Pitfield Popup

I love a store which is more of a destination rather than just a shop. Automatically, large department stores such as Selfridges and Ikea do this, but it's only in recent years that some smaller stores have cottoned on the fact that shoppers want more from their 'shopping experience'

Life: final New Forest instalment

On our final day, Caz and I decided that a scenic drive around Dorset was in order. Caz and I love a good road trip. She drives a much loved, battered old Vauxhall which has endured much abuse being thrown around the English countryside on her farm visits whilst training to be a vet.

We started by getting the ferry across from Poole to Swanage and continued on through the stunning, quintessentially English Dorset countryside.

The villages we passed through were full of thatched cottages and we passed the ruined, but beautiful Corfe Castle on the way to Kimmeridge.

We were appalled at having to pay £5 to park at the car park, but because Kimmeridge beach held promises of fossils, we couldn't resist paying up.

There was a minor disaster when I slipped on some sea weed and ended up ankle deep in some stinking  quagmire. I was seriously unhappy especially as it effectively ruined one of my brand new Converse. Martin tells me I can wash them in the washing machine but I'm not overly keen to do that. Caz, needless to say, found it absolutely hilarious.

After lunch we couldn't resist hunting for fossils. I first did this years ago at Lyme Regis when I was 9, but had forgotten all the tips I was taught. After cracking some rocks hopefully together, we eventually found a couple of ammonite imprints.

We then drove to Durdle Door and I spotted my dream house enroute.

However, since we were feeling lazy we didn't actual manage to make it all the way down the coast path to Durdle Door which is why my photos don't show it off to its fully glory in the slightest. Durdle Door is actually a rock formation which is an arch out at sea (it's the rocky outcrop in the middle of the photo below).

On the way back to Ringwood, we stopped off at the Rural Farm Shop co. and had a cream tea. There were so many lovely things to buy that it was hard to exercise any self control - I wanted to buy the whole shop! In the end, I bought Martin some locally produced cider.

There were lots of farm animals including free range hens, goats, shetland ponies, pigs and some sweet greyhound puppies for sale.

Do you have a local farm shop that you like to visit? They're few and far between in London so I love popping in to one as soon as I'm out in the country.

Have you ever visited Dorset?