Dorset divides into three separate areas. To the north of the county you have an area from Shaftesbury across to Sherborne in the Blackmore Vale to the downland of Cranborne Chase. In the south-east there is the more urban area around Bournemouth and Poole. To the west, along the coast through Dorchester and Bridport, is the very rural area of West Dorset.

The transport to North Dorset is quite good. Shaftesbury is about 2 hours from London by the M3 and A303 and the line operated by South West trains through Salisbury is via Waterloo, though it is not a fast train with the line from Salisbury to Yeovil Junction being single track for some sections.

The area around Bournemouth is considerably better served by rail and road with fast trains via Southampton and the M3 and M27 motorways.

West Dorset is a 3 hour drive from London and with poor roads once you get off the M27 or the A303. The trains are slow and journey times about the same as for driving.

North Dorset is now a popular area for weekenders and for those able to use technology to work at home for one or more days a week. The combination of reasonable transport and beautiful countryside has forced prices up rapidly over the last few years. Particularly popular is Cranborne Chase and Shaftesbury as well as the very pretty country around Sherborne. The Blackmore Vale tends to be slightly less popular as there are fewer quality houses and some of the countryside is quite flat. Having said that, there is strong demand for good farmhouses in that area.

From a country house market point of view, south-east Dorset is rather too urbanised to be very popular. Bournemouth and Poole are sprawling urban areas with everything that goes with it. Much of the countryside has some of the characteristics of the New Forest to the east – heathland with acidic soil.

West Dorset is one of the most rural areas of southern England. There are no major roads, railway lines or airports and no commercial centre of any size. The coast is very beautiful from the Isle of Purbeck westwards but, like most beauty spots, it tends to be affected by tourists in the summer months. The countryside inland is lovely, with pretty villages and relatively undisturbed local life – the limited transport to and from London keeping prices down and commuters away. Click for more local information http://www.dorset-cc.gov.uk.

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