Baker's Arms Holiday Cottages
South Perrott, Dorset
This is an owners own site, run by Richard and Mary Torrens.
Places to visit on your journey from the M25
If you are coming from London or the South East why not start your holiday on the trip down, take a bit longer and visit some nice places? The obvious route to South Perrott is via the A303. But there is an alternative route which only takes about 10 minutes longer, is prettier and if traffic on the A303 is as heavy as it often is, may even be quicker. For the alternative route continue on the M3 towards Southampton. Then follow the signs for Bournemouth, which take you on the M27 which goes as far as the New Forest and becomes the A31 through the New Forest past Ringwood and Wimborne Minster. Some place between Ringwood and Wimborne Minster your SatNav will probably take you south to the A35. Some of the places you can easily visit include:
The New Forest
The M27, signed to Bournemouth, becomes the A37 and continues through the middle of the New Forest. But there are only two places where you can exit from the A35:
- About 1 mile after the end of the M27
- Picket Post about 1 mile from the west edge of the New Forest.
However there is an exit (junction 1, A337) on the M27 just before it becomes the A35 and this is the best exit for most of the forest. It is signposted to signposted to The New Forest, Lyndhurst and Cadnam.
The B3079 heads north towards Fordingbridge and the A337 heads south to Lyndhurst.
Burley. This is probably the best village in the forest. To visit, take the Picket Post exit and head south. As well as being a very pretty village, it also has one of the best of the New Forest "Lawns" - Mill Lawn, to the east of the village.
Forest drive and pub. There is a lovely drive through the Forest from the exit on the M27 to the A35 at Ringwood. Having left the motorway turn north on the B3079 signposted to Brook, Bramshaw and Fordingbridge as well as Fritham, Bolderwood and Linowod.
On the B3079 continue through Brook. Fork left onto the B3078 - signposted Fordingbridge, Fritham, Bolderwood and Linowod. After about 1½miles of forest driving you come to a crossroads. Turn left, signposted Fritham, Bolderwood and Linowod. Continue past Janesmoor pond (a popular stopping point) then turn right. At the next T junction turn right. There is soon a sharp left hand bend in this road and about 1 mile further on there is a gravelled track on the right with a small sign on the left pointing to High Corner Inn which is well worth a visit - there are some lovely walks near the inn.
After refreshing yourself at the High Corner Inn, continue your journey west and there are various ways either into Ringwood or onto the A338 which joins the A31 at Ringwood.
Lyndhurst and the A35. From the M27 exit, if you head south on the A37, this takes you into Lyndurst, the largest village in the New Forest - more like a small town. Lyndhurst is the administrative centre of the New Forest and a popular tourist village.
After Lyndhurst you can take the A35 through the New Forest to Christchurch and Bournemouth.
Compton Acres
Compton acres is one of the finest privately owned gardens in the South of England, so well worth a visit. It is situated in Canford Cliffs, Poole. When passing from Bournemouth to Poole on the A35, there is a roundabout at County Gates (so called because once this was the border between Dorset and Hampshire). At this roundabout the B3369 heads south to Sandbanks and passes close to Compton Acres. Compton acres web site
Sandbanks
The B3369 from the County Gates roundabout at Westbourne takes you not only near Compton Acres but through to sandbanks. Here you can take the chain ferry across the mouth of Poole Harbour to Studland and The Isle of Purbeck
The Isle of Purbeck
Accessible from Wareham or via the chain ferry from Sandbanks, The Isle of Purbeck has many attractions.
Studland As soon as you cross from Sandbanks you are in Studland Heath: there is a lovely beach on the sea side - Shell Bay and further round the peninsula, Studland Bay. The area between sea and harbour is mostly damp heathland and a haven for wild life - most of the area is a nature reserve.
Swanage This is a a coastal town, very popular with tourists. Swanage web site
Corfe Castle The very pretty village and the famous castle on a hill are both called Corfe Castle. Well worth a visit! Corfe Castle village web site
Wareham
Wareham is a delightful small town on the edge of Poole Harbour set between the two main Dorset rivers - the river Frome to the south and the river Piddle, Puddle or Trent to the north. Wareham is easy to visit either after crossing the Poole chain ferry or from the A35.
After Wareham take the A352 to Dorchester.
Dorchester
Dorchester is Dorset's county town and is well worth a visit. If you opt for the route through the New Forest all roads (A31, A35 and A352) lead to the Dorchester bypass. However why bypass Dorchester when the route through Dorchester is significantly shorter and not a lot slower. From the A35 take the B3150 at the first roundabout after the end of the dual carriageway. This takes you up the hill which is Dorchester's main road. At the top of the hill is another roundabout: turn right onto the B3147 which joins the A37 signposted Yeovil, Sherborne and Crewkerne.
Harry's Wood
If you want to spend a while after Dorchester, after turning off the A37 onto the A356 you pass through the picturesque village of Frampton. At the south end of this village is a small road to the left signposted to Tibbs Hollow - a picnic site near the start of the Roman aqueduct that provided water to Roman Durnovaria. Tibb's Hollow web site. However you can park near the river bridge and walk beside the river Frome into Harry's wood - see my walk around Harry's Wood
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Document URI: https://westdorset.org/visitors/trip.html
Page first published 3rd of October, 2021
Last modified: Sun, 16 Mar 2025 10:16:14 GMT
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