Rosewall

Within a couple of minutes of Rosewall, hunt for fossils on the Osmington shoreline or get watery with the snorkelling, surfing and other sports available at Ringstead Bay; both options are available all around the Dorset coast too. Weymouth has a sheltered beach and 17th-century harbour to coast around as well as loads more watersports and old-fashioned seaside stuff like donkey rides. For slightly more sophisticated fare, get the tills ringing at the town's regular markets, the smart shops of New Bond Street, St Thomas Street and St Mary Street, and the smaller more specialist outlets of St George Street and St Alban Street. The literati will know that Dorset is Thomas Hardy as well as fossil and watersports land: Dorchester, Dorset’s county town, is 15 minutes inland from Weymouth and has Hardy’s old cottage, Max Gate. More modernly, Dorchester has several museums including the Dinosaur Museum; top shops, restaurants and pubs; and theatre, events and music run by Dorchester Arts. Bournemouth, with even more of the same, is about an hour’s drive from Weymouth.