building.
Corfe Castle is a historic 11th-century ruined stone castle atop a hill in Dorset, England, known for its medieval architecture and role in the English Civil War. Visitors can explore the castle ruins, enjoy scenic views, and learn about its rich history under National Trust care.
Ballard Down is a scenic chalk downland area on the Purbeck Hills in Dorset, featuring coastal views between Studland Bay and Swanage Bay, part of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site, with grassland managed by the National Trust and a historic obelisk landmark.
7–31 Oct (another 22 days)
An exhibition at Corfe Castle’s Welcome Centre presents archaeological finds from excavations, showing objects associated with everyday life in the medieval castle.
Barrington Court is a Tudor manor house in Somerset, combining historic architecture with Arts and Crafts-style gardens originally designed by Gertrude Jekyll. Visitors can explore the historic house, converted stable buildings, and extensive ornamental gardens including a kitchen garden supplying the onsite restaurant.
10–11 Oct (this weekend)
Visitors can join the Ranger team to collect apples from Barrington Court’s orchards, which contain more than 100 varieties. The harvest activity takes place across the first two weekends of October.
The Hardy Monument is a 72-foot landmark tower on Black Down in Dorset, erected in 1844 in memory of Vice Admiral Sir Thomas Hardy. Visitors can climb 120 steps to a viewpoint offering expansive views of the English Channel and distant coastal landmarks. It is a historic monument owned by the National Trust known for its unique design as a giant spyglass and designated as a Grade II listed building.
The Cerne Abbas Giant is a large outdoor chalk hill figure located on Giant Hill near Cerne Abbas village in Dorset, England. Owned by the National Trust and protected as a scheduled monument, it depicts a nude giant man holding a club. The figure's origin is debated, dating possibly from the late Anglo-Saxon period to the 17th century. It is a significant tourist attraction and subject to local folklore and cultural events.
Lambert's Castle is an Iron Age hillfort in Dorset, open to the public as open access land and designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest. Visitors can explore steep natural slopes, historic earthworks, and enjoy views from Lambert's Castle Hill, with nearby parking available.
Max Gate is a Grade I listed historic house in Dorchester, Dorset, designed and built by Thomas Hardy, showcasing Queen Anne style architecture, and open to public visits with access to multiple rooms including studies and bedrooms associated with Hardy's life and works.
Dorchester is the historic county town of Dorset, England, known for its Roman origins, literary connections with Thomas Hardy, and rich cultural and archaeological heritage. It offers a walkable town centre with notable museums, theatres, and a vibrant market town atmosphere.
Badbury Rings is an Iron Age hill fort in east Dorset notable for its extensive earthworks, nearby Roman road junction, and adjacent Romano-British town site. It is an outdoor site managed by the National Trust with free public access and offers historical insights into Iron Age and Roman Britain.
7 Sep, 14 Sep…
A 12-week walking programme at Kingston Lacy for people living with Parkinson’s, with weekly walks that gradually build in pace while participants connect with nature. Sessions also offer activity advice and support from volunteer walk leaders.
Old Harry Rocks are distinctive chalk stacks and formations on the Isle of Purbeck coast in Dorset, marking the eastern end of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site. Visitors can explore the natural coastal landscape and admire views including the Isle of Wight's Needles.
12 Oct, 9 Nov…
Home educators and children can join nature-based sessions at Studland, with seasonal activities such as arts and crafts, spotter walks and scavenger hunts. The listed sessions focus on woodland scavenging and crafts in October, fungi in November, and a winter beach scavenger hunt and festive crafts in December.
Stembridge Tower Mill in Somerset is the last thatched windmill in England, built in 1822. It features four floors, retains historic millstones, and is a Grade II* listed building managed by the National Trust, offering visitors a glimpse into historic milling indoors.
Portland House is a 20th-century detached house in Weymouth, Dorset, known for its 1930s Mediterranean villa design. It is managed by the National Trust and available as a holiday let with public open days twice annually.
Weymouth is a historic seaside town in Dorset known for its Georgian architecture, vibrant harbour, and role as a gateway to the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site. It offers rich cultural experiences, beaches, water sports, and annual events including beach sports and festivals.
Pilsdon Pen is a 277-metre hill in Dorset, featuring an Iron Age multivallate hillfort with archaeological remains, offering panoramic views across the surrounding landscape. It is accessible via outdoor walking routes and is managed by the National Trust.
Tintinhull House and Garden is a Grade I listed 17th century house with a 20th century garden in South Somerset, owned by the National Trust, offering historic interiors, artistic paintings, and extensive garden rooms styled after Hidcote Manor.
White Mill is an 18th-century water-powered corn mill near Sturminster Marshall in Dorset, featuring original milling machinery and historic architecture, preserved as a Grade II listed building and managed by the National Trust.
6–23 Oct (another 14 days)
Explore the Visakhapatnam cabinet through an exhibition about its craftsmanship, conservation and cultural connections between India and Europe. The display includes related objects, a contemporary painting and a dress inspired by the cabinet, with sections of the painting also installed in the garden.
Mompesson House is an 18th-century Queen Anne style historic house in Salisbury, Wiltshire, owned by the National Trust. Visitors can explore its carefully restored Georgian interiors and collections of 18th-century decorative arts. The house was also a filming location for the movie Sense and Sensibility.
9–13 Oct, 16–20 Oct…
Explore Mompesson House dressed to reflect the Portman family’s time there and learn about Regency life and the family’s social calendar. Visitors can see a Regency parlour and children’s playroom, take part in activities, and follow a spotter trail around the house.