Camp Bestival is nearly here… here’s the festival team’s guide for what else to do in Dorset while you’re there
CAMP Bestival is taking place at Lulworth Castle in Dorset this weekend, and thousands of families will be descending on the music event, organised by Radio 1 DJ Rob Da Bank and his wife Josie.
But most of them will pack up on Monday morning, once the line-up has finished, and head back home.
Which is a shame given how much Dorset, where the festival is being held, has to offer.
The country in the South West of England is often overlooked by holidaymakers as they travel through to get to the better-known Cornwall and Devon, but Dorset is equally beautiful and interesting.
Not only does the county has a long history of human settlement stretching back to the Neolithic era, as well as incredible countryside.
More than half the county is in an Area Of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and three-quarters of its coastline is part of the Jurassic Coast Natural World Heritage Site.
So if you're partying at Camp Bestival this weekend, resist the urge to head home to the sofa on Monday and check out this family-friendly guide of recommendations from the Camp Bestival team...
Hotels
After a weekend camping with the kids, what better way to relax than with a couple of nights at a country hotel.
Moonfleet Manor
Overlooking Chesil Beach in Dorset, is loved for its tranquil surroundings and quirky colonial décor.
The manor house offers plenty of activities for families, including a huge indoor soft play zone, a swimming pool and a spa.
The hotel is also offering a Camp Bestival package, for those who want to recharge in the lap of luxury after the festival.
The Pig on the Beach
A country house perfectly situated along Studland Bay, enjoys uninterrupted views of the long stretches of sandy coastline.
Relax after a busy festival weekend in one of the 23 bedrooms, which feature larders stocked with snacks and nespresso machines, or enjoy a meal at the hotel restaurant with its local produce.
Restaurants
The Anchor, Burton Bradstock
at Burton Bradstock claims to be one of West Dorset's best kept secrets.
Specialities at the pub include hand-dived scallops and lobsters and crab potted daily by local fishermen less than a mile away.
Dorshi, Bridport
Dorshi restaurant in Bridport blends produce sourced no further than three miles of restaurant, cooked with flavours of the East.
ncludes items like handmade spelt noodles with golden beetroot and miso puree, and organice tempeh with seven-spice onion relish and pickled leeks.
Ilchester Arms, Abbotsbury
The is a family-run rustic pub and restaurant with rooms.
Enjoy a local cider, afternoon tea or local seafood form the Jurassic Coast after a long walk in the surrounding countryside.
Limestone Hotel and Restaurant
Nestled in the Dorset hills, near Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove, this is situated in an area of outstanding natural beauty on the Jurassic coastline.
In the restaurant, chef Jon Box brings the best local produce to your table, including meat from Maiden Castle farm, lobsters t from Lulworth cove, and crab and scallops from Portland.
Cheap Eats
Rachel’s, West Bay
An extremely on the harbour in West Bay, where Broadchurch was filmed.
Pots of cockles, mussels and prawns cost £3.50 and there are also heartier dishes like fish and chips and smoked haddock chowder.
Get there early though as it’s so popular that food can run out.
Café Oasis, Weymouth
Café Oasis is a seaside bar and café in Weymouth with a large selection of wines.
It also boasts incredible sea views.
Billy Winters, Portland
Enjoy a chilled out evening at this that looks out over Portland Harbour.
It is very popular for pizza and the large selection of cocktails.
Pubs
The Boot, Weymouth
The Boot Inn is a selling real ales and local pork pies, that also holds the title of the oldest pub in Weymouth.
The place is also very popular among locals for its weekly live music nights.
The Cove Inn, Portland
at Chiswell in Portland boasts an amazing sunset spot, right on Chesil Beach– a 16 mile sweeping beach of pebbles.
Customers can enjoy a local ale or locally caught seafood with views right across the Jurassic Coast
Walks
Going for a walk is one of the best ways to soak in the sights of Dorset, here are some of the best ...
