Dorset - an overlooked county

At New Year I spent a few days with friends, staying near Weymouth and all of us said, over and over again "Isn't it beautiful here", "Aren't we lucky to have it on our doorstep". And I thought I would try and share a little of the beautiful Dorset coastline with you.

Here's a shot of Ringstead Bay at dusk. It shows one of the reasons that I like Dorset so much, its soft green hills roll down to the sea, and you get this great coastline with interesting rock formations, as the sea erodes the cliffs. We were staying so close to the beach that from the house you could hear the waves hissing on the shingle, one of my favourite sounds.

It also makes for strenuous walking and cycling, for if you follow the cliff paths you spend most of your time going up....or going down, but you're rewarded with lovely views . Here's a view looking down towards Swanage and Poole Harbour, with the classic English green patchwork effect, despite the fact that this is the end of December. I've found that when people ask me to describe England, I use the word green early!















So, go and visit Dorset and enjoy its quintessentially English flavour, but don't tell too many other people....let's keep it our secret!