Winfrith Newburgh

This charming little village stands on a minor road that leads to one of the county’s best-known beauty spots, Lulworth Cove. An almost perfectly circular bay, the Cove is surrounded by towering 440-ft cliffs. Over the centuries, the sea has gnawed away at a weak point in the limestone here, inadvertently creating a breathtakingly beautiful scene. Best to visit out of season, however, as parking places nearby are limited. The Lulworth Cove Heritage Centre is located right on the beach. There are exhibitions about the geology, landscape and wildlife of the area, known as the Jurassic Coast and a new display, the Jurassic Jaws Exhibition, part of the Museum of Jurassic Marine Life’s collection based here. You can also reach the cove via the village of West Lulworth on the B3070. The Castle Inn here is one of Dorset’s oldest pubs, dating from the 16th century. The village gets very busy in summer, as the gateway to the beach and Lulworth Cove.

About a mile to the west of Lulworth Cove stands another remarkable natural feature which has been sculpted by the sea. Durdle Door is a magnificent archway carved from the coastal limestone. There’s no road to the coast at this point, but you can reach it easily by following the South West Coast Path from Lulworth Cove. Along the way, you will also see another strange outcrop, a forest of tree-stumps which have become fossilised over the centuries.

A couple of miles inland,the privately-owned Lulworth Estate, features Lulworth Castle, which looks enormously impressive from a distance: close-up, you can see how a disastrous fire in 1929 destroyed most of it. Amongst the remains, though, is a curious circular building dating from 1786: the first Roman Catholic church to be established in Britain since Henry VIII’s defiance of the Pope in 1534. Sir Thomas Weld was given permission to build this unique church by George III. The king cautiously added the proviso that Sir Thomas’ new place of worship should not offend Anglican sensibilities by looking like a church. It doesn’t, and that’s a great part of its appeal. There is a parking fee for access to the park, which also includes woodland walks, an adventure playground and picnic areas. Admission to the castle and chapel is by separate ticket. The park and castle are closed on Saturdays mainly for weddings but it may also close on other days for special events.