Wimborne Minster

[pigletwillie]

Towards the end of April, the old girl and I are having a breakette and are staying in Wimborne Minster.

Any of you peeps been there or live near by?

Whats local that we shouldnt miss, any good eateries and any good pubs.

Cheers in anticipation.

[smallblueplanet]

National Trust | Kingston Lacy

Pop round and give the garden a once over?

Days Out - Rural Dorset

The search facility brings up some interesting places.

[pigletwillie]

Cheers ferret..

[smallblueplanet]

Ya never said the sort of stuff you liked doing....there's also the beach!

[Dibblecat]

The gardens at Compton Acres are lovely, and should be able to get great views over Poole Harbour from parts of it.
Compton Acres and Gardens in Dorset
It's about 7.5 miles from Wimborne I think.

[ChocClare]

Wimborne itself is lovely. There is a mill in Wimborne which, being a local, I can't remember the name of - Wolford maybe? - where there is a craft centre and nice shoppy things; there's a model village; there's the WONDERFUL Tivoli cinema, staffed by volunteers - like going back in time, you get an interval and usherettes with trays of ice-creams and Kia Ora. As sbp says, there's Kingston Lacy, which again has lovely gardens. The drive up to Kingston Lacy is along an avenue planted with trees for someone's wedding a couple of hundred years ago and is very pretty. Compton Acres is fab BUT Poole Council are digging up The Avenue (road that leads to Compton Acres) from 25th March for 8 weeks so you may need to take a detour-y sort of way to it. There is Stapehill Abbey, which also has gardens and crafty things but there's not that much there... there's Bournemouth, of course, loads to do there and Poole Quay, wonderful restaurants and stuff; you can drive to Sandbanks to see where all the millionaires live (but see note about The Avenue, above) and take the Sandbanks chain ferry to the Isle of Purbeck to visit Swanage or Corfe Castle or travel by steam train; or take the yellow ferry to Brownsea Island which is really lovely. It's where Baden Powell took a load of local boys of all social classes in 1907 to test out his ideas for scouting, and is also the island that Enid Blyton had in mind for Five on a Treasure Island. It's now owned by the National Trust and is a haven for red squirrels (though I never saw any when I went there ). A really lovely place. Further inland is Blandford, a Georgian town (and army base, but don't let that put you off) which is very picturesque; and Wareham, which is also lovely. Christchurch has the priory, built in 1094, a ruined castle and Norman house, two rivers and a wonderful harbour (and quite jolly little shops). From Mudeford Quay you can catch the ferry to Mudeford Spit, home of the most expensive beach huts in England. (When we moved here in 1998 we enquired about buying one - they were £26,000 and we just laughed. When they started to go for £120,000 we wish we'd bought one...) From there you can get the Noddy train to Hengistbury Head and fly a kite if you're that way inclined. So many things to see and enjoy! You'll wish you'd visited Dorset sooner!

[pigletwillie]

Cheers Chuck, lots of ideas there.

[samw04]

you should go to monkey world its the best . I'm chuckling just thinking about it we take the kids at least once a year and friends of mine borrow the kids to go there.

[redadmiral]

if you make your way to swanage then go for an amble over the flower meadows and cliffs to the lighthouse, and then have a cup of tea or lunch at' the lookout cafe' and see if you can spot any dolphins in the bay!
or walk from swanage to corfe along the downs (ballad down and nine barrow down), which is a flat walk once you get up there, with great views of pool harbour. check out the castle at corfe, have a pint in the greyhound pub and then take the steam train back to swanage.

[greenlung]

I agree Red Admiral - been walking in your footsteps.. ; )
If not The Greyhound, The Fox.

It's gurt beautiful...

Wimborne's ok, but gimmee the sea and Nine Barrow / Ballard Down anyday.
With skylarks it's sublime.