The Rough Guide to Dorset, Hampshire & the Isle of Wight (Travel Guide eBook)

Description

From sweeping beaches to medieval forests, country pubs to seaside hotels, The Rough Guide to Dorset, Hampshire & the Isle of Wight is the ultimate guide to this stunning part of England. Our expert authors show you all the region's highlights and let you in on the secret spots locals love, with the fully updated listings shown on clear, full-colour maps. Alongside this you'll find gorgeous photography, fascinating historical background and vital practical information - everything from how to get around on public transport to when the best festivals are held. Discover the region's Jurassic geology, prehistoric sites, chocolate-box villages and literary landmarks, all in Rough Guides' trademark tell-it-like-it-is style.

Whether you're interested in historic manors or wildlife walks, coastal cycle rides or farm-fresh food, The Rough Guide to Dorset, Hampshire & the Isle of Wight will help you make the most of your time in this beautiful region.

Sujets

• Hampshire

Informations

• Publié par: Apa Publications
• Date de parution: 16 janvier 2017
• Nombre de lectures: 2
• EAN13: 9780241301623
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 23 Mo

Extrait

CONTENTS HOW TO USE INTRODUCTION Where to go When to go Author picks Things not to miss Itineraries BASICS Getting there Getting around Accommodation Food and drink Festivals Sports and outdoor activities Travel essentials THE GUIDE 1. Bournemouth and Poole 2. The Isle of Purbeck 3. Central Dorset 4. Western Dorset 5. East Dorset and the Avon Valley 6. The New Forest 7. Winchester and northern Hampshire 8. Southampton, Portsmouth and around 9. The Isle of Wight CONTEXTS History Wildlife Books MAPS AND SMALL PRINT Introduction Introduction Cover Table of Contents
HOW TO USE THIS ROUGH GUIDE EBOOK
This Rough Guide is one of a new generation of informative and easy-to-use travel-guide ebooks that guarantees you make the most of your trip. An essential tool for pre-trip planning, it also makes a great travel companion when you re on the road.
From the table of contents , you can click straight to the main sections of the ebook. Start with the Introduction , which gives you a flavour of Dorset, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, with details of what to see, what not to miss, itineraries and more - everything you need to get started. This is followed by Basics , with pre-departure tips and practical information, such as public transport details and costs. The guide chapters offer comprehensive and in-depth coverage of the whole of the region, including area highlights and full-colour maps featuring all the sights and listings. Finally, Contexts fills you in on history, literature and wildlife.
Detailed area maps feature in the guide chapters and are also listed in the dedicated map section , accessible from the table of contents. Depending on your hardware, you can double-tap on the maps to see larger-scale versions, or select different scales. There are also thumbnails below more detailed maps - in these cases, you can opt to zoom left/top or zoom right/bottom or view the full map. The screen-lock function on your device is recommended when viewing enlarged maps. Make sure you have the latest software updates, too.
Throughout the guide, we ve flagged up our favourite places - a perfectly sited hotel, an atmospheric caf , a special restaurant - with the author pick icon . You can select your own favourites and create a personalized itinerary by bookmarking the sights, venues and activities that are of interest, giving you the quickest possible access to everything you ll need for your time away.

INTRODUCTION TO DORSET, HAMPSHIRE AND THE ISLE OF WIGHT
Dorset, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight may be relatively small but they pack in a diverse array of riches, including fantastic coastline, stunning unspoilt countryside and some beautiful places to stay. Within a couple of hours’ drive of London, you can be cycling in two of England’s finest national parks, discovering the country’s only UNESCO Natural Heritage Site, exploring its original capital city and its largest island, or hiking along Britain’s longest footpath. And that’s before you’ve even sampled the excellent local restaurants or laid your towel on some of the country’s finest beaches.


