Prizes Available for taking part in Local Business Survey - Your thoughts please

 

Prizes include: Locally grown flowers from Common Farm Flowers in Charlton Musgrove (to the value of £55)
£50 Dining Voucher at The Ship at West Stour www.shipinn-dorset.com
Sausages and Bacon from the Ginger Piggery www.thegingerpiggery.co.uk
Selection of ales from Sixpenny Brewery www.sixpennybrewery.co.uk
Coffee & Cake at Divine Wines in Wincanton

The Heart of Wessex Local Action Group is working with local people and businesses to develop opportunities for improving the rural economy and quality of life for people living and working in the area through a targeted grants programme. The next round of funds (2015 – 2020) is focused on economic growth and jobs. 

LEADER is a community-led European funding programme that supports rural community development. The planning, decision making and implementation is done at a local level, carried out by a Local Action Group (LAG). The LAG is managed locally and made up of private, public and community sector volunteers with a wide range of experience and knowledge of local rural issues. 

We are currently engaging local communities and businesses to ascertain local issues and priorities. These will then be used to help write the bid (known as a Local Development Strategy) to Defra in September 2014 to bring investment into the local area. Grants are likely to be available from early 2015. 

We want to hear your ideas and we particularly welcome new innovations and collaborative projects. Give us a call if you have a business development or community project idea and think LEADER funding could help. We would particularly like to hear from people involved in: 

* Farming * Operating small businesses located in a rural area * Producing or selling locally produced food * Tourism attractions or providing holiday accommodation * Providing community services or facilities in a rural setting * Promoting low-carbon, energy efficiency or climate resilience * Restoring, preserving and enhancing eco systems dependent upon agriculture and forestry 

If you are a business, or are thinking of starting a business please take the time to complete this short survey, there are lots of prizes on offer.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/HeartOfWessexRuralBusinessSurvey 

How to Legally Operate and Drive a Minibus Seminar

Finally a cure for the minibus law headache. Understanding how to operate and drive a minibus is going to become a lot more easier.

The Minibus Website, a source of minibus information, is going to host a “How to legally operate and drive a minibus” seminar - aimed at simplifying the complicated laws associated with operating and driving a minibus. Steven Caulston who created the minibus website and the seminar explains, “Minibus laws and regulations can apply to individual organisations in different ways – and that's why there's so much confusion.

The seminar will explain why and offer a simple solution to help organisations follow the right set of regulations that apply.” The seminar will demonstrate how a simple 'colour coded' solution eliminates the confusion and guesswork by separating and identifying the exact set of regulations individu! al organisations need to follow in order to stay within the law.

Other topics covered within the seminar also include: Hire and reward and Not for profit, Permits and operator licensing, who can legally drive a minibus and how to keep up to date with any relevant future changes. A place on the seminar is FREE to anyone who operates or manages a minibus within; schools, voluntary organisations, hotels, care homes, child care and any other new or existing group or business.

The event will take place in Reading, Berkshire on the 30th July 2014. For more information or to book a place on this seminar visit www.minibuswebsite.com/htm/e/events.html

Cranborne Chase AONB Annual Forum - Your chance to be involved

Online Ticketing for Cranborne Chase Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Annual Forum 2014 powered by Eventbrite

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

 

It is with great pleasure that I invite you to attend the 2014 Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty’s Annual Forum.

 

Coffee/tea will be available from 10.00am and the day will finish promptly at 4.30pm.

 

In the morning your AONB team will give a brief report of Partnership achievements during 2013-2014 followed by a brief outline of work to be undertaken during 2014-2015, that helps achieve the aims of the new 2014–2019 Management Plan.

 

One of those aims is to achieve ‘Dark Night Sky status’ for the AONB over the next two to three years. Well-known Dorset astronomer Bob Mizon, UK Co-ordinator, British Astronomical Association Campaign for Dark Skies will be on hand to explain what this all means and how everyone within the AONB can help.

 

After lunch there will be two sessions for delegates to attend:
 

• We have the Mizar Travelling Planetarium with Bob Mizon M.B.E, F.R.A.S. who is one of the most experienced travelling planetarium operators in the UK http://www.mizar-astro.freeserve.co.uk/astro/
• There are various ongoing projects within the AONB to commemorative World War I. Discover what was involved in drawing these projects together, and see the exhibition of maps and photographs.
• http://www.wylyevalley1914.org.uk/               
• http://www.fovantbadges.com/                 
• http://www.sutton-down-badges.com/      

 

Spaces are limited so please book by Monday 23rd June or, alternatively, you can reply by email to shirleymerrick@cranbornechase.org.uk  As lunch is provided please email Shirley if you have any dietary requirements.         

