Charmed by village life; FRANK CORLESS heads to Dorset and finds you don't need to fly afar to have a great holiday.Byline: FRANK CORLESS WHILE overseas destinations are singing the credit crunch Credit Crunch An economic condition whereby investment capital is difficult to obtain. Banks and investors become weary of lending funds to corporations thereby driving up the price of debt products for borrowers. blues, many UK destinations are on a high. Places like Dorset are reaping the harvest and a week's self-catering spent there was enough to confirm that staying at home can be an absolute winner. Six out of the seven days were warm and wonderful, and some of England's scenic delights were at their picture-postcard best. A 400-yard ride on the delightfully-named Bramble Bush Bram´ble bush` 1. (Bot.) The bramble, or a collection of brambles growing together. He jumped into a bramble bush And scratched out both his eyes. - Mother Goose. Noun 1. Bay chain ferry was the key that unlocked our holiday treasure chest. The trip took us across the mouth of Poole harbour Poole Harbour is a harbour in Dorset, southern England, with the towns of Poole and Wareham on its shores. The harbour is a drowned valley formed at the end of the last ice age and is the estuary of several rivers, the largest being the Frome. to Purbeck, a peninsula bounded on three sides by water. The would-be island extends for 60 square miles and is packed with castles, old churches, hamlets set amid rolling hills Rolling hills are like a mountain chain, only a "hill chain" of hills that roll on and on continually. You will often find them in between plains and mountains, near major rivers, or randomly anywhere. The only places without rolling hills are deserts and flood plains. and beautiful beaches. You would be hard pressed to find a better place to stay than Studland, a quintessentially English village where we had rented a thatched cottage. Within an hour of unpacking, we had discovered the renowned coastal walk and explored beautiful Shell Bay, part of a National Trust nature reserve and reputedly re·put·ed adj. Generally supposed to be such. See Synonyms at supposed. re·put  ed·ly adv.Adv. 1. one of the best beaches in Britain. With its easy beach access and spectacular English Channel views, it became difficult to tear ourselves away from Studland, mainly because lazing around was the holiday's main object. But my three-year-old grandaughter Orli had other ideas. That's why the traditional seaside resort of Swanage, a few miles away, quickly came under her mum Daniella's radar. And nothing else that followed could have matched the pleasure of seeing Orli's face light up with joy as she caught her first glimpse of the town's seafront amusement park and playground. From then on, Swanage was where we spent most of our time and none of it was begrudged because few things match the pleasure of sharing childish fun. Among other attractions, the former fishing village boasts an award-winning beach, a steam railway and a 20p-per stroll pier. Taking a motor boat ride into the bay was a special thrill, even at pounds 16 for half an hour, and a fish and chip lunch at the Sea Salt restaurant was a tasty memory. We did manage to prise ourselves away to visit the historic village and ruins of Corfe Castle, as well as Wareham, where Tremadog-born Lawrence of Arabia spent the latter part of his life. A major port during the Middle Ages, it is now a great place to sit beside the river and feed the many ducks. Our only wet day was spent at Poole where a homely and happy welcome - as well as delicious cream teas - awaited us at the high street's 16th century Courtyard tea rooms. CAPTION(S): WORTH A VISIT - Corfe Castle PICTURESQUE LOCATION - Wareham in Dorset provides a relaxing destination for a short break |
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