When you’re on the hunt for inland alternatives to a thriving Jurassic Coast, you’d be spoilt for choice with fun activities for the family to enjoy. Whether you’re looking for something adventurous or active, or something historical and intriguing, there’s something that will suit everyone’s sense of adventure.
We look at just 3 of these within a couple of miles from our town square.
Donkey Walking Adventures
Just a stone’s throw from Beaminster is the Donkey Walking Adventures experience. If you’ve been lucky enough, you may have even spotted some of these furry friends in the town square on occasion too. Donkey Walking Adventures aims to give donkey and animal lovers the opportunity to spend a relaxed day at their beautiful Dorset Valley site and spend some quality ‘hands-on’ time with their friendly donkeys and guide. Perfect active fun for the whole family, the experience includes getting your chosen donkey ready by brushing them, cleaning their feet and a general groom, followed by a short safety talk with advice on handling tips. The walk follows the lanes and byways around Beaminster, and if you haven’t decided to bring your own picnic, you could stop at the local pub for lunch along the way.
The entire adventure lasts for about 4 and a half hours, although the team don’t like to rush, and take it at a pace that suits you. Shorter and evening courses are available too.
For more information on the Donkey Walking Adventures, visit their website here: http://www.donkeywalkingadventures.co.uk/index.html
Beaminster Badgers
On the theme of furry friends, another wonderful experience for those who are keen to see a relatively shyer side to nature, is visiting the Beaminster Badgers hide on North Buckham Farm. Trish and Andrew have built a beautiful wooden, glass-fronted hide which gives you the perfect opportunity to observe these incredibly interesting, and often unseen animals in their natural habitat. Watch them emerge from their setts and make their way down to forage right in front of the hide. Floodlights illuminate their foraging area as the sun sets, as these nocturnal pals head out for the evening to eat, and explore. The hide itself is comfortable with benches and cushions, with the best season to catch a glimpse of the badgers is from April to September. But be warned, you will have to practise your quietest of quiet whisper so as to not scare off these shy animals. It’s because of this that only children older than the age of 7 would be accepted, as you’d need to be able to sit still, and quietly, for a couple of hours.
For more information about Beaminster Badgers, visit their website here: http://www.beaminsterbadgers.co.uk/index.php
Beaminster Museum
Our award-winning Museum is a must-visit to anyone who’s visiting the area, and an absolutely-must-visit to anyone who lives here. After recently being awarded with the prestigious Queens Award for Voluntary Service, the highest award a volunteer group can get, Beaminster’s Museum has solidly established itself as a definite destination for all enquiring minds about Beaminster and the area that surrounds it.
Collections at the Museum are plentiful, and often highlights historical local families and events that have culminated in the thriving community that Beaminster is today. In addition, interesting exhibits of objects and images associated with local trades and schools also provide endless hours of interesting reading and exploration. One of the interesting displays on show at the Museum is a fine collection of agricultural tools and a working church turret clock. More recently, and because of our close proximity to the world heritage site, the Jurassic Coast, the Museum has displayed discovered fossils found at nearby Horn Park National Nature Reserve showing life during Neolithic and Roman times. The Museum is open from Easter until the end of Autumn half-term on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Bank Holidays.
For more information on the opening times, and admission, please visit http://www.dorsetmuseums.co.uk/beaminster-museum
Can you recommend any other fun activities for the entire family to enjoy in and around Beaminster? Get in touch with us and we may use it in an upcoming blog!
