Dorset AONB

One of the oldest AONBs in the UK, the Dorset AONB celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2019. It is the fifth largest AONB, making almost half of the county of Dorset a nationally important protected landscape.

As you travel from Lyme Regis on the AONB’s western edge to Poole Harbour in the east, you’ll encounter ever changing landscapes. The Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site forms the coastal edge of the AONB, with chalk downland, lowland heath and clay vales inland. With this wonderful range of landscapes comes an amazing mix of wildlife – the Dorset AONB supports over 80% of all British mammal species, 48% of bird species and 70% of butterfly species.

The unspoilt nature of the AONB not only supports wildlife, but has ensured many thousands of years of history can be read in the landscape. Corfe Castle, St Catherine’s Chapel and the hillforts and round barrows of the South Dorset Ridgeway are among the historical highlights that are easy to explore. Over the centuries, Dorset’s landscapes have inspired poets, authors, scientists and artists, many of whom have left a rich legacy of cultural associations, the best known of these is Thomas Hardy. The Dorset landscape continues to be a source of inspiration to the vibrant arts community here today. Indeed, the Dorset AONB is unusual in that it contains many thriving market and coastal towns within its boundary, including Bridport, Lyme Regis, Beaminster and Swanage – meaning that over 70,000 people have outstanding landscapes right on their doorsteps.