Bridport

The rope-making heritage runs through this market town like thread through a needle. Bridport built its fortune on hemp and flax, crafting everything from ship's rigging to hangman's nooses - earning it the grim nickname 'Bridport dagger'. Today, the town centre keeps its working character while serving the Jurassic Coast's growing tourist trade.

West Bay lies just two miles south, where golden cliffs drop dramatically into the sea. The harbour featured heavily in Broadchurch, though locals will tell you it was busy long before the cameras arrived. Fishing boats still land their catch here, and the beach stretches east towards Burton Bradstock.

Inland, the landscape rolls into proper Dorset countryside. Mangerton Hill offers excellent walking, while the network of smaller peaks like Round Knoll and Waddon Hill provide shorter climbs with equally rewarding views. Christ Church anchors the town centre, and Mangerton Mill stands as a reminder of the area's industrial past.

Beaminster sits eight miles northeast, worth visiting for its museum and the medieval streets that inspired Thomas Hardy's 'Emminster'. The surrounding hills - Brown's Hill, Knight's Hill, and Boarsbarrow Hill among them - create a landscape that changes dramatically with the seasons.

Bridport sits on the A35, making it easily accessible from both Dorchester and Lyme Regis. Regular buses connect to West Bay, though having a car opens up the whole Jurassic Coast. Staying at one of the nearby parks puts you within striking distance of both coast and countryside - you can walk the South West Coast Path in the morning and explore Hardy country in the afternoon. The town has enough shops and pubs to keep you supplied, but it's the surrounding landscape that provides the real draw.