SHOPPING

Most villages have at least one of two shops where you can buy necessary supplies. Larger villages will have more shops and small towns will have a lot more. The main shopping towns in Dorset are:

Bridport.

Is a port town which caters mainly to the rural farming area and the town reflects this. There are many shops but they are small country shops. You will be able to purchase anything you need there but you may have to hunt for it.

Dorchester.

Has a very nice shopping center located on two streets in a T shape. There are also several nice restaurants and pubs in Dorchester. On Wednesday mornings the market it held on the ancient market fields on the outskirts of Dorchester and is certainly worth a visit. Be aware that parking on market day can be very difficult and the traffic will be heavy. Other days parking in Dorchester is rarely a problem. Just follow the blue ‘P’ signs to the pay and display lots.

Weymouth.

This is a beautiful Victorian seaside town and is well worth a visit just to walk along the promenade and look around the town. Shopping in town has greatly improved over the years and it now has a wide variety of different shops. The main shopping is located on two parallel main streets, one of which is pedestrian only. Shops can also be found along the seafront as far as the large ornamental clock and down this road to the rail station and beyond. Several large warehouse shops have been constructed in this area.
Parking in Weymouth during the winter months is not a problem. However during the summer it is very difficult to almost impossible since it is a very popular tourist town due to it's large sandy beach and shallow waters which make it excellent and safe for young children. However this means that the place is overflowing with people and cars and not that easy to access. If you wish to drive in go early to get a spot. Make sure you pick a long stay pay and display lot as some are limited to one or two hours parking. Keep your sticker current the parking wardens in Weymouth are extremely tenacious.

Poole.

Located at the far eastern side of the county Poole is by far the largest town. It is situated on the second largest natural harbour in the world - after Pearl Harbour in Hawaii. Unfortunately Poole Harbour is quite shallow for most of it's area and at low tide a lot of it is large expanses of mud flats. The area is a wonderful nursery for all kinds of marine life and the mudflat area is a great habitat for all kinds of birds and other animals. A great deal of it has been preserved as such.
Poole itself is still a port and harbour for many fishing and commercial boats and the town itself is large (by local standards) and boasts a large indoor shopping center as well as the bustling streets. You can purchase almost anything you would need here in the town center. Several large car parks have been added so parking is not usually a problem. The harbour area has been refurbished and now offers some delightful pubs, restaurants, museums and other things of interest as well as Poole pottery which is one of the oldest pottery’s in the country.