Things to do near Beaminster, A Complete Guide from Blackbird Cottage
Beaminster is one of those West Dorset towns that surprises you.
You arrive expecting a pretty market town, which it certainly is, only to discover that within a ten-minute drive in almost any direction, there is something genuinely wonderful to do. A world-class garden. A Michelin Guide restaurant set within a 140-acre estate. An award-winning English winery. An extraordinary small museum in a converted chapel. And one of the most uniquely joyful experiences in all of Dorset: walking through the countryside with your very own donkey.
From Blackbird Cottage in the heart of Beaminster, here is our guide to the best things to do near Beaminster.
In Beaminster
Whitcombe Road, Beaminster DT8 3NB
Distance from Blackbird Cottage: 5 minutes on foot
Admission: Free, donations welcome
Beaminster Museum is one of those places that surprises you completely and in the best possible way.
Set in a beautifully converted listed Congregational chapel, the museum reflects and interprets the rich social history of this rural West Dorset market town and the surrounding villages. The chapel’s 19th century chamber organ has been fully restored and is still played regularly.
The permanent collection begins with Jurassic fossils from the internationally renowned Horn Park Quarry and covers all aspects of life and work in Beaminster and its surrounding villages since geological times.
Three stone axes from 500,000 years ago lead into Iron Age and Bronze Age artefacts, Roman history and a special flax and sailcloth display from the growing of the crop to the weaving of linen to produce canvas, nets, smocks and sailcloth, a special local industry that once made this area of Dorset the main supplier for the British Navy.
Visitors consistently call it one of the finest small museums they have ever visited and the enthusiastic, knowledgeable volunteers make every visit feel genuinely personal.
Open Easter until the end of October: Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Bank Holidays 10.30am – 4pm, Sundays 2pm – 4.30pm.
Insider tip: Ask the volunteers about the local fossil collection from Horn Park Quarry it is extraordinary and they will tell you everything you need to know about it.
Just outside Beaminster
Stokewater Meadow, Beaminster DT8 3JL
Distance from Blackbird Cottage: 10 minutes on foot Half a mile south west of Beaminster
Booking: Essential donkeywalkingadventures.co.uk 07970 271402
This is, without question, one of the most joyful and completely unique experiences in the whole of West Dorset. And we say that as people who have seen a great deal of West Dorset.
At Donkey Walking Adventures, Chris and Simon share their four friendly hand-reared donkeys at their lovely Dorset valley site. The experience is totally hands-on with knowledgeable, friendly help throughout, making it a special and relaxed time that you will never forget.
The fun kicks off with a grooming session and a cup of tea, and you can feed the donkeys a gingernut or two, they love them. There’s a health and safety briefing, a quick training walk, and then off you go. The walks are usually 4-5 hours long, taking in some truly spectacular scenery, shorter walks of around 2 miles are also available in the afternoon or evening.
Arrive at Beaminster village centre where you can stop at a café or pub for lunch. We stopped at a lovely little café and while having lunch with our donkeys, Martin Clunes came and said hello a very Dorset moment.
Booking is essential as this is a small and wonderfully personal operation. Check availability well in advance, especially in summer.
Insider tip: Ask for the route that takes you into Beaminster for lunch at Cilla & Camilla, sitting in the market square with your donkey while the town goes about its business around you is an experience you won’t forget.
A short drive away
Mapperton House & Gardens
Mapperton, Beaminster DT8 3NR
Distance from Blackbird Cottage: 10 minutes
Admission: Adults £20 Children 7‚ Under 5s free (house and garden)
Opening: Daily March to October, 10am – 5pm
Dogs: Are permitted in the garden but not in the house or wildlands
Mapperton is one of the most beautiful gardens in England and at ten minutes from the cottage, it is practically on the doorstep.
The estate is home to the Earl and Countess of Sandwich and described by Country Life magazine as Britain’s finest manor house.
