Gillingham (with a hard G, as in "get") is the most northerly town in Dorset on the edge of the Blackmore Vale.
Get in[edit]
By car[edit]
Five minutes from the A303, main route to the West Country from London.
By train[edit]
South West trains run to 1 Gillingham station from London Waterloo in 2 hours. The station is on the London Waterloo to Exeter main line.
By bicycle[edit]
National Cycle route 25 or alternatively the Stour Valley Way long distance path
By plane[edit]
Compton Abbas Airfield
Get around[edit]
- Infrequent local buses with very few routes.
- Star Taxis, ☏ +44 1747 822228.
- T A Taxis, ☏ +44 1747 821111.
See[edit]
- 1 Stourhead, near Mere, BA12 6QD, ☏ +44 1747 841152, stourhead@nationaltrust.org.uk. National Trust gardens.
- 2 St. Georges Church, Langham Lane. A thatched church built in 1921 as a memorial to the first world war.
- 3 The local museum, Chantry Fields, SP8 4UA, ☏ +44 1747 826235. M 10AM-1PM, Tu Th F 10AM-5PM, Sa 9:30AM-4PM. Free, donations welcome..
- Ecliffe Mill. and the river Stour
Do[edit]
- 1 Zig Zag Hill (On the B3081). Ascend Top Gear's favourite, Zig Zag Hill purportedly the bendiest road in the UK. Comparable to the alpine roads in Switzerland.
- Culver’s Farm Fishery, ☏ +44 1747 822466. Carp, bream, roach and tench fishing.
- Walk the Stour Valley Way which follows the river Stour from its source at Stourhead to the sea at Christchurch.
Events[edit]
- Carnival processions in October. [1]
Buy[edit]
- Neal's Yard Remedies Factory and shop, Peacemarsh, ☏ +44 845 262 3145.
- Chester Jefferies Ltd, ☏ +44 1747 822629. Glove manufacturers, Factory and shop. Makes a speciality of gloves for the film industry.
Eat[edit]
Drink[edit]
Sleep[edit]
- 1 The Ship Inn & Hotel, West Stour, ☏ +44 1747 838640. Country pub and restaurant with 5 rooms.
Connect[edit]
Go next[edit]
Routes through Gillingham |
Exeter ← Wincanton ← | W E | → Stonehenge → London |