16 DORSET Spacious Downs and Spectacular Heritage Coast
•
Timetable information, a county bus and rail map and two detailed Heritage Coast maps are available from the council (details below) and Tourist Information Centres. Information is also available on the internet at www.dorsetforyou.com/bustimes
TRAVEL INFORMATION
Weymouth Seafront
Photo: Dorset County Council
ome of the best views of the Dorset coast can be seen between Weymouth and Lyme Regis from the upper deck of First service X53 which operates all year round including Sundays. The service runs from Exeter to Poole and travels through Bridport, Weymouth and Wareham on its route through Dorset. Other buses serve intermediate points along the coast from inland destinations. Why not explore the beaches, search for fossils or just walk along the cliffs admiring the rock formations on this unique stretch of coast? Although the coast is an important feature of the county, there are numerous attractions inland. Dorset has small picturesque villages hidden down narrow lanes as well as larger market towns. Dorchester, Wimborne, Blandford and Shaftesbury are all well worth visiting, each having its own distinctive style and attractions. Take a bus to a smaller village, explore for an hour or two, perhaps have a pub lunch and then catch the bus back on its return journey. Views from the buses take in the landscapes immortalised by Thomas Hardy in his novels, from the heathlands of East Dorset and Purbeck to the sweeping hills in West Dorset. Several long distance walking routes cross the county and there is a network of well marked footpaths and bridleways giving opportunities for walkers to catch a bus to their starting point and then walk back to their original location. Dorset County Council has developed a series of services that run in some of the rural areas in the county. They operate as door to dorset services and some journeys need to be booked in advance. For more information telephone 0845 602 4547. door to dorset
S
10
Dorset Passenger Transport, Dorset County Council, County Hall, Dorchester, DT1 1XJ. j 01305 225165 or email: dorsetpassengertransport@dorsetcc.gov.uk (for printed timetables and maps) Traveline j 0871 200 22 33 or www.travelinesw.com (for journey planning).
TOURIST INFORMATION & ACCOMMODATION Initial enquiries to Dorset Tourism, Dorset County Council, address as above. j 01305 221001 Fax: 01305 225190 email: tourism@dorsetcc.gov.uk website: www.dorsetforyou.com/tourism
SUGGESTED TRIPS Weymouth - Bridport - Lyme Regis - Dorchester Weymouth (Mon-Sat; allow 1 day). Wimborne - Blandford - Shaftesbury and return (Mon-Sat; allow 1 day). Bridport - Yeovil - Dorchester - Bridport (Mon-Sat; allow 1 day).
Photo: Dorset County Council