 

If you cannot attend in person, please do consider sending a deputy. Once again, we look forward to meeting you at the New Remembrance Hall, Charlton on 1st July.

 

Yours sincerely,

Linda Nunn 

Director Cranborne Chase AONB

 

Join us for launch of Chalke Valley Business Initiative 27/02/14

Sell Tickets Online through Eventbrite

Discover Nadder Website Launched

www.discovernadder.org.uk

Discover Nadder, a new website promoting tourism and businesses in the Nadder Valley, is now live; ideal if you are running a tourism related business across the Cranborne Chase AONB.

The website was put together by Cranborne Chase Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, working in partnership with partners and local businesses, as part of a Sustainable Rural Tourism Pilot Project to help improve the visitor economy of the area. 



We hope the site will promote the Cranborne Chase AONB as an outstanding destination for people to visit benefiting businesses like pubs, shops and accommodation providers, and provide ready made experiences for visitors who are interested in the outdoors and wish to discover more about the history and wildlife of the area.

The Nadder Valley stretches from Wilton to Shaftesbury and includes part of Wiltshire and Dorset. It is a beautiful and largely undiscovered area with over 30 picturesque villages dotted along the River Nadder. Highlights include:

• Tisbury, the largest of the Nadder Valley villages; at its heart is a friendly and thriving High Street as well as a convenient railway station for day-trippers wishing to come from Salisbury.
• Postcard pretty historic villages like East Knoyle, birthplace of architect Sir Christopher Wren whose masterpiece was St. Paul’s Cathedral in London.
• The wild open expanses and tranquillity of the chalk downs.
• Great historic estates of Dinton Park, Fonthill and Wardour.
• Ancient churches, Iron Age Hill Forts and ancient burial grounds.
• Major attractions like Old Wardour Castle near Tisbury, one of the Nadder Valley’s best kept secrets.

The AONB and South West Wiltshire Area Board have recently committed funding to create a similar website for the Chalke Valley. If you would like to be involved in this process or have any comments/suggestions on ‘Discover Nadder’ then please contact Steve Harris, Community Area Manager for South West Wiltshire Area Board. There will be an evening on Thursday 27th February when you can drop in to learn more about this exciting venture at the Crown Alvesdiston from 4 - 7pm. 

Fovant Badges Society – World War One Centenary Project



Fovant Badges Wiltshire

 

The Fovant Badges Society is the charity responsible for the maintenance of the badges cut into the hillside overlooking Fovant. The first badge was constructed in 1916 by soldiers stationed at Fovant in World War One. They are Scheduled Monuments and War Memorials. Five of the surviving badges date from World War One, two from just after World War Two and the last was constructed in 1970. Annual maintenance costs for the Society amount to around £30,000.

The World War One Centenary

The Centenary has created huge public and media interest in World War One. The Trustees of The Society cannot afford to miss this absolutely unique opportunity to raise awareness of the badges.

The objectives of the Fovant Badges Society can be summarised as:

• To ensure that the Fovant Badges can be enjoyed by future generations and
• To educate members of the public about the Fovant Badges

The Society’s plans for the World War One are a two stage Education Project that is designed to safeguard the future of the badges by generating new interest in them amongst a wider, and younger, audience.

 Education Project – Part 1

We are pleased to announce that the Society has received a grant of £8,400 from the Heritage Lottery Fund’s First World War: then and now programme for the first part of our education programme. The grant will help the Society to widen the appeal of the badges by re-imagining them as a window onto Britain’s history in the C20th. The project will deliver:

1. Interactive material (an education pack) describing the history of Fovant First World War Army Camp[1] and its impact on the Wiltshire village of Fovant and the subsequent history of the badges. The intention is that it will be made available to schools to better inform the Centenary Programme. This part of the project will be completed by September 2014.
2. Working with the University of Southampton, a one day symposium on the subject of War, Landscape and Memory in the Twentieth Century will take place on 7 May 2014 at the Salisbury and South Wiltshire Museum. The target audience is the general public, academics and 6th form students.
3. In order for the Education Project to have a lasting impact the Society’s website will be updated and expanded so that the results of the project can be made available to all. Completion will be before December 2014. The public will be encouraged to add family recollections of WW1 to the website.
4. In the autumn/winter of 2014/15, a series of public feedback sessions about the project discoveries will be arranged for local communities.

