Kingcombe and surroundings

Great experiences await discovery!

Kingcombe is situated in a surprisingly remote West Dorset valley. Despite its isolation it has been shaped by human activity over millennia.

The neighbouring Kingcombe Meadows Nature Reserve is farmed by the Dorset Wildlife Trust in the traditional way it always has and would be recognisable to farmers who tilled the land hundreds of years ago. The reserve forms part of the largest open access area in West Dorset. Many courses utilise this space from identifying insects to painting the landscape.

Kingcombe's new archaeology strand introduces West Dorset's internationally renowned sites courtesy of our inspirational tutors who demystify the past and bring it back to life.

Some of the UK's best-preserved Bronze-, Iron-Age and Roman sites are found a short distance from the Centre. Within three miles is the major Iron-Age earthwork of Eggardon Hill. It formed a defended settlement in 300BC. On a clear day it provides, arguably, the most stunning view in Southern Britain. Just beyond this site Bronze-Age round barrows appear in the landscape recording human activity of 4,000 years ago.

Roman occupation is stamped on the landscape at nearby Dorchester. We visit the UK's best Roman town house and amphitheatre along with Maiden Castle, Europe's best-preserved and most complex hillfort. Despite being a Roman stronghold we trace its occupation over 6,000 years to Neolithic times.

Search for wildlife past and present in the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site, a 15-minute drive down country lanes. Along its length, 185 million years of earth's history is laid bare. Its inspiring natural beauty forms the perfect backdrop for fossil hunting extinct life and for discovering today's plants and animals.

Whether you join us for a course or stay for B&B it’s amazing what’s on offer minutes from our door.