Highcliffe sits at the far eastern edge of BCP, past Christchurch, close enough to the New Forest that its shops deliver into SO41 postcodes. It has a castle on the clifftop, a Blue Flag beach, a quay, and — unusually for a village this size — a high street where nearly every name above the door is somebody's own.
It also, for reasons nobody has satisfactorily explained, has three Chinese takeaways.
The castle and the water
Highcliffe Castle is why most people come: Grade I listed, on the clifftop, open ten till four, with exhibitions that change through the year. It doubles as an events venue, so check before you plan a visit around it.
A short way west, Avon Beach is sandy and Blue Flag, at the point where Christchurch Bay starts. Haven House Inn is on Mudeford Quay itself, with the Isle of Wight across the water, and Mudeford Rocks is a few minutes' walk from the quay, open daily for coffee and food made on the day.
Eating
Bistro My Way Ltd is a French bistro in the middle of the village that writes a new menu every month and runs a specials board besides. The Paddle opens early for locally roasted coffee and a cooked breakfast.
And the three takeaways, which are genuinely different from one another. Chinatown is the longest established, cooking to order for collection only. Honeymoon Chinese Takeaway cooks without MSG, opens seven days and delivers locally for free. Top Chef sits at Highcliffe Corner and delivers across BH23, BH25 and into SO41.
The high street
Nearly all of it is on or just off Lymington Road.
Butcher Joe's was named Best Butchers in Dorset in its first year of trading, which is either beginner's luck or a very good butcher. Flowers by Design has been the village florist since 2004 and buys only top-grade stock, all year. Crystal World opened in 1988 and has customers who have been coming for thirty-seven years.
Lauren Matthews Home sells the owner's own homeware range alongside small ethical makers. New Forest and Dorset Brides carries gowns, bridesmaids and ex-sample dresses. Lewis-Manning Hospice Care runs the charity shop, staffed by volunteers, and the stock is better than most.
Everyday things
Howie & Tickner Opticians is independent and uses current imaging for complex prescriptions and eye disease, which matters more than it sounds in a village with this age profile. Dorset Denture Clinic is a denturist making and fitting to any budget.
Blades Barbering is on Lymington Road, one of two Blades shops locally. The Glow Lounge is a tanning salon on the same road that will tell you to rest between sessions, which is more than some do. All Electric Tattoo Company is run by the artist Dominic Drake and his wife Shon.
Just outside the village, Coastal Garden Buildings plans, builds and installs garden buildings to order.
Know somewhere in Highcliffe that ought to be on this list? Send it over and we will add it.