Gold Hill, Shaftesbury, Dorset

The view from the top of Gold Hill, a steep cobbled street bordered by quaint cottages and by the walls of ruined medieval abbey, against a backdrop of rolling countryside, is an instantly-recognisable image of rural England. It has been used in television commercials, including the highly-nostalgic Hovis advert featuring a boy in a cloth cap pushing his bike up the cobbles, plus calendars, chocolate boxes and other tourist memorabilia. But once you have gazed at that famous view for 30 seconds or so, there isn't much more to see. 7/10

Kingston Lacy, Wimborne Minster, Dorset

Approached via a B road lined by more than 700 ancient beach trees, Kingston Lacy is an elegant mansion dating from the seventeenth century and boasting a spectacularly ostentatious and ornate interior. In the dozen or so rooms that have been restored by the National Trust to look as they would have in their Edwardian hey day, there is almost too much to take in. Built originally for the Bankes family after Corfe Castle was demolished by Cromwell's Roundheads, the house became a treasure trove for an avid collector of antiquities - William Bankes, who was banished to Italy in the mid nineteenth century after an alleged homosexual act. Particularly noteworthy is the extraordinary Spanish room with its lavish ceiling salvaged from a Venetian palace and its painted leather-clad walls, lined with an imposing series of portraits. In fact, Kingston Lacy is awash with paintings including works by the likes of Van Dyck, Titian and Brueghel, while just about every room is stuffed full of intricately-carved chests, panels and furniture, together with rare and eclectic ornaments, such as a statue of a boy doing a handstand and balancing a vase on the soles of his feet. In the large library, 31 rusty iron keys to the gates of Corfe Castle hang over the fireplace, reminding you that the Bankes didn't always have it so good.

The Haven, Sandbanks, Dorset

Perched right on the tip of the prosperous seaside resort of Sandbanks at the end of a long swathe of fine beach and overlooking the picturesque Isle of Purbeck, the Haven has a superb location. Inside, it feels like a traditional English hotel with incongruously stylish and modern features, such as the cool, octagonal bar and the transparent, flat-panel CD players in some of the rooms. If possible, get a room with a sea view and insist on one that has been refurbished, despite the charcoal colour scheme, as the others can be dated, bashed-in and cramped. Twin rooms typically come with flat-panel TVs, Wi-Fi or wired Internet access, sachets of instant tea and coffee and good biscuits, refreshed every day, and large, comfortable beds. However, the bathrooms are quite basic and suffer from low water-pressure. It can also be a bit of a trek down the hot, stuffy and narrow corridors, broken up by irritating fire doors, to the ancient lift, with its metal grill, which takes you up and down from reception. Worse still, if there is an evening function on, the music can reverberate through the first and second floor bedrooms.

Chunky sausages, mouthwatering mushrooms
Still, the Haven is partially-redeemed by its pleasant beach-side terrace, exceptionally-warm indoor swimming pool, small gym, sauna and heated outdoor pool. The buffet breakfast is also very comprehensive and generally good despite the mediocre coffee. The hot food on offer includes chunky sausages, meaty bacon, well-cooked scrambled eggs, hash browns, fried bread, baked beans, fried eggs and large mouthwatering mushrooms. There is also fruit salad, yogurt, cereals, pain au chocolat, croissants, cheeses, hams, fruit juices and just about everything else you would expect. Eggs Benedict, Eggs Royale, kippers and other traditional breakfast dishes are cooked to order, but they can take time and come with too much Hollandaise sauce. The Haven's smart staff are mostly young, patient and tolerant of kids, but this timeworn hotel doesn't quite live up to its pricey room rates. 6/10

Loch Fyne, Haven Road, Poole, Dorset

Housed in a large white-clapboard building with its own car park, this branch of the Loch Fyne chain has dozens of wooden tables spread around a big open plan room peppered with alcoves. There is a lengthy a la carte menu with plenty of seafood options, including six refreshing oysters for £9 served with a selection of accompaniments, such as tabasco sauce and red onions. If you sit down by 7pm, you can have two courses for £12, but the choice is quite limited. Among the starters, the Thai spicy mussels aren’t very spicy, but are tasty enough, while the crevette salad is a generous plate of prawns with some greenery on the side. The nicely-seasoned salmon main course with a tangy salsa dressing can be slightly overcooked, while the hake fillet can be compact, bony and dry. You also get to choose a side order, such a new potatoes, chips, vegetables or green salad.

