Dorset

Schools in Dorset

Sherborne has a number of excellent independent schools, including Sherborne Boys and Girls, Sherborne Prep and just out of town St Antonys Leweston.  State schools include the well known Gryphon School.

Shaftesbury junior education is offered by the independent Port Regis and Shaftesbury Church of England Primary and secondary by St Mary’s Shaftebury and the Shaftesbury School.

Dorchester has several first schools, two middle schools and an upper school, the Thomas Hardye School. Kingston Maurward College is a land based studies college on the outskirts of town.

Bridport primary schools are St Catherines RC, St Mary’s CE VC Primary, Symondsbury CE VC Primary and Bridport Primary, secondary education is offered by the Sir John Colfox Academy.

For futher information on schools in Dorset please visit Dorset County Council and the Good Schools Guide .

Dorset Transport Links

Sherborne

Sherborne is situated 6 miles east of Yeovil and the A30 which connects London to Penzance runs through the town. It is 10 miles from the A303 trunk road which links to the M3 and London within about 2 hours drive. Sherborne Railway Station is situated on the London Waterloo to Exeter line, 130 minutes to London.

Shaftesbury

Situated 11 miles from the A303 trunk road which links to the M3 and London, Shaftesbury also has an express coach service as well as local bus links to towns and villages in the area.

Bridport

The A35 trunk road between Honiton and Southampton passes around the centre of Bridport. There are local buses to villages and towns including Crewkerne and Yeovil. Exeter International Airport is 34 miles and Bournemouth International Airport is 46 miles.

Dorchester

The town has 2 railway stations, Dorchester South on the mainline to Bournemouth, Southammpton and London and Dorchester West connects with Yeovil, Bath and Bristol. A bypass surrounds the town diverting traffic from the town centre using the A35 and A37 trunk roads.

Dorset Key Towns

Sherborne

The market town of Sherborne is one of the most beautiful towns in England. With its abundance of medieval buildings, stunning Abbey and two castles it has much to offer everyone. Art and Antique dealers flourish in town as do boutique goods and fashion. With a regular weekly market and ad hoc farmers markets, there is always a plentiful supply of home grown and hand made goods available.  For shopping essentials there are 2 supermarkets and a filling station. Eateries abound from small cafes to larger restaurants and good eating and drinking pubs.

Dorchester

Dorchester is the County town of Dorset, situated between Poole and Bridport on the A35 trunk route. An historic market town it was the inspiration of Thomas Hardy and the base of his novel The Mayor of Casterbridge. Recent regeneration of the town includes many new retail outlets, bars, restaurants, a hotel and a leisure centre. There is also a hospital and a railway station which is set to be the first UK solar powered station. There are also 6 museums and the Corn Exchange hosts Dorchester Arts.

Bridport

Bridport is a market town on the coast and includes West Bay most recently famous as the location for the filming of the popular TV series Broadchurch. It is well known for its arts scene and has an arts centre, theatre, library, cinema and museum. It also hosts several festivals for art and food. An excellent golf club is situated atop of the east cliff at West Bay and there are plenty of beautiful cliff top walks and beach activities for everyone.

Shaftesbury

Famous for the location of the Hovis Bread Advertisements on Gold Hill, Shaftesbury is steeped in history as the site of the former Shaftesbury Abbey, founded in 888 by King Alfred. The town overlooks the stunning Blackmore Vale set well above sea level. It has a large supermarket and a high street full of cafes and boutiques.  It is host to the annual Snowdrop Festival which encourages tourists to see the snowdrops planted by the Diamond Jubilee funded Shaftebury Snowdrops.