VIEWERS were treated to more scenes of Dorset at its most picturesque on Channel 5.

Dorset: Country and Coast provided a visual treat for those familiar with the county and potential holidaymakers alike.

Quirky happenings in the county were the order of this, the fifth episode in the six part series shown at 8pm on Wednesday, August 23.

Cameras called in at the Gold Hill cheese race in Shaftesbury and also the World Nettle Eating Championships at the Dorset Nectar Cider farm in Waytown, Bridport.

The highlight had to be seeing if champion nettle eater Lindie could take the crown again. The previous year she ate eight times her own height in nettle stalks.

This segment of the programme came with repeated warnings about the danger of eating raw nettles, with narrator Alan Titchmarsh reassuring us that ‘each person here is prepared to take the health risks’.

The title of women’s nettle eating champion wasn’t to be for Lindie, who couldn’t keep up with Beth, who managed to eat 60ft of nettles and was crowned the new champion!

Disappointingly, Lindie says: “I’m retiring gracefully – or gracelessly!”

The Bridport News attended and covered the contest at the time and you can read the full report, including winners, here. 

Also in the Channel 5 programme, we saw some very special inhabitants of Dorset’s 88 miles of coastline.

It’s home to Britain’s native spiny seahorse. We saw the efforts of those who work tirelessly to protect the endangered species by encouraging boat owners to use floating eco-mooring instead of dropping damaging anchors.

Appetites were whetted by footage of the Dorset Queen vessel at Poole Quay taking visitors on a cruise of Poole Harbour and Sandbanks peninsula, including a delicious looking cream tea.

Unique accommodation was on view in the Beaminster area where tourists from as far away as New England USA, were flocking to stay in tree house holiday homes.

With prices up to £500, cameras took us inside the most luxurious tree house with its rooftop bath and cosy hi-tech directional fire. We could see how much work goes into preparing them for the next guest.

Next week’s programme – sadly the last in this popular series – promises to take us out on shift with Poole’s harbour patrol.

There’ll also be a tribute to the days of steam on Poole Quay and a chance to see some stunning village gardens at the open gardens event at Cerne Abbas.

If you missed Dorset: Country and Coast, you can see it on Channel 5’s catch up service My 5 or see the repeat on Sunday at 7pm.