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| Dorset shares it's borders with Devon, Somerset, Wiltshire, Hampshire, and the sea. The jewel in Dorset's crown is its coast, most of it designated a Heritage Coast. Lulworth Cove, Durdle Door, Chesil Beach and Weymouth are well known, but a short walk from these places leads to equally spectacular. but much quieter areas. |
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| Inland are the chalk and limestone hills extending up to central Dorset. Here are the wide spaces, the open skies and extensive views. Two ridgeways extend across Dorset. The southernmost runs eastward from Abbotsbury to the coast at Ringstead and eastward again across the Isle of Purbeck to the chalk cliffs near Swanage. The northern ridgeway cuts across central Dorset and links the East Devon hills to the downs of Cranborne Chase. |
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| The vales of Dorset, to the west, have retained a pattern of small fields, mature hedgerows and small field. This is a more compact and secretive type of landscape with hidden villages and lanes, lush meadows and rivers banked with willows. |
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| In the east, around the towns of Christchurch, Bournemouth, Poole also the valley of the river Frome north of the Purbeck chalk downs, are remains of heathland - once part of a great area of heath stretching from the New Forest into the heart of Dorset. |
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| Dorset Facts: |
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| The county covers 2653 square kilometres |
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| 1,126 sq Kms of Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty covering 50% of the County |
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| A coastline, virtually all of which is defined as Heritage Coast |
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| 143 Sites of Scientific Interest |
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| 9 National Nature Reserves |
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| 861 Scheduled Ancient Monuments |
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| 224 Conservation Areas |
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| 53% of the county is designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty |
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| 50 % of the population of the county is in the Bournemouth/Poole conurbation |
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| 3,000 miles of rights of way consisting of nearly 7,000 paths, 95% of these are maintained by the County of Dorset, the remainder by the Unitary Authorities of Poole and Bournemouth |
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| There is moor, heath and down, but no mountains |
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| There are no motorways in the county |
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| SOME WEB SITES FOR DOSET |
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click here for Phils photos Horton in winter |
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click here for walk in Dorset |
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click here go to Dorset photo page |
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click here for dorset web links |
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click here back main page |
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