Slow travel isn’t about how many different famous landmarks and experiences you can squeeze into your holiday. But it’s not about seeing less, either. Going slow means taking the time to drink in the ambience of the place you’re in, and discovering the delightful details that the fast travellers zip past without noticing.
You actually see more when you travel slowly, because you spend less time travelling and more time being.
Dorset is ideal for the slow traveller.
Get off the beaten track
Just getting to Dorset means going slowly – because we don’t have any motorways.
Most of the railway lines aren’t designed for high speed and while we have an airport (Bournemouth International), it’s well outside the top 20 for the UK, in terms of size and number of flights.
Dorset was designed for slow travellers.
So is Upton Grange. Our gardens, and the nearby coast, make it easy to spend days here without needing to touch your car keys. Many of our guests comment on the richness of nature right outside their bedroom window – birds, deer and so much green.
We have plenty of space for reading outside, picnicking on the grass, photography and painting. It’s easy to be slow here.
Living the Dorset life
Slow travel isn’t about leaving the car parked up and enjoying the rural tranquillity – although for some, that’s all they need for a holiday. Going slow can also mean becoming part of the local community for a while, experiencing what Dorset has to offer.
Dorset is a county of countryside, coast and small towns and villages. With the exception of Bournemouth and Poole, and they’re a modern tag-on, having previously been part of Hampshire.
All this countryside and coast means that walking is a popular pastime. The South West Coast Path starts (or ends) its 630-mile journey at Poole in Dorset. Other walks include the Purbeck Way (Wareham to Swanage), and the South Dorset Ridgeway (West Bexington to Osmington Mills).
Feasting as you travel slow
You can’t go very far in Dorset without encountering local producers of food and drink, and associated festivals and events.
Our breakfast packs splash some of this rich variety into your day, with:
- Dorset cereals (the name says it all)
- New Milton Apple Juice
- Bread from Sgt Bun Bakery in Weymouth
- Milk, butter and more from craig’s Farm Dairy, just over a mile away!
If you really want to travel slow and get to the source of local produce, you can visit the shop at Craig’s Dairy Farm and even get to see the cows being milked (get in touch with us in the Upton Grange office to arrange this).
The Dorset Food and Drink website has loads more information about Dorset producers, some of whom have their own shops or allow visits.
We want you to take it slow
It helps you take a break, by taking the stress out of ‘what shall we do today?’ Enjoy going with the flow, experiencing life at a slower pace. There’s no pressure to be anywhere or do anything at a certain time.
It’s good for the environment. Slow travel means putting less miles on your car. Yes, there are some wonderful places to visit when you travel, and some outstanding views to take in. But sometimes it’s enough to drink in the beauty of nature right outside your window.
We’re here to help you take it slow. There are maps, binoculars and reference books in every cottage. We provide information about local walks and places to visit.
If there’s anything else we can do, please ask.
When you get home from your holiday, and people ask how it was, we hope you can say: “Dorset’s lovely – everything is so slow down there.”