Maps
I'm not a fan of sat navs, call me old fashioned but I prefer maps. As a child I used to love looking at an atlas and visualising all the counties in the world. I also used to collect stamps and the atlas would bring those countries alive for me. Even today when I have visitors to this blog from aboard, I instantly pull up a map to see where they live - old habits die hard!
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It suddenly occurred to me the other day that others might want to do the same for where I live, so hopefully this post will do just that. Dorset is in the south-west of England on the coast of the English Channel. Weymouth is 109 miles (175 km) south-west from London.
It is easy to forget that Britain is an island, did you know that nowhere is more than 70 miles (113km) from the sea? Sometimes it doesn't feel like it!
Picture from http://www.visit-dorset.org.uk/places-dorset.shtml
Dorset has 70 miles (100km) of coastline, most of which is part of the Jurassic Coast which is a World Hertiage site. The rocks in this area record 185 million years of the earth's history and are popular for fossil hunters. The first inhabitants were Mesolithic hunters living here around 12,500 BC. It is mainly a rural area with some towns and villages and is one of the few counties in England still without a motorway.
It is often described as a photographer's paradise and a sea captain's nightmare. Unfortunately only this week a fishing boat has sunk claiming three local fishermens' lives. I feel so sorry for the families left behind. The sea can still be a cruel master.
So you can see with all that picturesque coastline that it is not difficult to write about down by the sea in Dorset!
I prefer maps too, always have and find them fascinating, when I was a wee girl I used to study them and dream of touring around all of the UK! x
ReplyDeleteThis was really interesting, I also love maps, I think its because my father worked for a publisher that specialised in maps when i was a child
ReplyDeleteHello Sarah:
ReplyDeleteDorset is the most beautiful county and, in our view, has the most wonderful coastline in England. This post brought back many happy times of when we lived in Herefordshire travelling to Lyme Regis for the weekend. We particularly enjoyed doing this in the winter when tourists were thin on the ground and the sea was at its most dramatic. Of course, having to earn a living from the sea is another matter entirely.
Yes, maps for us too, although we are pretty useless at reading them!
I was trying to think if I've ever been to Dorset, I know the husband has been several times when he was taking part in NATO exercises many years ago. It looks beautiful and just the sort of place I'd like to visit.
ReplyDeleteA lovely post Sarah,
ReplyDeleteI have never been to Dorset. But i am told its beautiful. Now through your eyes and photos.. i can see why they say that. It looks so stunning. What a coastline.!
I too love maps. I love to read them and like you, like to see where people live. I do hope you have found out where I am.
Happy weekend.
val
Dorset is a beautiful part of the country, we spent many happy holidays down that way :) The walled garden you mentioned on my blog, is that Upton Park? My daughter is studying at the Arts Uni in Bournemouth and is always looking for interesting places for inspiration! xx
ReplyDeleteYes the walled garden I mentioned was Upton Park.
DeleteSarah x
Hi Sarah,
ReplyDeleteThank you for pointing out to us were you live. Somehow I thought you lived in the Lake District :-)! Dorset is one of the counties I haven't visited yet. It sounds interesting and looks beautiful on your photographs. It must be nice living at the seaside with the lovely weather we are having at the moment.
Have a happy weekend & enjoy the sun!
Madelief x
I live by the sea in Brighton. The Sussex coastline is beautiful, but there really is something quite special about Dorset! I love the clifftop photo by the way!
ReplyDeleteLovely post :D I adore the Dorset coast, but since my parents moved from my birth county Wiltshire to live near in Wales I never seem to get back that way.
ReplyDeleteI agree we're all no more that 70 miles from the sea, but not all 'sea' is equal ... we have the sands at Prestatyn within easy reach to run the dogs on, but it is so not a pretty place!
Have a lovely weekend by the sea in the sun Sarah x
Lovely photos Sarah, I've never been to Dorset but it looks like a beautiful part of the country. But I do love SatNavs as I can't find my way out of my driveway without one - they were invented with people like me in mind!!
ReplyDeleteSeeing your photos makes me want to pay Dorset a visit! I will one day! Thanks for your lovely comment about my craft fair! Love Katie xx
ReplyDeleteYou are fantastic, Sarah! My husband is the same as you! He loves maps and can visualize how it looks like only from the maps. I am far away from that... BUT I love your photos and the map too. The UKs are my second home and Dorset especially! You are bringing it to me again... Thank you, so much! Christa
ReplyDeleteHi Sarah, I've just started following your blog and what a great way to get to know you with this post! I too live near the sea, but it takes a drive to get to it as we are up on a hill looking out to the sea (although today its pouring down so can't see anything!)I also loved your aqueligias from your previous post, I will need to "steal" some seed to spread in our new garden as we are lacking cottage plants it's mainly NZ natives, so miss my perennials. Sally
ReplyDeleteYou live in a beautiful place. Thank you for sharing it with us. Me too, I love looking at maps. Especially when we go on long drives. I mark of the cities we past along the way. They are great for looking up alternative routes, much easier for me.
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful weekend.
Hi Sarah,
ReplyDeleteHow lovely that you shared a map on your blog, I was wondering where Dorset was.
In 2007 we went to a friends wedding and that was in Dartmouth so we were not very far away from you.
It is a very beautiful Country and quite a lot like NZ with green countryside.
Hugs
Carolyn