You’ve probably driven quite a distance to reach your holiday cottage here at Upton Grange. The last thing you want to do is spend unnecessary hours behind the wheel.
To help you plan an easy trip out, here’s our list of interesting places to visit within a 20-minute drive of our cottages.
Lodmoor Country Park - 10 minutes away
Attractions at Lodmoor include:
Weymouth Sea Life Centre – Home to over 1,000 marine creatures, it also includes the Caribbean Cove Galleon adventure playground. Visit the Sea Life website.
Weymouth Pirate Adventure Mini Golf – Seriously crazy golf with a skull and crossbones theme. It’s part of Weymouth Sea Life Centre, but you can buy entry to just the golf. Visit the mini golf website.
Sandworld – A hands-on celebration of Weymouth’s history of sand sculpture. It’s a gallery where you can have a go! Visit the Sandworld website.
Leisureranch – Go-karts and a giant slide. Usually open from Easter through to September.
Pitch & putt – The 9-hole course is open during the summer months.
The Front Skatepark – Wooden skatepark, open all year round. It has a range of ramps, from beginner to extreme. Visit the The Front Skatepark website.
Pirate ship play park and children’s green gym – outdoor fun for youngsters.
Lodmoor RSPB nature reserve – A great spot for winter wading birds, this is mostly freshwater reedbed. Entry is free and it offers three trails to help you find your way around.
Moreton - 12 minutes away
The village of Moreton might be tiny, but it has plenty to interest visitors.
Moreton Walled Garden – The five-acre Walled Garden has only been open for a few years and is proving to be a wonderful place to visit. It offers various events throughout the year, and includes a play park, garden shop and a cafe. Entry is free. Visit the Walled Garden website.
Grave of TE Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia) – The writer and soldier who fought with the Arabs in World War One, lived at nearby Clouds Hill. He died in a motorcycle accident in 1935. His grave attracts thousands of visitors a year.
St Nicholas Church with Sir Laurence Whistler windows – The church boasts beautiful, engraved windows. It’s open daily.
Monkey World - 15 minutes away
The primates are rescued and endangered animals that have found sanctuary and security in the Dorset countryside. Other species include orang-utans, gibbons and more than a dozen types of monkey.
In addition to the primates there are three adventure playgrounds, informal Q&A sessions throughout the day, and several cafes.
West Lulworth - 18 minutes
The village of West Lulworth is hugely popular with summer visitors, because of the spectacular local landscape. When you visit, please treat the area kindly to help preserve its beauty for future generations.
Durdle Door – The rock arch of Durdle Door has featured in countless films, television programmes and photographs.
The closest parking is the Durdle Door car park, which is about half a mile from the arch, or you can park and walk from Lulworth Cove which is just over a mile away. There are steps down to the beach at Durdle Door but no facilities there.
Lulworth Cove – The cove is famous for its symmetrical shape, created by waves breaking through a thick stone barrier and eroding softer stone behind. You can learn more from the Lulworth Cove Visitor Centre.
Stair Hole and the Lulworth Crumple – Enjoy some spectacular geology that’s visited by thousands of tourists and students every year.
These are just a few of the fantastic places you can enjoy in Dorset, within a few minutes’ drive of Upton Grange.