The Castle and Beach walk in Abbotsbury
follows the ridge along to Abbotsbury Castle where you will get spectacular inland and coastal views, and ends up on Chesil Beach.
Portesham
Head to Portesham for a great walk around , a 72-foot high monument erected in 1844 in memory of Vice Admiral Sir Thomas Hardy, a commander at the Battle of Trafalgar.
It is now run by the National Trust and the area has incredible views of the surrounding countryside.
Tyneham Village
For an afternoon out that will spark the kids’ imagination, head to ghost village with a population of zero.
The villagers were asked to leave in 1943 so that the village could be used for special forces training and they were never allowed to return to their homes.
Most of the buildings are now crumbling, but the church and old school house have remained intact.
Spas
Summer Lodge Hotel, Evershot
Hotel and Spa sits in four acres of beautiful gardens in Evershot.
The hotel was voted No.2 in top hotels section of the Conde Nast Traveller Reader’s Choice Awards in 2016.
The Spa at the luxurious 5 star hotel offers a wide range of treatments, including head massage, hot stone therapy, reflexology and reiki.
There is also an indoor swimming pool, hot tub, sauna, fitness centre, tennis courts, and croquet lawn.
Hidden Beaches
It would be a crime to visit Dorset and not head to one of the county’s beaches, which are some of the most beautiful in the UK. Here are some of the best…
Durdle Door
is part of the Lulworth Estate and the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site.
You can access the shingle beach on foot via a path and steps over the hill from Lulworth Cove.
West Bexington Beach
is a shingle beach that shelves steeply, with great views to both the east and west coastline from Lime Kiln hill.
Church Ope Cove
is a small secluded beach on the Isle of Portland, with pebbly shores and cliffs on three sides which shelter bathers from the prevailing wind.
The beach also provides diving access to the numerous wrecks in the surrounding waters.
Lyme Regis
are set against moody blue cliffs, on the edge of an ancient town featured in the Domesday Book.
The beaches still hold large numbers of fossils and thousands of tourists come looking for ancient souvenirs every year.
Things to do
Camp Bestival
is a British music festival known as the "little sister" of Bestival, organised by BBC Radio 1 DJ Rob Da Bank and his wife Josie.
The family-friendly festival promises comedy, music and workshops to keep you and the kids entertained.
Bestival
is a four-day music festival that has been held on the Isle of Wight since 2004, but has now relocated to Lulworth Estate in Dorset.
Past headliners include Stevie Wonder, Florence And The Machine and New Order.
Monkey World
is a 65-acre ape and monkey sanctuary and rescue centre near Wool.
The centre works with foreign governments to stop the illegal smuggling of wild primates and it even has its own TV show called Monkey Business which ran for ten series.
Swanage Railway
is a heritage railway that runs from Wareham to Swanage.
The steam locomotives travel through the beautiful Purbeck countryside, with views of the remains of William the Conqueror's Corfe Castle.
Tutankhamun Exhibition
, currently in Dorchester, features Tutankhamun's major treasures meticulously recreated.
The ante-chamber and burial chamber of Tutankhamun's tomb have also been recreated, together with all the tomb furniture and treasures, so visitors can enter the tomb just as Howard Carter did when he discovered it in 1922.
Dinosaur Museum
in Dorchester claims to be the only museum in mainland Britain dedicated purely to dinosaurs.
The museum combines life-sized reconstructions of dinosaurs with fossils and skeletons to create a hands-on experience, along with multimedia story-telling displays.
Pirate Graveyard
Dorset was a hotbed of smugglers for centuries and St Andrews churchyard on the Isle of Portland is said to have a .
Many of the tombs have skull and crossbones craved on them.
Tank Museum
tells the story of armoured warfare from World War One to the present day.
The Museum's six large halls hold vehicles that have seen action in all the major wars of the 20th Century, alongside with first-hand accounts from those who fought in them.
The collection of more than 300 vehicles is regarded as the best in the world and includes the world's first ever tank - Little Willie, the feared German Tiger tank and the modern Challenger 2.