Dorset: Country and Coast S01E05 - Episode 5

This episode begins in the market town of Shaftesbury in the north of Dorset. Offering stunning views over the Blackmore Vale, this picturesque hill-top town is where you'll find Gold Hill. We visit on the day of the annual Gold Hill Cheese Race to watch competitors of all ages sprinting up the cobbled street carrying large replica cheeses - all hoping to be crowned King or Queen of the hill.

Dorset's wildlife is rich and varied. In late spring, the county's shallow warmer shores attract an endangered and extremely rare species: the native Spiny seahorse. Experts take us on a dive to show us the seahorses in their natural habitat, and we explore the pioneering work being done in Studland Bay to protect the sea grass forests, where one of Britain's largest seahorse colonies lives.

One way to see the stunning Dorset coastline is from the water, and afternoon tea on the Dorset Queen offers the chance to do just that in style. Or, if you don't fancy a cream tea, the county also hosts the World Nettle Eating Contest, where competitors race to eat as many stinging nettles as they can in half an hour.

Dorset offers all sorts of accommodation, from luxury hotels to campsites and even luxury treehouses. In a woodland retreat near Beaminster, Guy Mallinson has designed and built three unique treehouses. The woodland surroundings ooze tranquillity, while touches like hot tubs, pizza ovens and revolving wood burning stoves make this a luxurious place to stay.