Shaftesbury
Shaftesbury is a historic hill top town in northern Dorset, southern England.
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Get in
By car
On A30 between London and Exeter, and the A350 between Poole and Chippenham.
By train
The best way to get to Shaftesbury, if you don't have a car, is by train. Take Southwest Trains from London Waterloo to Gillingham, Dorset. There are friendly and cheap taxi drivers who can take you on to Shaftesbury. In 2008 the trip cost £10.
Get around
Map of Shaftesbury
See
- 1 Gold Hill. Shaftesbury's most notable site to see. It is famous for being featured in Hovis Bread advertisements.
- 2 Gold Hill Museum, Gold Hill, SP7 8JW, ☏ +44 1747 852157, enquiries@goldhillmuseum.org.uk. 10:30AM-4:30PM. Museum dedicated to Gold Hill displays many artefacts that relate to the history of Shaftesbury and the surrounding area, including Dorset's oldest fire engine, dating from 1744 Free, donations welcomed.
- 3 Shaftesbury Abbey Museum & Gardens, Park Walk, SP7 8JR, ☏ +44 1747 852910, user@shaftesburyabbey.fsnet.co.uk. 1st Apr - 31st Oct: 10AM-5PM. tells the story of the abbey and also has a herb garden and medieval orchard Adult: £4, Concessions: £3, Children (accompanied, 16 and under): Free.
- 4 Old Wardour Castle, Nr Tisbury, SP3 6RR (7 miles east of Shaftesbury off A30 3 1⁄2 miles SW of Tisbury.), ☏ +44 1747 870487. Partially ruined, turreted, 14th-century, fortified residence with panoramic views. adults £5.90, child (5-17 years) £3.50, concessions £5.30.
Do
Festivals
- Shaftesbury snowdrops festival. Annually, 1 week in February. Visit the Heritage Collection of Snowdrops in Shaftesbury Abbey, join a Snowdrop walk through the town or participate in the festival events. The grand final is the Snowdrop Lantern Parade on Sunday evening.
- Gold Hill Fair. Usually occurs in the first weekend of July and has food stalls, arts stalls and local music that can be found in the abbey ruins.
Buy
Eat
- 1 The Salt Cellar, Gold Hill Parade, ☏ +44 1747 851838. Mon - Sat 09:00 - 17:00. Cafe, vegetarian-friendly
Drink
Sleep
There are many charming B&Bs in and around Shaftesbury.
- 1 La Fleur de Lys, Bleke St SP7 8AW, ☏ +44 1747 853717. Pleasant restaurant with rooms at north edge of town centre. No dogs. B&B double from £110.
- 2 Royal Chase Hotel (Best Western), SP7 8DB (near Royal Chase Roundabout), ☏ +44 844 387 6034.
- Grosvenor Arms, High St SP7 8JA, ☏ +44 1747 850580. Excellent hotel in an old coaching inn, gets great scores for comfort, service and cuisine. B&B double from £120.
Go next
| Routes through Shaftesbury |
| Yeovil ← Sherborne ← | W  E |
→ Salisbury |