MINI GUIDE
Wild Wessex
COMPILED BY LORNA PARKES, WITH CONTRIBUTIONS FROM OLIVER BERRY AND BELINDA DIXON. PHOTOGRAPHS: ADAM BURTON/ROBERT HARDING, DANITA DELIMONT STOCK/AWL IMAGES, DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE/GETTY IMAGES, JUSTIN FOULKES/4CORNERS, MORLEY READ/GETTY IMAGESWessex essentials The know-how
FURTHER READING
Wessex features
in the Bath &
Southwest
England chapter
of Lonely Planet’s
England (US$24.99); the
chapter (US$4.95) can be
downloaded individually
from lonelyplanet.com.
Wild Wessex landscapes
are an integral prop in many
of Thomas Hardy’s classic
19th-century novels – try
Far from the Madding Crowd
(US$7; Vintage Classics).
Ian McEwan’s modern
novella On Chesil Beach
(US$11; Vintage Classics)
pits 1960s sexual
repression
against the
Jurassic Coast.ACTIVITIES
EXMOOR NATIONAL PARK
O Wildlife watching Exmoor
supports one of England’s largest
red deer populations. Barle Valley
Safaris runs three-hour trips
(exmoorwildlifesafaris.co.uk;
half-day US$43.50).
NEW FOREST
O Cycling Over 100 miles of
routes link the main villages; maps
and guides can be bought from
Lyndhurst tourist office or via its
website (thenewforest.co.uk;
10am–5pm).
O Canoeing & archery New
Forest Activities runs sessions in
canoeing, kayaking and archery
(newforestactivities.co.uk).
JURASSIC COAST
O Kayaking Jurassic Coast
Activities offers a paddle along
Dorset’s coast (jurassiccoast
activities.co.uk; £60 for 3 hrs).
O Fossil hunting The Charmouth
Heritage Coast Centre runs
guided fossil- hunting trips
(charmouth.org; US$9).Streamcombe Lane, near
Dulverton; from US$99).
With its witty designer décor
and Lyme Regis location, 18th-
century Hix Townhouse is hard to
resist. Each room echoes a leisure
theme; the pick is Sailing, with
mock portholes, a roof terrace and
sea views (hixrestaurants.co.uk;
1 Pound St; from US$149).
Pig on the Beach is a country
house with a reputation for rural
luxury. Rooms are elegant, the
restaurant focuses on own-grown
produce, and shepherds’ huts
double as spa treatment rooms
(thepighotel.com; Manor Road,
Studland; from US$168).WHERE TO STAY
Streamcombe Farm is an
enchanting 18th-century
farmhouse on the edge of Exmoor
National Park, where the only
sounds are sheep and deer outside
(streamcombefarm.co.uk;TRANSPORT
Entry to Wessex is easiest from
Exeter. Travellers will have to make
their way on Emirates via Dubai
then Manchester first (from
US$1,029; emirates.com).
Otherwise, take a direct flight on
British Airways before catching a
train to Southampton (from
US$58; thetrainline.com). There
are coach services to cities and
major towns (from US$13;
nationalexpress.com). Traveline
South West provides region-wide
bus and train information
(travelinesw.com), however,
renting a car will give you the
most flexibility. Most car-hire
firms have offices at the airports
and train stations (from US$43
per day; avis.co.uk).The extensive gardens of Pig on
the Beach overlook Studland BaySights Sleepingr