Escape to East Dorset - Top 5 things to do then eat on the Isle of Purbeck

You might be gasping for a mini getaway this coming bank holiday. Londoners will want to escape the chaotic bedlam of the Notting Hill Carnival and most of us will be trying to catch those final few rays of summer before yet more rain sets in. But where to go? France is too far; Blackpool Pleasure Beach is too close for comfort. There's no guarantee the sun will have it's hat on but it's a safe bet that with just a short boat ride away you will feel like you've stepped into another world.

Strolling along the prom prom prom in Swanage has been popular with
tourists since the 1800's.  You can still catch a daily show of
Punch and Judy, which has been playing there for more than a century.

The chain ferry* is an absolute must. Aside from beautiful views, it creates the wonderful illusion of sailing to faraway lands. As you cross over, leaving the Ferraris and Lamborghinis of Sandbanks, the land changes to a place of wilderness and uninterrupted coastal paths. You find yourself in a place where red squirrels may once again, roam the land freely, in a time before the mobile phone signal. "Take that Work, you can't reach me here!" But what's this? Your network operator is texting you foreign roaming charges. Don't worry, you haven't got on the wrong ferry to France, this isn't even really an island. Sandwiched between Pool and Weymouth is the pretty peninsula called Purbeck.

1 Children and adults alike will be spellbound by The Blue Pool's tranquil beauty and you can watch as brilliant blue and red dragon flies dart across the surface of the water. You won't feel like you're in England anymore but you might feel like you're in the movie Avatar, minus the blue people. Its colour can vary from turquoise to emerald green day to day, due to minute particles of clay refracting light in the water. It is like a tiny portion of the Plitvice Lakes National Park in Croatia (one of the world's favourites). There are many other animals like the rare Sika deer or the green sand lizard to spot on the nature trail as this is a site of special scientific interest.
eat Rest your feet in the estate's tea rooms with a Purbeck ice cream in hand. It comes in a rainbow of different flavours, including the slightly more mad beetroot and horseradish but a delicious creamy favourite is stem ginger.

2 The saltwater lido at Dancing Ledge was carved into the rock for school children in the early 20th century. This is a natural infinity pool, refreshed only by the tides and you can safely swim in its warmer waters with a view of the open sea beyond. From the rocky platform (the size of a ballroom dancefloor), the daring can easily access the deeper sea. Not so easy to access is the actual location, it is a steep clamber down the cliffs, which the faint hearted best avoid. You will find it on the costal path from Langton to Worth Matravers. Keep an eye out for the local puffin colony.
eat at the 'best pub in the world' according to many who hath visited. Grab homemade pasty or pie resting atop a paper plate at The Square and Compass in Worth Matravers. The hot, sturdy fillings are folded in the finest thick, flakey, lardy pastry, perfect for recovering after a chilly dip in the sea or a long ramble across the cliffs. Sup upon some sweet pressed local cider, this is where true Dorset is at.

3 at Corfe Castle, you step back to a time of chivalry and walk among ancient ruin where ghosts of murdered princes and a headless woman are rumoured to still roam the castle walls.
eat Or if that's a little bit too freaky... you could gorge yourself on scones, cakes and clotted cream whilst admiring its imposing magical splendour from a table at the Corfe Castle tea-rooms. Perhaps take a wonder up to the castle after your cream tea, if you're brave enough. It can get quite busy, so when full, try the Model Village Courtyard Cafe which uses fresh local ingredients for a delicious high tea.

OK, it doesn't look this splendid all the time.

4 Being a UNESCO world heritage site, we've got to visit some of the places that made the Jurassic coast famous. The walk from Lulworth Cove to Durdle Door is arguably the most beautiful. The sheltered waters at this perfectly circular cove are lovely to swim in, if a little crowded at times.
eat Take home some freshly caught lobster and scallops for the barbie from the crab shack at the entrance to the cove.

5 Watch the sunset whilst collecting fossils at Kimmeridge bay. The road leading there has a sneaky toll charge, so go after 6pm.
eat Clavells Cafe & Farm Shop morphs into a fine restaurant in the evening, serving truly the best cooked mackerel anywhere. Wrapped in crisp oaten breadcrumbs, you will forget this ever was an oily fish, unpopular and disregarded to tins, and see it as a thing of beauty, so soft and juicy on the inside. The fresh fish, lobster and scallops are caught directly from Kimmeridge bay. All of the meat they serve is their own and you can eat on the terrace that overlooks a field of happy free-range cows. No air miles and barely any road miles, this is Slow food at its best.

* Arrive early to avoid the long queues