Studland
Studland
Studland is a very attractive old village situated close to the chalk cliffs between Swanage and Poole harbour, in the Isle of Purbeck. The village has a fascinating Norman church, dedicated to St Nicholas, which contains excellent gargoyles and grotesques. This is possibly the oldest church in Dorset, with a squat central tower.

A short walk from the church brings you to Old Harry Rocks, a series of chalk cliffs jutting out into the bay. The rocks have seen many shipwrecks in their day, but the views on a clear afternoon are stunning.

Along the bay is Fort Henry, built above the beaches where Allied troops drilled for the D-Day landings. Also near Studland is the Agglestone, or Devil's Nightcap, a natural rock formation composed of a 400-tonne slab of sandstone balanced on top of a conical hill.