A Portrait of a County
A photographic tour around Dorset, from Lyme Regis to Christchurch
Beautiful Dorset: published by Aquaterra Publishing
Beautiful Dorset is a strongly photographically led book, a series of photo essays that take the reader on a tour around the stunningly beautiful English county of Dorset.
Covering towns, coast and countryside, this is an exploration of everything that is beautiful about Dorset. It is a must-have memento for anyone who loves this part of southwest England.
An outline of Beautiful Dorset
Consisting of 80 pages and about 190 evocative photographs, Beautiful Dorset takes the reader on a journey through the county, its six chapters dividing the region up in the following way.
Chapter 1: All About Dorset. Beautiful Dorset’s only text-led chapter, here the reader is given an introduction to the county of Dorset. Different sections home in on such features as the county’s landscapes, from its rolling inland hills to its stunning coastline; the county’s wildlife and nature conservation, covering some of its protected areas and most interesting (or unusual) plants and animals; Dorset’s division into countryside and towns, covering such places as Bournemouth, Dorchester and Poole; the huge role of tourism across Dorset, ranging from its magnificent beaches to its rural stately homes, to its prehistoric hill fort remains.
Chapter 2: Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole. The first of Beautiful Dorset‘s five photo essays, this chapter takes a photographic tour around Dorset’s biggest urban area and most important centres of tourism. Places covered include the beaches of Bournemouth and Poole, along with the harbours at Christchurch and Poole, and the National Trust-owned Brownsea Island.
Chapter 3: East Dorset. This photo essay focusses on the inland areas of eastern Dorset, most especially the market towns of Blandford Forum and Shaftesbury, along with much of the countryside that surrounds them.
Chapter 4: Jurassic Coast East and the Isle of Purbeck. This is a photographic story about the stunning coastline in the eastern half of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site, along with the adjoining inland area known as the Isle of Purbeck. Places include Durdle Door, Lulworth Cove, Corfe Castle and the historic town of Wareham.
Chapter 5: Jurassic Coast West. This is a photographic journey along the coastline that lies in the western part of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site, ranging from the Isle of Portland in the east to Lyme Regis in the west. Included are the beautiful gardens and swannery at Abbotsbury, as well as the beaches and harbours at both Weymouth and Lyme Regis.
Chapter 6: West Dorset. The fifth and final photo essay covers the inland areas of western Dorset, ranging from the county town Dorchester to the gardens at Mapperton House, Minterne and Sherborne Castle.
Resources: A list of web addresses packed full of useful information about Dorset.
Sample pages from Beautiful Dorset
Click on the image below to launch a page-flip view of sample pages.
Aquaterra Publishing
As with Nigel’s other books in the Portrait of a County series, Beautiful Dorset is produced by his own publishing company, Aquaterra Publishing.
Beautiful Dorset is the fourth in the Portrait of a County series, joining the already-published Beautiful Devon, Beautiful Cornwall and Beautiful Somerset, all of which can also be seen on this website. Just click on the navigation bar at the top of this page.
These four books also sit alongside Wild Southwest, a more detailed look at the wildlife and natural landscapes of southwest England, which can also be seen on and bought from this website.
Some Beautiful Dorset details
Contents
| Chapter 1 | All About Dorset |
| Chapter 2 | Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole |
| Chapter 3 | East Dorset |
| Chapter 4 | Jurassic Coast East and the Isle of Purbeck |
| Chapter 5 | Jurassic Coast West |
| Chapter 6 | West Dorset |
Basic data
| No of pages | 80 |
| Dimensions | 260 x 210 mm |
| Cover type | Paperback |
| No of words | Approx 15,000 |
| No of photos | 197 |
| ISBN | 9780992797058 |
| Publisher | Aquaterra Publishing |
| Publication date | June 2022 |