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Like the shaggy hippie Lord Bath (also famed for his propensity for shagging with he has 70 'wifelets') who dreams of autonomy for the ancient kingdom of Wessex, we're going to expand our horizons beyond Dorset's borders and look at the West Country as an entity in itself. We're guessing that if you're taking the trouble to drive to Dorset - perhaps from a faraway land - you'll be curious about the bigger regional picture. After all, the West Country vibe is very much a state of mind. Somewhere around the stone circles of Avebury, Wiltshire, the traveller crosses an invisible line.... He has now entered the West County proper. And through Dorset, Somerset, Devon and down into Cornwall, there's a mysterious aura that binds it all. 
Besides all the solstice shenanigans of Stonehenge and Avebury, there's another New Age mecca that hosts one of the biggest popular events in Europe - Glastonbury. The young and the young at heart should make a beeline for this annual fest. It's just over the Dorset border in Somerset. Other music festivals in the region include the revived Isle of Wight Festival, and the more low key Beautiful Days Festival in Devon. The former two sell out fast so book well in advance if you're keen.
Many travellers come to Dorset on the Thomas Hardy trail, and literary travellers have a summer bonus in the form of the Port Eliot Lit Fest. Held at a huge country house owned by the Earl of St. Germans, it's hosted some of finest minds in the literary world. It's a drive west in Cornwall.
Back in Dorset proper, you've got annual classics such as The Great Dorset Steam Fair, the Wimborne Folk Festival and the Sherborne Castle Country Fair to get stuck into. There's always lots of fun stuff on, often catering to a local crowd, so you'll get a good sense of the community. We'll be posting news of both the big belters and the cosy local capers in our events database, so whether it's a Spring flower show you're after or a bonkers rock festival, we've got you covered.
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Above: Getting into the spirit at the Endorse it festival
Centre: Who left their phone on?
Below: A cheeky party-goer at the legendary Slinky in Bournemouth 
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