Dorchester

Roman walls still mark the edges of this ancient county town, where Thomas Hardy once worked as an architect's apprentice. Dorchester moves at its own unhurried pace, with independent shops lining South Street and the weekly market drawing farmers from across the Dorset countryside.

Hardy's birthplace lies just outside town, but it's the Cerne Abbas Giant that really gets visitors talking. This chalk figure carved into the hillside is a short drive north, and the Cerne Abbas Giant Viewpoint offers the best vantage point for photos. While you're in Cerne Abbas, the remains of Cerne Abbey tell a quieter story of medieval monastic life.

Minterne Gardens makes for a proper afternoon out, especially in spring when the rhododendrons are flowering. The woodland walks wind through valleys that feel worlds away from any main road. St Augustine's Well, tucked away near Cerne Abbas, has been drawing pilgrims for centuries - though these days it's more dog walkers than devout believers.

Dorchester sits bang in the middle of Hardy country, with rolling chalk downs stretching in every direction. Boys' Hill gives cracking views across the Frome Valley, while the various copses like Lawless Coppice and Twisting Alders Coppice offer peaceful woodland walks when you've had enough of town life.

The A35 runs right past Dorchester, making it dead easy to reach from London or the West Country. Staying at one of the nearby parks puts you within striking distance of both the Jurassic Coast and the heart of rural Dorset - you're only twenty minutes from Weymouth's beaches or the fossil-hunting cliffs at Lyme Regis.