Award-winning gardens, Grade I listed and voted Historic Houses Garden of the Year in 2020, descend in dramatic Italianate terraces from the croquet lawn through a fountain courtyard and topiary gardens, before continuing into a wild garden with ornamental fishponds and ancient trees.
In spring the bluebells carpet the woodland. In June the roses are extraordinary. In autumn the colour is breathtaking. At almost any time between March and October, Mapperton in the morning, before the coaches arrive is one of the finest garden experiences in West Dorset.
The house itself is open for tours on specific dates throughout the season, check the Mapperton website for details.
Insider tip: Go on a weekday morning for the quietest visit. The wild garden at the bottom of the terraces is the part most visitors miss, follow the path all the way down.
Furleigh Estate Winery
Salway Ash, Bridport DT6 5JF
Distance from Blackbird Cottage: 20 minutes
Tours: Easter to end of October, Thursday to Saturday, 11am and 2.30pm £30 per person
Drop-in tastings: Tuesday to Saturday, 9.30am – 4.30pm No booking required for tastings
Booking: Essential for tours, furleighestate.co.uk
Dogs: Welcome in the vineyard on a lead (not in the winery)
Furleigh Estate is 85 acres of vineyard, lakes and grazing land surrounded by woodland, set in the stunning Dorset countryside near Bridport, just 5 miles from the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site.
This is English winemaking at its finest and a visit here is one of those West Dorset experiences that guests at Blackbird Cottage consistently return from having had a better time than they expected.
The Summer Grand Tour runs Thursday, Friday and Saturday from Easter until the end of October, consisting of a visit to the vineyard, the winery and a tutored tasting session of five wines. Tours start at either 11am or 2.30pm and last approximately 2 hours at a cost of £30 per person.
Guides are praised for being lovely, knowledgeable and sharing great stories about winemaking. The award-winning sparkling wines, particularly the Blanc de Blanc, are celebrated for their quality and taste.
For designated drivers, Furleigh offers a Driver’s Tour which includes the full vineyard and winery experience with tastings of local apple and pear juice instead of wine, so everyone in the group gets to enjoy the day equally.
If you don’t have time for a full tour, drop-in tastings run Tuesday to Saturday throughout the year, three wines for a very reasonable price, with the option to buy bottles to take back to the cottage.
Insider tip: Vineyard and winery tours run from Easter until the end of October. Drop-in tastings continue throughout the year. Book the tour well in advance in summer, it is very popular and fills up quickly. Buy a bottle of the Classic Cuvée sparkling wine to enjoy in the Blackbird Cottage garden on a summer evening.
A little further afield
Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens
Abbotsbury DT3 4LA (35 minutes)
30 acres of Grade I listed woodland valley garden in its own coastal microclimate. One of the finest plant collections in England — extraordinary at any time of year, and spectacular in spring and summer. Dogs welcome on short leads. Open daily 10am–5pm. Adults £15.
Abbotsbury Swannery
Abbotsbury (35 minutes)
The only managed colony of nesting mute swans in the world — a unique and genuinely extraordinary experience. Over 600 swans on the Fleet lagoon. Open daily May to September. Worth combining with a visit to the Subtropical Gardens for a full day out.
Athelhampton House & Gardens
Dorchester DT2 7LG (35 minutes)
A magnificent 15th century Tudor manor surrounded by Grade I listed formal gardens, twelve giant yew topiary pyramids, a rose garden, the River Piddle and 50 acres of parkland. Open daily. Adults £14.50. Dogs welcome on leads.
Bridport Market
South Street, Bridport (25 minutes)
Bridport’s famous market takes over three main streets with over 100 stalls every Wednesday and Saturday, food, antiques, crafts and an extraordinary range of local produce. One of the finest street markets in the Southwest.
Palmer's Brewery Tours
Bridport (25 minutes)
Palmer’s is the only brewery in Britain still thatched ‚Äî and the only remaining coastal brewery in England. Brewery tours run throughout the year and are one of the most interesting and characterful afternoons out in West Dorset. Book in advance.