Blake Hill Viewpoint

Blake Hill Viewpoint sits just outside Poole and delivers proper Dorset views across heathland that honestly shouldn't be this good from such an accessible spot. You get sweeping vistas over the lowlands - on a clear day you can see right across the Purbeck peninsula. It's the kind of place where you can spend twenty minutes or three hours depending on how much you want to sit about and absorb it.

This works brilliantly for walkers mapping routes through the Dorset heathlands, and families with younger kids appreciate that you can drive close and grab the views without a major expedition. It's free and accessible year-round, though autumn and winter mornings when the light hits it sideways beat the hazy summer afternoons most tourists rock up to.

If you're staying at Haven Rockley Park or South Lytchett Manor - both within five miles - Blake Hill makes a solid half-hour detour between pitch and wherever else you're heading. Bring binoculars if you've got them. The light can be grim on grey days, and it's not dramatic enough to justify a special trip from further afield, but if you're already in Poole for a week's holiday it absolutely warrants an afternoon stop. Park up, walk the perimeter, grab your shots, move on.