Georgina Allen's favourite family holiday: Studland, Corfe Castle and Lulworth Cove

by Georgina Allen

Our holiday in Dorset in 2007 just worked really well – despite torrential rain pretty much every day.  We stayed at a friend’s beautiful house in Langton Matravers on the Isle of Purbeck and had friends and family pop in and out over our three weeks there. Purbeck was heaven for a small boy and his nostalgic mother: in the mornings we would go on the steam train up to Corfe Castle and pretend to be knights, then we’d pop down to lovely Studland Beach, where we frolicked in the waves and explored.  It’s a gorgeous beach perfect for families, with lots of sand, small-scale facilities and acres of space.

Other days we went up to the Jurassic Coast on a fossil hunt, or watched the jousting at Lulworth Castle before flopping down in Lulworth Cove to watch the waves crashing through the famous arch.  We had a ball; it was like going back 50 years, to the holidays that my dad used to describe.  I half-expected boys in long shorts and catapults to come gallivanting over the hills. 

Our best ‘Boy’s Own’ moment occurred one morning at Corfe Castle, with my sister and her four boys. We were interrupted in the middle of a treasure hunt by the sound of a steam whistle, and seconds later the Red Arrows roared past and a whole bevy of teddy bears parachuted off the top of the highest tower.  We just stood and laughed, before trekking down the hill to Corfe village to have some lemon pop.

I’ve always wanted to be one of the Famous Five and this was as good as it gets.

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