Education Project - Part 2

The second part of the Education Project builds on the schools project outlined above. Its purpose is to involve local schools and communities in a direct way with the badges. In outline this will involve:

1. The appointment of an Education Officer from 2015 through to 2018. This will be a part time post, probably for 8 days per month.


1. The Education Officer will be available to schools and local groups to provide greater insight into the material included in the education pack and will encourage groups to visit Fovant and the badges.
2. The Education Officer and Trustees of the Society will provide liaison and guidance for those school students and other groups that wish to visit Fovant and the badges.
2. Perhaps the most powerful element of the Education Project is the construction of a new badge in 2016. Whilst this will be project managed by The Fovant Badges Society and its contractor, local schools and the community of Fovant will be encouraged to volunteer and assist in its construction, within H&S guidelines, during which:


1. We will test some of the theories and myths surrounding the construction of the badges in 1916-18 e.g. how was the design transcribed on to the hillside? Could signal flags and other WW1 communications be used to make design adjustments? And crucially could you slide down the hillside on a spade and/or a shovel?
2. During construction we propose filming the process so that we will have a permanent record of the processes involved.
3. The construction of the new badge provides a very real opportunity for re-enacting and recording some of the tales surrounding the badges and the rivalries between the various regiments stationed in the area that were expressed by building ever larger badges. Why, for example, were some of them re-built only months after completion?
4. Most importantly, the involvement of many schools and members of the local community in the construction of the Centenary Badge will have countless benefits to the participants and the Society by re-invigorating interest in the badges

In conclusion, building a new badge will also enable all of us to salute those soldiers back in 1916 that built the first badges in a way that would make perfect sense to them.

The Centenary Badge will firstly be dedicated to all of the World War One badges and their creators. A new engraved stainless steel depiction of the downs and all of the badges will placed in the A30 lay-by for the enlightenment of our visitors.

Secondly, the Centenary Badge will be dedicated to the sacrifices made by all British and Commonwealth Service Men and Women since 1945 and to those currently serving. For this reason, the design of the badge will be based on The Royal British Legion Poppy.

An application to the Heritage Lottery Fund for this part of the project is in progress.

Richard Bullard - PR and Newsletter Editor, Fovant Badges Society

---

[1] The Fovant Badges Society would like to thank members of The Fovant History Interest Group for their continued help in this project.

Walk Unlimited Brings A Fresh New Look To National Trails

 

National Trails website puts you one click away from the best trails in England and Wales

The official launch of the new National Trails website has taken place (www.nationaltrail.co.uk) which is packed with practical information and new maps for the 15 National Trails in England and Wales offering over 2,500 miles of some of the best walking, riding and cycling experiences for people who love outdoor adventures. National Trails pass through many stunning and diverse landscapes, and there is something to suit everyone: from short walks to a life-changing 630 mile long-distance coastal trek.

The new web site is the result of an innovative partnership between Natural England, Natural Resources Wales, and site developer and owner, Walk Unlimited.  The site uses high quality mapping thanks to support from the Ordnance Survey, showing the Trails in great detail as well as nearby attractions and facilities to visit – such as castles, churches, parks and museums. 

Recommended itineraries for walking and cycling are easily downloadable, and there are ideas for tailored outings such as geocaching trails too.  Families, outdoor enthusiasts and walkers – solo or in groups – can use the website with ease to plan the best exploration of our National Trails.

For the first time, new interactive features mean that local businesses can upload details of the services they provide to people visiting the area. This includes how to get there and where to stay, what to see and where to eat, and where to find facilities such as bike hire shops, horse-riding stables and outdoor equipment shops.

Trail users and local residents can upload content including photographs, word-of-mouth recommendations and reviews, plus details of visitor events. Together they give an insider’s view on National Trails, from where to eat fabulous ice cream, to where to see spectacular views, find hidden treasures and spot wonderful wildlife. They can even use the site to report any relevant ‘breaking news’ issues – making the website a topical, as well as useful, resource for planning your Trail visit.

Environment Minister, Dan Rogerson, said: “National Trails pass through some of the most stunning landscapes in Britain and are a welcome attraction for visitors. This new website will make it easier for people to make the most of the countryside and can help build stronger local economies and businesses.”

