Historic and breath-taking, Sherborne is a picturesque town and one of Dorset’s best kept secrets. Sitting right on the border of West Dorset and South Somerset, its deep in the countryside and often overlooked, but was once upon a time situated on the old London Road. With more than its fair share of ancient buildings such as the Abbey and not one but two castles on the outskirts of town, one of which was commissioned by Sir Walter Raleigh with grounds later designed by Capability Brown. It’s not all about the past here though – this bustling town has fabulous specialist shops and markets to explore and a host of excellent restaurants, tea rooms, pubs and bistros to try.

There’s a host of excellent places to eat, whether it’s a pub, tea room or restaurant. The Kings Arms serves excellent meals in beautiful surroundings, whilst Vida Comida has fab Spanish tapas. Make sure to check out Oliver’s Coffee House when something sweet is just what the doctor ordered. Whatever you choose, there are many, many options available when you need to fill hungry tummies. If you prefer to picnic or take goodies back to your retreat, there’s some tempting delis to try out as well as a regular farmer’s market where you can find lots of fresh local produce.

History buffs and beginners alike will love the incredibly gothic Sherborne Abbey, where Alfred the Great was supposedly schooled, which dominates the town. There’re also two castles- the ‘Old’ castle, built in the 12^th century, now an impressive ruin, and the ‘New’ castle, commissioned by Sir Walter Raleigh in the 16^th century with 42 acres of gardens landscaped by Capability Brown. The rest of the town is a plethora of historic buildings to gaze at, whilst you might like to explore the fabulous specialist shops and host of markets held on a weekly basis.