DORSET has a lot going for it - but how many locals truly appreciate what's on their doorstep?

Well, Tim Sanders, for one. Woolborn and bred ("strong in the arm and thick in the head" - his words, not mine), he now lives in Charminster, Bournemouth, and has just set up a business to show people the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site and some of the area's other delights.

He used to work in information technology, and travelled extensively around the world, but long felt there was untapped potential to take visitors, and even locals, on day trips around the haunts where he grew up. Hence, his new company, Discover Dorset.

"World Heritage status is extremely important and prestigious," he said. "It puts the Dorset coast up there with the Grand Canyon and Great Barrier Reef.

"But when I looked into the possibility of seeing the coast using public transport, I realised that it would actually be quite difficult.

"And doing it independently would present different problems, like where to go, where to start, where to park, how to beat the traffic and so on.

"By offering guided tours, I can take away the hassle - and also use my local knowledge to show people the little gems that lie off the beaten track.

"It's also good for the environment if there's a group of people in one mini-bus rather than several smaller groups in separate cars."

I joined Tim on a typical tour, involving a pick-up outside Bournemouth Pavilion at 8.20am. "It's better to set off early," he said. "That way we can beat the queues to get on the ferry over to Purbeck."

And sure enough our mini-bus turned up at the Sandbanks chain ferry just in time for departure, enabling us to drive on without queuing and make the short crossing before 9am.

Tim, 35, pointed out the world's second largest natural harbour, and Wytch Farm, the largest on-shore oilfield in the UK, before pulling in to Studland and leading us on the short walk to Fort Henry, one of Britain's most important relics from the Second World War.

A low, squat, concrete structure, 90ft long with walls almost 3ft thick, this was where, on April 18 1944, King George VI, Prime Minister Winston Churchill, General Sir Bernard Montgomery and General Dwight D Eisenhower watched Allied forces training for the D-Day invasion in Operation Smash.

The fort, owned by the National Trust, has only been open to the public for the past two years.

After a brief stop by the Isle of Purbeck golf club to take in the stunning vista over the harbour and along the coast to the Isle of Wight, we took a stroll around an ancient stone circle in Rempstone Forest. All right, it may not have been Stonehenge, but it was a hidden gem, as Tim had promised.

"People ask me why they put up this stone circle in amongst the trees," said our genial guide for the day. "But, of course, the trees weren't here until long after."

And the significance of the circle? "Well, it was probably a sort of seasonal clock, casting shadows on the ground to show the best times to sow crops and so on."

Our next stop was Durlston Head, near Swanage, with its splendid Victorian castle and wonderful coast walks.

We called in for a chat with volunteer dolphin watchers Joe and Margaret Whaley, and Tim told us a bit about the local wildlife and how this dramatic coastline had evolved over the past 185 million years or so.

We had a couple of hours for lunch and a gentle meander around Corfe Castle before heading towards Lulworth via picturesque Worth Matravers and some of the stone quarries on which the Purbeck economy was literally built for so many years.

Fossil hunting at Kimmeridge Bay was only briefly interrupted by a rain shower, but even that wasn't a problem as we nipped in to the Purbeck Marine Wildlife Reserve Centre with some very hands-on displays and a fascinating glimpse at life underwater through the live-link seabed camera.

The dramatic coastline at Lulworth looked even more superb in the sunshine, and the climb up to the best vantage point for photos of the famous "crumple" rock formation merited a well-deserved ice cream back at sea level.

Our final port of call was T E Lawrence's grave at Moreton,

and then it was back to Bournemouth in time for dinner, tired but well and truly clued up about our own patch.

Discover Dorset can also arrange tailor-made trips. The day tour outlined above costs £25 for adults, £20 for students and children under 16. Call 01202 557 007 or visit www.discoverdorset.co.uk