Not particularly fine
The kids menu (£6 for two courses) has an unusually broad selection of dishes including a decent bowl of mussels accompanied by crispy brown chips. But the fish goujons (also with chips) can be dry and caked in too much batter, while the peas may be slightly shrivelled. At least the kids ice cream, to follow, is creamy, rich and sweet. From the extensive wine list, you can get a half bottle of the straightforward and slightly sweet house white for £7, while full-size bottles start at £12 a pop. A 70cl bottle of fizzy water is just £3 or there is tap water with ice for free. The black T-shirted staff are warm and efficient, but Loch Fyne isn't always fine. 6/10

Corfe Castle, Isle of Purbeck, Dorset

The garden of the National Trust tea room in Corfe must have one of the best aspects of any cafe in Britain. It sits just across a wooden drawbridge from the medieval castle's partially-ruined, but still proud, stone gatehouse, overlooked by the remains of the towering keep and battlements behind. Despite the crowds inside the sprawling and battered castle walls, which lean at impossible angles, you are quickly transported back to yesteryear. You have to cross another bridge over the "Great Ditch" before clambering up to an inner gatehouse, from which you follow a winding path up to the keep itself standing high on the hilltop. From here you get grand views of the surrounding countryside, the postcard-perfect stone village of Corfe and the stream train puffing in and out of the station. But don't let the kids run around like headless chickens - there are some steep drops.

Walk from Studland to Old Harry, Isle of Purbeck, Dorset

After crossing on the chain ferry from Sandbanks, it is a short drive along Ferry Road to the National Trust car park backing on to the pleasant beach. From here you can stroll along the fine sand, towards Old Harry, visible in the distance, working your way over the slippery, green rocks below the cliffs. After about a mile you turn inland to join the popular wide grassy cliff path offering a glimpse of a grand Victorian home on the clifftop and big-sky views across the bay back to Bournemouth. Before long, you are at the promontory, surveying the white, craggy archway of Old Harry, which looks like it was made out of cottage cheese, and the nearby pinnacles rising out of the sea. You will need a head for heights to follow the narrowing path all the way to the cliff edge. On the way back, it is well worth wandering around the olde worlde village of Studland with its charismatic pub and ancient church. 8/10

Crab House Cafe, Portland Road, Wyke Regis, Dorset

The Crab House Cafe is housed in an unpretentious wooden shack with plaster of Paris sculptures of seafood on the walls, belying the quality of the cooking and the premium prices. If you can get a table in the bustling main dining room, you can see the courses prepared and grilled in front of you by pedantic chefs in blue and white fishmonger aprons. The cafe overlooks the bay, but some ugly railings partly obscure the view. In any case, most people come for the food. To start, the Thai fish cakes (about £6) - three ping pong ball-sized morsels with a side salad - are pretty spicy, tangy and tasty. Or you can get half-a-dozen oysters ultra fresh from the farm outside the shack for £8.50. As part of the cover, you'll also get some rubbery snippets of octopus, small chunks of brown bread and some strong olives.

A creative mix of flavours
On a typical day, there is a choice of about ten main course fish dishes ranging from about £14 to £20. Each is accompanied by a couple of new potatoes and some roasted vegetables. The mackerel fillet with cumin and curried apple (£14) is unusual, delicate and has a good mix of flavours, but you'll need to watch out for the many small bones. The grey mullet (£15) is also served with a creative mix of flavours, but the portion can be on the small side. If you order the crab you are given a hammer to bang away at the shell. The healthy white fish in the house kids dish (about £6) comes without any batter, but with chunky and crispy chips and a small salad. Adults can get a large side order of the chips for just £2.50, but a pint of Carlsberg lager will set you back a whopping £4.80. Moreover, the decent ice cream and sorbets are priced at £1.95 for a single scoop. Children might prefer the sickly sweet hot chocolate, nicely presented in a tall glass for a couple of pounds. There is no service charge if your group is smaller than eight, but the chatty, young staff are fast and attentive and you will be inclined to tip. 7/10