John Griffiths, Minister for Culture and Sport at the Welsh Government said: “This development should enable businesses to further benefit from our well established National Trails, as well as improve the experience of visitors. The Wales Coast Path has provided a significant economic boost for Wales and local businesses since it opened, and capitalises on the Welsh countryside and coast being a fantastic draw for visitors to Wales. It’s important that we continue to invest in the trail facilities and information so that they are up to the job of giving people a quality experience.”

Anne Clark, Walk Unlimited’s Managing Director, said: "We're really excited to have the responsibility for promoting National Trails. They are the best trails in the country and we want to make sure everyone has the opportunity to enjoy them. The new website is just the start of our work to raise awareness of these fabulous trails, and the amazing landscapes they pass through." 

Liz Newton, Natural England’s Access and Engagement Director, said: “Our countryside is inspirational – this web site will help more people to discover it. Walk Unlimited have been a great partner to work with and are running the site as a self-funding commercial enterprise meaning that National Trails can be effectively marketed without having to draw on the public purse.”

Emyr Roberts, Chief Executive of Natural Resources Wales, said: “Walking is hugely popular in Wales with both local people and visitors who enjoy our beautiful and varied countryside – bringing with them a welcome boost to our economy.

“As well as the financial benefits walking also brings with it many health benefits, we already know that *34% of visitors to National Trails are motivated by the health benefits they will get from the exercise. The website will be a really useful tool for everyone looking to get out and enjoy our magnificent countryside.”

The URL for the new website is: www.nationaltrail.co.uk
Follow @NationalTrails and visit Facebook (thenationaltrails)

HELP US ENSURE FUTURE FUNDING FOR AONB PROJECTS

The AONB and the Community Partnership Executive of North Dorset (CPEND) jointly prepared the ‘Sowing SEEDS’ bid to Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) in 2008. It was developed to support innovative activities and projects by rural communities, businesses (including farmers, growers and foresters) and community organisations within the area.

This funding was the first of its kind to cover the entire AONB area and offered new prospects to local communities of all ages, with innovative project ideas.

Between 2009 and 2013, the Local Action Group (LAG), made up of representatives from the local community, decided which community based initiatives or projects received funding from ‘Sowing SEEDS’. The contribution that the Sowing SEEDS LAG has made to the rural community has been significant. In total it has supported 35 initiatives and awarded grants worth over £1.28 million to grassroots focused, small-scale, innovative projects , generating an impressive range of benefits for the area.

Case Studies

A number of individual case studies which reflect the diversity and range of the projects the LAG has supported throughout this programme period will shortly be available on the Sowing SEEDS website, please visit: http://www.sowing-seeds.org.uk/projects.html

Successful Projects

The following projects received funding through Sowing SEEDS.  Those highlighted in bold are within the AONB. These come to a total of just under £500,000 but each project will have levered in significant amounts of additional match funding. Many of the other projects directly and indirectly benefit the AONB communities and environment.

Hindon Village Shop	£19,231.00
Blackmore Vale Butchery	£8,750.00
Shaftesbury Film Unit	£8,000.00
Dorset Farmers Market	£5,938.00
Blandford Allotments - Machinery Ring	£9,996.00
Feasibility Study, Training Unit	£10,000.00
CPEND Broadband	£9,500.00
Motcombe Community Shop	£29,556.00
Future Roots	£128,600.00
Food Mill Feasibility Study	£9,350.00
Kingston Lacy Growing Spaces	£30,914.00
Let's go H20	£9,200.00
Gillingham Town Design Statement	£4,800.00
Mere Chambers	£8,546.00
Wimborne BID	£10,000.00
Countryside Centre Phase 1	£6,378.50
Henry's Buttons	£10,000.00
Economic Spine	£9,950.00
Tisbury Chambers	£8,546.00
Leisure Credits	£113,525.68
Rural DORMEN	£22,500.00
Lordsmead Mill Micro Hydro	£34,347.55
Peggs Farm Micro Hydro	£21,807.00
Benjafield Farm Micro Hydro	£31,213.00
Employability Skills Base	£146,827.00
Semley Shop	£49,548.50
Driving Rural Business	£62,221.00
Sustainable Tourism	£58,285.00
Trailway Wood Fuels retort system	£11,654.40
CHAT Hub	£198,369.00
Chalke Valley Community Hub	£91,734.00
Bangers & Bacon	£10,000.00
Stourhead Kindling	£9,960.00
Blandford Car Club	£9,266.00
Kingston Lacy Glasshouses	£38,345.00

