Dorchester

Dorchester does well by anyone who likes to eat properly after a day out. AL MOLO brings an Italian, seafood-leaning menu into the town centre, while Hub Box does the burger-and-something-cold thing without fuss. C Side leans into the coastal ingredients Dorset does so well, and for something more traditional there's Sheaf of Arrows, the kind of pub where a Sunday roast still matters. Cafe Jagos and Merchant House Restaurant give you the daytime and evening ends of things covered, and if you're just passing through, there's a Greggs out at Winterbourne Abbas for the road.

Beyond the food, Dorchester is a proper Dorset county town, easy to walk and built around a working high street rather than a tourist set piece. Borough Gardens gives the centre a green breathing space, and the town's history runs deep, with The Keep Military Museum covering the regimental past of the county in some detail.

Just outside town, the grounds open up. Kingston Maurward Gardens & Animal Park mixes formal gardens with animals to visit, and Athelhampton House and Gardens is one of the finer stately homes in the area, with gardens worth the wander alone. For something wilder, Badger Watch Dorset lets you sit in on nocturnal wildlife rather than just read about it, and Warmwell Snowsports Centre offers an unexpected bit of skiing practice inland.

Families tend to gravitate towards Dorchester Skatepark and the Dorchester Mystery Treasure Trail, both easy ways to fill an afternoon without a car journey attached, and dog owners aren't left out either, with MUTT EVERYTHING DOG catering specifically to four-legged visitors.

For staying over, the choice runs from town-centre guest houses like Aquila Heights Guest House, Ashley House and Bay Tree House to smaller B&Bs such as Fern Cottage, Bramlies Bed & Breakfast and Fleur De Lys. Just outside town, the Gaggle of Geese Pub & Shepherd Huts offers something a bit different, and the George Albert Hotel suits those after a larger, more conventional base. If you'd rather camp, Troytown Farm is the spot, giving you a quieter, more rural stay within easy reach of the town itself.