Visit Wareham a historic, riverside town

Did you know that Wareham is one of the few remaining Saxon walled towns in England? Explore the town’s 2000 years of history by taking a walk around the Wareham Walls to find out about Viking attacks, civil war skirmishes and gruesome executions!

Wareham is a pretty riverside town where the rivers Frome and Piddle meet. Enjoy a delicious meal at one of the eateries, browse the interesting and unique shops or go for a walk and surround yourself with rolling hills and beautiful views.

The villages of Wool, West Lulworth and Moreton are only a short distance away. Discover the Jurassic Coast, visit the Tank Museum or follow in the footsteps of the famous adventurer and writer T.E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia).

Exploring Wareham

Wareham Town Museum is a great place to discover local history and learn about the town’s connections with T.E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia). St Martin’s church features a striking effigy of T.E. Lawrence, lying in full Arab dress. He was based at nearby Bovington Camp and his retreat where he spent much of his time writing, Clouds Hill, is just a short drive from Wareham.

The town’s Quay is a lively meeting place and has lots of events and activities, plus a weekly market on Saturdays. Why not hire a boat, have a picnic or just sit and watch the river flow by?

Fun for all ages in Wareham

For the energetic there are forest bike rides and river kayaking, the little ones can feed lambs and take a tractor-trailer ride, and for the not-so-little there are historic castles and tranquil beauty spots nearby.

Some of Dorset’s most loved attractions are near Wareham. Meet the rescued lemurs, orangutans and apes at Monkey World or have the biggest day out in history at the Tank Museum.

Eating Out and Takeaways

If you’re looking for somewhere to have a bite to eat, you are spoilt for choice with nearly 30 cafés, pubs, restaurants and tea rooms catering for every taste and budget.

From a simple sandwich to take on a picnic up to an elegant candlelit dinner in a country house hotel, Wareham has lots of variety when choosing the perfect place for something to eat or drink.

Buy local in Wareham

Wareham’s high street has plenty of individual and interesting shops, from galleries and boutiques to vintage and gifts. There’s lots of opportunity to get something truly unique as a memento of your visit to Dorset.

You can also do your food shopping locally too at our supermarkets, farmers markets, butchers, bakers and farm shops. So you can get everything you need when you arrive and you’ll be sure it’s the freshest and tastiest too!

Events and festivals

Barely a day goes past when there isn’t an event taking place in or near Wareham – from film and music festivals to carnivals and river races – you’ll always find something to entertain you during your visit.