The next Rural Development Programme

The next Rural Development Programme is anticipated to start during 2015 and will run until 2020. The Sowing SEEDS Local Action Group has been awarded funding to cover the period of transition between the current and future Rural Development Programmes during 2014. The funding will allow the Sowing SEEDS programme staff to begin a thorough participatory consultation period with communities across the whole LAG area. The LAG will be seeking views from local communities and businesses to inform the content of the new strategy. Activity to gather these views will include:

• A series of public consultation meetings
• Recruitment of new LAG members and formation of a new LAG Executive Committee
• Gathering background information about the Sowing SEEDS LAG area
• Seeking views from previously funded LEADER projects

The information gathered from these meetings will inform the preparation of a new Local Development Strategy (LDS). This strategy will set development priorities for the next funding period.

How you can help ensure that local action continues in this area:

1.    Complete a very short on-line survey - The future success of Local Action relies entirely on the local community. Your input is needed to help shape the future of Local Action in this area, so even if you feel you have had little or nothing to do with this programme your response is very much appreciated.

All completed surveys will be anonymous and a summary of the results will be used to help prepare the final programme evaluation. Please follow the link below:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/M8ZP98Y  

2. Project ideas – Although currently there isn’t any funding available for the remainder of this programme period, we would still like to hear from you if you have a project idea that you would like to discuss. We are keeping a list of prospective projects so we can contact you when we know when future funding becomes available. Please contact the Sowing SEEDS office if you would like to be added to this list and receive further news of funding opportunities.

3. Take part in one of the of Consultation Workshops - The current LAG have organised six meetings that will take place across the LAG area throughout February and March 2014. The workshops will be an opportunity to share your views, opinions and ideas about the future of LAG activity in the area. As always light refreshments will be served on arrival.

Schedule of meetings: ·         Wednesday 19th February 2014.  6pm - Sturminster Newton ·         Wednesday 26th February 2014.  6pm - Broad Chalke ·         Wednesday 5th    March 2014.     6pm - Bourton ·         Wednesday 12th March 2014.      6pm - Sixpenny Handley ·         Wednesday 19th March 2014.      6pm - Maiden Bradley ·         Wednesday 26th March 2014.      6pm – Semley

4. For up-to-date information about the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) visit: http://rdpenetwork.defra.gov.uk/

Please contact Sarah Dyke-Bracher – Programme Manager on 07826 907361 for further details

Woodfair overview from Anton Coaker

 Anton Coaker our Sawmill operator from last weeks Cranborne Chase Woodfair has sent us a copy of his article which he has written for his local paper, we thought we should share. Thanks Anton it was a great event. 

Not having been off to such an event for a few years, sawyer Barrie and I packed up the 3 ringed sawmill circus and headed off to a Woodfair at the weekend. The premise was that we were to give a demonstration of mobile milling. The reality? Barrie cuts a few logs while I give it my best barrow boy patter, and sweet talk passing punters out their folding stuff for interesting fresh sawn boards.

 This time, the event was up on Cranborne Chase, in Hampshire. We’d attended a previous bash, at a site called the ‘Larmer Tree’ –and no, I don’t know what that means- but this year it had moved to the grounds of a big house down the road.  This was Breamore House, a 17^th century brick built pile – on an ‘E’ shaped footprint, in honour of good Queen Bess. The owners had kindly –rashly even- allowed us grubby wood urchins to pitch up in the parkland right next to the house, and a finer spot would be hard to imagine.  Surrounded by woodland, and meadows running down to the river Avon meandering its way down from Salisbury, it was idyllic.

 For those with an interest in such things, the reddish soil was fine and squidgy underfoot, with miles of chalk up over the downs behind. Rainfall isn’t high, and up on the chalk, water is ever a problem for stock. Dewponds and 200’ deep wells were the norm. Now most of the chalk is ploughed, that’s less of an issue, although generally I’d say a lot of it could do with a bit more stock again, to get some muck back on the ground. Curiously, some wells up over the hill is known to be on the line of a Roman road now gone, suggesting the legions dug wells as they went. Or at least had slaves do so.   

