Portland Castle is not located in Oregon. In order to visit this place, you have to travel to…read morePortland, England. For $11.50 pounds, I think it is worth the price of admission. We spent a couple of hours exploring the place. It is not a castle, in the traditional sense. It is more of a Fort. It was built back in 1539 and 1540, and it played a part in the first and second World Wars, in protecting the area from invaders. There is plenty to see and do so you can spend as much time as you want here. We were here for a couple of hours exploring the fort and the grounds. The audio tour is included in the admission price, and it gives you the history of the place. Although we enjoyed our time here. I think that a one-time visit is all that we needed.

We were based in Weymouth at a camping site and took a lovely trip by bike to this castle. It was…read moreone of the many castles constructed by Henry VIII. The castle gives quite a good impression what it was like to be a soldier back then. A part of the exhibition covers the preparations of the Allied armies for the D-Day invasion of France in June 1944. Of special interest was an information sheet for the newly arrived US soldiers that showed the differences of US and British English.

Worth Matravers is a cute village in the Purbecks. When you visit it's like stepping back in time…read more With stone cottages everywhere and wonderful scenic walks nearby you feel at one with nature. The local shop and tea room is warm and inviting and the central pond a super place to relax and commune with the ducks! Great for a day out.

Other than the castle, the village itself has a very inviting feel about it. You enter the castle…read morefrom the little square where there are a few shops and a monument in the middle. The square is very small! I don't know; I just found the place really calm and peaceful - most likely not this way during the tourist season but on a cold wet November late afternoon the atmosphere was at its best. The village isn't very big, so worth a little wander around and perhaps a stop in a pub and some of the shops.

Such a beautiful village - it hasn't changed much since I used to visit it over 40 years ago. The…read moreCastle is always worth a visit - you get in free if you're a National Trust member, and the parking at the visitor centre at the entrance to the village is also free to members. Try getting there early-morning before the crowds. Interesting little shops and the National Trust Tea Rooms does the best cream tea ever - sit in their garden overlooking the Castle. There's also a model village. The steam train runs from the Park & Ride at Norden (just before Corfe Castle village), stops at the village before chugging through the Purbecks onto Swanage. A good day's fun!

Maybe I'm biased because I live here, but Bournemouth is special. There is so much to offer in…read moreterms of shops, facilities and amenities, but the natural environment is what does it for me. With the Purbeck Hills to the west, the New Forest to the east and the sea to the south, I feel very luck to live here. The bay is beautiful all year round. Of course, in summer the beach is wonderful and the sea inviting, but equally at other times of the year the sea can be moody and wild or calm and still and there's nothing like a walk along the promenade on a cold winter's morning to invigroate you and make you feel like it's good to be alive.

Bournemouth bay is a beautiful place to visit. You have miles of sandy beaches to the east and west…read moreas far round as Poole and Hengisbury Head. The pier is a great attraction which you can stoll on free of charge. There is a restaurant at the end and a small fairground for the younger members of your party. There is still a theatre on the pier which is a huge success during the summer months. On the pier approach there is an arcade and night club and there are restauants such as Hot Rocks and Harvester. From the pier approach you can walk easily to the main town shopping centre along the beautiful bournemouth gardens. If you want you can visit the Oceanarium or take a boat trip around the bay. Great day out

Seems like a place best suited for kids. There's a large Farris wheel and an arcade and restaurants…read morethat are not great but serve food. There's the oceanarium and right now a pop up about the historic Air Force. There just isn't a ton for adults to enjoy unless you venture further away from the pier and into Bournemouth.

The original pier was built for £12,000 in 10 months, opening in July 1889. 600 feet long, it could…read moretake steamers, and had a bandstand. In 1904 it was taken into Council hands. The Council built a new pierhead building, and removed the bandstand to a local park. In 1940, during WW2, the pier was stripped, and three spans were blown up to prevent use for enemy landings. After a long battle with the Government for compensation, the Council refurbished the pier between 1958 and 1962, with a new pierhead building, and the Mermaid hall and cafe on the end - both designed by the Council architect, John Burton. The end was closed on safety grounds in 1990, and the rest closed in 2005 for similar reasons. Using the proceeds of the sale of a nearby car park to Barratts for housebuilding, the Council refurbished - and shortened - the pier as part of a multi million pound regeneration of Boscombe seafront. It reopened in 2008, and was declared 'Pier of the year' in 2010. At the pierhead, there is a cafe, and a shop selling cigarettes, newspapers and - as the sign quaintly says - "beach requisites". Art is displayed and sold on the pier on Sundays. Permits are available for fishermen. Events are held regularly (brass bands, carol singing, etc). There is a 'Friends of the pier' organisation (see website). Admission free. (Thanks to Andrew Emery's 'History of Bournemouth Seafront' for the historical details)