Isle of Purbeck
Discover Dorset

Twenty years after Paul Hyland’s Purbeck: The Ingrained Island was hailed as a classic, the Dovecote Press commissioned this little book as part of the Discover Dorset series. Hyland took the chance to look at Purbeck from new angles and come up with a fresh and insightful portrait of a remarkable place.

Despite its popularity, few corners of England hold as many secret delights as the Isle of Purbeck – or remain so unspoilt. With a past dominated by the marble and stone industry, and a present by the ruins of Corfe Castle and the largest onshore oilfield in Europe, Purbeck’s charm continues to beguile both visitors and residents alike. Wild heathland, windswept heights, as intoxicating a coast as any in Britain, a concentration of miniature landscapes packed into some sixty square miles – the paradoxical “little paradise” so vividly unfolded by Paul Hyland still retains its unique character.