Chickerell brings together several distinct themes for planning a trip: a lagoon to the west with a literary connection, gardens and historic buildings. When choosing a place to stay, you can first consider whether landscape, literature or history matters most to you. These themes lead to different sides of the area and provide a concrete basis for further planning.
Fleet Lagoon: Landscape and Literature
Fleet Lagoon lies west of Chickerell. Chesil Beach protects it from the English Channel. The lagoon also has a literary connection: it serves as the setting for J. M. Falkner’s book Moonfleet. This brings together a specific geographical relationship and a literary connection in one named place.
The area around Chickerell is part of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site. These connections can be considered on two levels: Fleet Lagoon, Chesil Beach and the English Channel describe a specific landscape setting; the World Heritage Site places the area around Chickerell in a broader context.
Bennetts Water Gardens: Design and the History of the Site
A Monet-style Japanese bridge is the focal point of the gardens at Bennetts Water Gardens. The museum covers the history of the site, from the brickworks and clay pits of 1859 to the gardens today. This brings a specific design feature together with an overview of the site’s history. If you are interested in garden design, the bridge offers a tangible point of interest; the museum’s subject matter also draws attention to the history of the grounds.
St Mary and Other Historical Layers
The Parish Church of St Mary in Chickerell is a Grade II* listed building. Its chancel and nave date from the 13th century; the church is dated to around 1260. It is said to have replaced an earlier Saxon wooden structure on the same site. The medieval parts and a possible earlier layer therefore form part of a shared building history, while the Saxon predecessor structure remains a possibility.
Another historical chapter concerns the site of a First World War airfield in Chickerell, which was used from 1918 to 1919. This is a clearly defined period and differs from the church’s much longer history. Chickerell therefore offers different historical perspectives rather than a single continuous story.
Habitats and a Named Trail
The Woodland Trust currently lists Chickerell Downs in its visitor information as a mosaic of woodland, grassland, damp springs and ponds. These habitats make the variety of the mosaic concrete: woodland and grassland sit alongside damp springs and ponds. Chickerell Downs therefore offers a different nature connection from the coastal landscape of Fleet Lagoon.
The Chickerell Fleet Lagoon Circular route connects with the South West Coast Path. This adds a named link to another route to the description of the habitats. When comparing nature-related themes for trip planning, you can distinguish between the habitat mosaic of Chickerell Downs and the connection named for the circular route.
Choosing Hotels in Chickerell
Then compare the specific hotel offers with your travel plans.
Discover more destinations: Wimborne Saint Giles, Winterborne Stickland, Christchurch, Canford Magna, Woodsford, Burstock, Winkton, Iwerne Courtney.
For the main travel overview: Dorset.