The verdant, well-to-do county of Hampshire is commutable from the capital, and provides a comfortable lifestyle for many, much as it did when Jane Austen lived here. Its biggest draws are the New Forest and the sailing resorts of the Solent. It’s also home to two of England’s greatest ports: Southampton , today with a burgeoning nightlife and great shopping, and the traditional powerhouse of the navy, Portsmouth , with its iconic Spinnaker Tower and historic dockyards.
  Separated geographically from Hampshire some seven thousand years ago, the Isle of Wight – the smallest county in England, at least when the tide is in – lies only a few miles offshore, but has an altogether different atmosphere. Much of the island has retained a feel of the 1950s, with no motorways, little development, few large-scale buildings and a distinctly laidback lifestyle. It has long been popular for its small seaside resorts and bracing walks, not to mention its unusual geology, most evident in the rock stacks of the Needles , the countless fossils found on its coastline and the striped cliffs of Alum Bay . The island also hosts some of the country’s best festivals – including the famous Cowes sailing week, the Isle of Wight music festival, which pulls in the biggest names in rock and pop, and the more independent Bestival.
  The west of the island overlooks Dorset , that much further from the capital and correspondingly more rural and unspoilt. Most visitors flock to its coastline, which boasts some of the best beaches in the UK – from the extensive sands of Bournemouth to the extraordinary Chesil Beach off the Isle of Portland. It also embraces the Jurassic Coast , England’s only UNESCO Natural Heritage Site, whose varied coastline exposes an extraordinary geological mixture of rock stacks, arches and coves. Inland, you’ll find the historic towns of Sherborne and Shaftesbury as well as pretty, quintessentially English villages surrounded by rolling downs, heathlands and deep river valleys. This is superb terrain for nature lovers, cyclists and walkers, and is usually fairly uncrowded even when the coasts are heaving.
  The region’s strategic position between the capital and the coast has made it home to countless famous people throughout the ages, from the legendary King Arthur (whose supposed Round Table is displayed in Winchester) to Sir Walter Raleigh in Sherborne, and the Duke of Wellington, who lived in Hampshire’s Stratfield Saye. Some of England’s greatest literary figures are also associated with the area – you can visit the former residences of Charles Dickens in Portsmouth; Jane Austen, who spent much of her life in Hampshire; T.E. Lawrence, who lived in Dorset; and Thomas Hardy, who is forever associated with his beloved “Wessex”.

THE BEST PUBS
From beachside inns to thatched rural gastropubs, the region boasts plenty of alluring spots for a swift pint. Here are our favourites.
The Mayfly Near Stockbridge (Hampshire). Delicious food, fine beers and an idyllic garden next to the clear-flowing River Test.
The Red Shoot (New Forest). Tasty local produce, its own microbrewery and fine walks nearby.
Ship Inn (New Forest). A bustling gastropub overlooking Lymington harbour.
Spyglass Inn Ventnor (Isle of Wight). Great location right on the seafront, a lively atmosphere and huge portions of delicious food.
The Square and Compass Worth Matravers (Dorset). Simply the best pub in Dorset, straight out of a Hardy novel.
The Dancing Man Brewery Southampton (Hampshire). Enjoy fine home-brewed beers and good food at this atmospheric microbrewery in Southampton’s medieval Wool House.

Where to go
If you want a seaside holiday, there are plenty of options: the Isle of Wight has a variety of beaches – from pebble and shingle to fine sand – and wherever you go on the island, you’re never far from the sea. For all the facilities of a large resort, look no further than Bournemouth or Weymouth , both with fantastic, sandy town beaches. Smaller in scale, Swanage , West Bay and Lyme Regis exude plenty of traditional, bucket-and-spade appeal, while the beaches around Shell Bay are hard to beat, backed by miles of sand dunes and heathland. For a quieter swimming spot, try the wonderful pebble beach at Durdle Door , the bay at Chapman’s Pool (accessible only by boat or on foot) or the sand-and-shingle beaches of Highcliffe and Hengistbury Head , backed by sandstone cliffs. The coasts are also rich in wildlife, with a sea-horse reserve in Studland , puffins nesting on the cliffs at Durlston , Britain’s largest colony of mute swans at Abbotsbury , and the rare red squirrel thriving on the Isle of Wight and Brownsea Island .
   History fans will find much to explore, too: this area was historic Wessex, where England’s first kings – including, perhaps, King Arthur – made their home. Formerly England’s capital, Winchester offers a fascinating insight into the country’s past, while the region’s mighty castles include Corfe Castle , Sherborne and Carisbrooke on the Isle of Wight. There’s also Maiden Castle near Dorchester, a superb example of an Iron Age defensive settlement, while Cerne Abbas ’s chalk giant dates back at least to Roman times. Maritime history is richly evident in Southampton and Portsmouth , home to the Mary Rose and Nelson’s HMS Victory .
  Contemporary seafarers are spoilt for choice, too, with major sailing centres at Lymington , Cowes , Poole Harbour and Portland , site of the 2012 Olympic sailing events. Other watersports, such as windsurfing, kayaking and kitesurfing, are all on offer along the coast. For the less sporty, there are some fantastic museums and family attractions, including the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu, Bovington Tank Museum , and the fairground rides at Blackgang Chine on the Isle of Wight.
   For many people, however, it is the rural beauty and timeless quality of the countryside, in particular its two national parks – the New Forest and the South Downs – that make these regions so special. Hikers should look no further than the South West Coast Path , Britain’s longest footpath, which starts at Poole and follows the Dorset coast to Lyme Regis. And there are fantastic walks inland, including superb river rambles along the Itchen , upriver from Buckler’s Hard , north along the Test , and throughout the New Forest and the Isle of Wight, both crisscrossed with cycleways and footpaths.