 We travelled up at stupid O’clock on Saturday morning, although Barrie had towed the mill up the night before. As the misty dawn lifted, we set up beside another mobile milling team. They were a personable bunch of local lads, with a more venerable outfit- a huge circular rackbench, driven by a steam engine. The gurgling and huffing noises of the steamer were a nice counterpoint to the wicked growling of the inserted tooth 60” diameter circular. By contracts, we boringly make sawdust to the sound of a diesel engine.

 The punters were thick on the ground and, I have to say, almost universally of an engaging and curious nature. It was a pleasure to stand at the safety tape, and explain what we were doing to the throngs. And if they fancied they could ‘make a nice house sign/coffee table out of that £5 offcut of red cedar’, then we were all going home happy weren’t we?

 The Saturday night, our team made for the mobile pizza oven, whose owners had obligingly agreed to keep the fire lit to feed hungry exhibitors. As we waited for nosh, a flask of spiritual refreshment appeared, then a couple of gallons of cider, and I didn’t seem to be able to get up again. As darkness fell and the stars came out very satisfactorily, someone kindly set up a brazier at my tootsies. A chorus of owls serenaded us as we passed some very convivial time.

 Crikey, but it’s a hard life.

 Sunday morning found some of us –OK, me- a little slow to stir, but the punters didn’t rock up until 10, so we could emerge at our leisure. I’d kipped under a hide rug in the truck cab, and comparisons with Barrie indicate we’re both beginning to creak and groan after nights bivouacked out of doors. Still, we soon managed to don our beaming welcoming faces, and had a second day as good as the first.

  There was a bit of an equine feeling going on, with that nice old fellow pulling a few logs about behind a very personable grey dobbin, a pair of smart upstanding Suffolk Punches tugging cartloads of paying punters round in step, and the delightful Natasha leading her pair of very fine neddies through the park for their breakfast – Natasha lives in the big house you see. Lovely gel I thought.

  We finally wearily packed up for home, Barrie heading for a mobile job into the new week, me back to the building site. There was a certain amount of difficulty when it transpired that I needed the wifes car Monday evening to run an errand, with ‘B’ still out in my landrover. Silly stories persist about the ‘joint chair’ of the parish council then turning up to chair a meeting driving her husbands loader tractor, but I know you’d never believe such nonsense, so we’ll say no more about it.

Tisbury named in Sunday Times "Best Places to Live" Guide

One of the AONBs picturesque villages has been named one of the best places to live in the UK to live in The Sunday Times ‘Best Places to Live’ Guide.  The guide has taken into account transport links, schools, natural beauty, low crime rate, property price, cultural life and unemployment figures.  In addition, each area has also been assessed on its own individual assets, whether it has a local festivals/events associated with it or fascinating architecture.  

Tisbury is the largest settlement in the AONB.  Steeped in history, its home to one of the largest tithe barns in the UK, still in existence.  The 12th Century parish church of St John the Baptist boasts a 4,000yr old yew tree, one of the oldest in Britain.  Most of the older houses are built from locally quarried Chilmark stone and many have thatched roofs.  With a railway station it offers easy links for those travelling to/from Salisbury, London and Exeter, and a traditional High Street of small independent shops and businesses located just a few minutes walk from the station.  It’s the perfect base to explore the area and AONB with an exciting variety of things to see/do. 

There are many local attractions like the spectacular Old Wardour Castle, a fine example of a 14th Century castle a few miles away, wide variety of excellent local places to stay and eat, walking, cycling and other outdoors pursuits.  It’s a friendly place and most people who move to the area or visit rarely want to leave so why not plan a visit soon?

Dorset Holiday Guide

As the sun comes out again consider this Guardian Dorset holiday guide which is also interactive. Everything you need to plan your holiday in Dorset, with expert reviews on where to stay, the best places to eat seafood, coastal and country walks, family days out and Cool Camping's favourite sites. If you're on a mobile device, the guide will open in a new window, customised to fit your screen.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/interactive/2012/sep/04/dorset-uk

Photo essay of the village of Ashmore

A lovely photo essay from Ken Ayres as he travels up, both in geography and altitude, to the far north-east of the county to capture Dorset's highest village of Ashmore. 

The AONB helped fund the dregging of the pond in recent years and as such as beautiful spot you can learn more about it here courtesy of Dorset Life Magazine.

http://www.dorsetlife.co.uk/2012/07/ashmore-a-photo-essay/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=ashmore-a-photo-essay