Walk from Isle of Purbeck Golf Club to Corfe Castle, Dorset

From a gate on the B3551, a well-marked trail takes you up through a small patch of woodland and on to a grassy ridge with far-reaching and uplifting views across the archipelago in Poole harbour on your right and lush rolling countryside on your left. The path takes you past nine grassy hillocks (ancient burial grounds or barrows) and a herd of sheep before descending down towards a mobile phone mast and the atmospheric medieval ruins of Corfe Castle beyond. The steep descent towards the castle also gives you a great view of the picturesque stone village of Corfe with its turreted church tower and, if you are lucky, the steam train puffing in and out of the local station. The round trip back to the car park just beyond the golf club is about six miles with the return leg involving some hard climbs. 8/10

The Bull Hotel, Bridport, Dorset

Housed in a fine early Victorian building, the Bull Hotel is a stylish inn with an elegant function room upstairs. Although its upmarket cooking isn't really in keeping with the charity shops and chain stores of Bridport, on a weekday evening, the Bull still pulls in enough punters to muster a buzz. Inside, much of the furniture and many of the walls are white, broken up by the occasional panel of swirling wallpaper, the odd duff print on the walls and modern sofa benches in the bar area. If you want some privacy, head for the table with sofas and cushions enclosed in an alcove.

Cooking of the highest order
A squadron of well-trained girls run the bar, which has the pleasant malty Otter Ale (£3 a pint) on tap, and wait on the tables. They bring over three varieties of mouthwatering speciality bread rolls, served with a choice of pesto and olive flavoured butter. The modern European menu has a heavy emphasis on fish and varies according to the day's catch. The well-presented hake fillet (£14.50), served with cabbage, a cassoulet of beans and chorizo in a creamy sauce with a quirky topping of guacamole, is a rich and delicious combination - cooking of the highest order. Chive mash, chips, green beans and other side orders are available for £2.50 apiece. The kids' main courses (£4.50) are generally good value with the exception of the small bowl of fresh pasta awash with pesto. Much more substantial is the fine fish in batter accompanied by piles of skinny chips and peas. For £2.50, the kids can also get three scoops of excellent ice cream or sorbet in appealing flavours such as cherry or pistachio. 8/10

Walk from Lulworth Cove to Durdle Door, Dorset

From the Lulworth Cove car park (£3 for two hours) in a sloping green field, you can join the steady stream of casual walkers hiking west up a steep wide stony path towards Durdle Door. After a tough, but short, climb you reach a grassy knoll with dramatic views of the jagged white cliffs and coves of the so-called Jurassic Coast - a fine, if rather public, spot for a picnic. From there a path keeps a safe distance from the cliffs and a caravan park, while heading down towards the small beaches around Durdle Door - an eye catching archway in a cliff jutting out into the sea. On the way you pass a small tractor-drawn kiosk selling refreshments. The round trip is only a couple of miles, but the steep climbs will make sure you get plenty of exercise. Back in the car park, you can admire the white-washed thatched cottages of Lulworth Village or browse around the Heritage Centre. 7/10

La Roche Restaurant, The Haven, Sandbanks, Dorset

Boasting a great setting overlooking the English Channel and the chain ferry chugging back and forth to an unspoilt beach on the Isle of Purbeck, La Roche has cool, minimalist decor, which some diners may find a little clinical and soulless. You can eat a la carte or from the set menu (£15 for two courses and £20 for three courses). Ahead of the starters, comes a selection of warm and delicious rustic bread rolls. Eat them up because the portions on the set menu are small. The choice of three starters can include six al dente asparagus tips with a drizzle of Hollandaise sauce and a modest bowl of concentrated artichoke soup. Among the three mains, the small fillet of sea bream, served with potatoes, vegetables and a concentrated fish sauce, is expertly cooked and has a delicate, salty and moreish flavour.

Unfailingly professional and patient
La Roche has an extensive wine list starting at about £19 a bottle, but you can get a half bottle of the light, crisp and dry Muscadet de Sèvre et Maine for £12.50. On the children's menu, the main courses (£6 apiece) include a fat finger of succulent fish in batter accompanied by a handful of plump chips and a small dollop of mushy peas. Hungry youngsters will also appreciate the biggish bowl (£3) of excellent Italian ice cream with a biscotti biscuit. Service by the youthful staff in their smart waist-coats is unfailingly professional and patient, even with clumsy kids, but it can get slow as the evening wears on. 7/10