"Hardy's Town" Dorchester by Sjalen

We picked Dorchester for our base when wanting to see the Jurassic Coast, since it was March and we didn't want to sit in a small village if the weather became unbearable, and since Dorchester has good public transport around the region. We expected it to be a fairly quiet and provincial town still, and that is just what it was but on top of that it had plenty of things to keep us busy on the days we stayed local. My husband liked Dorchester so much he said he could happily live here - friendly pubs, lots of history and some good shopping, including food, is all he needs and Dorchester has just that. Coupled with the fascinating jurassic environment it makes a great base for just about anyone apart from the real party animal. If you are a fan of Thomas Hardy (which I am not), Dorchester will be exciting to you since he lived both in- and outside town and Casterbridge in his books is modelled on Dorchester.

• Pros:Interesting museums, peaceful feeling
• Cons:Not really, if you don't mind that it is small-ish
• In a nutshell:Hardy, Ichtyosaurus, Jeffrey...