The sea, by Steam Railway from the lovely old station at Corfe.
Putlake Adventure Farm - good for young ones.
Langton Matravers Museum for stone and signs of dinosaurs.
Monkey World - rescued monkeys, guinea-pigs, goats and more.
The Tank Museum at Bovington - not just for the military minded.
Boat trips to Brownsea Island or along the coast.
Abbotsbury Swannery and tropical gardens at Weymouth.
There's more information at
Purbeck Tourism's information and Dorset County Council Tourism Information.

Photo by Andrew P.M. Wright

Walking - masses of footpaths including the Coast Path and Purbeck Way.
Water sports in the sea from Swanage or Studland or on the river at Wareham.
Riding - lessons or hacking from local stables.
For those wet days take the ferry to Splashdown indoor pool complex in Poole.
Cycling - bring your own bikes or hire locally. Our suggestions.
Golf -three local courses at Studland, Hyde Heath and Wareham.

The coast from Old Harry Rocks to Lyme Regis has been designated a World Heritage Site because of its geological importance. Fossils from ammonites to dinosaurs are found within the 180 million years of evolutionary evidence along this astonishing coastline. Now known as the Jurassic Coast. It includes Kimmeridge Bay and Lulworth Cove.
You can see strip lynchets and evidence of iron age forts in Purbeck.
The ancient earthworks of Bradbury Rings and Maiden Castle are nearby.
Wareham's Saxon Walls - earthworks - are worth a visit.

The ruined Castle of Corfe itself (pre-1066), National Trust.
Thomas Hardy's cottage and garden in a lovely woodland setting. Also Hardy's locations.
Lawrence of Arabia's cottage.
Tolpuddle, cradle of the Trade Union movement.
Corfe's own tiny museum.
The abandoned village of Tyneham.
The excellent County Museum in Dorchester.

Shopping

Poole and Bournemouth provide extensive regional shopping facilities. Wareham and Swanage provide local shops. Corfe Castle has food shops, general store and a post office.

Woolbridge Manor and water meadows - where Tess and Angel stayed (Hardy)
Photo by Ken Ayres

The Fox, The Castle Inn, The Greyhound and the Bankes Armes in Corfe all do food.
The New Inn two miles away in Church Knowle has good food.
The Square and Compass in Worth Maltravers is well worth a visit; drink amd very limited food..
The Sailor's Return at East Chaldon (about 8 miles away) is well worth a visit - for good food, atmosphere and location.
The Countryman at East Knighton (about 7 miles away) also does good food.