Read on to discover some of the local attractions you can enjoy while staying at one of our Dorset cottages. This gem of a county features all that is best in rural England - rolling hills, gorse heaths, traditional Dorset cottages, woodland and hedgerows running down to the one of the finest coastlines in England. The unspoiled coastline is ever-changing over its 90 miles which take in dramatic cliff-top walks, safe beaches and seaside resorts with charming Dorset coastal cottages.
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To the east of the county the visitor encounters the natural harbour of Christchurch and charming beach huts of Mudeford Spit. Travelling west, the coast takes in the popular resort of Bournemouth and continues towards Poole where Brownsea Island lies in one of the world's largest natural harbours, famous as a red squirrel sanctuary and the birthplace of Scouting. Next, the traveller encounters Purbeck Island, in reality a peninsula guarded by the spectacular ruins of Corfe Castle. Here, the award-winning Swanage Railway offers a great way of getting around. Westwards lie the fabulous beaches of Studland Bay, the landmark of Old Harry's Rock and resort of Swanage.
However, the coastal attractions are far from exhausted. Continuing west, Lulworth Cove is reached. If staying at one of our Dorset coastal cottages a visit here is a must. A short cliff-top walk leads the visitor to the natural chalk arch of Durdle Door, featured on many postcards. Nearby Ringstead Bay is a hidden gem with its shingle beach transformed to sand as the tide recedes. Flanked by high chalk cliffs, there are fabulous views over to the resort and fishing port of Weymouth from here. Beyond Weymouth lies the remarkable Chesil Bank, a shingle beach stretching 15 miles to Bridport, lying just inland. The next coastal town of note is pretty Lyme Regis, the 'Pearl of Dorset', renowned for its long harbour wall - The Cobb - full of character and history. This stretch of coastline is a World Heritage site, so rich in fossils that it bears the name Jurassic Coast. There are excellent fossil-hunting opportunities to be had whilst holidaying in one of our Dorset coastal cottages.
Holiday cottages in Dorset bring to mind scenes of rural tranquillity and for traditional thatched holiday cottages Dorset is the place to look. The landscape of this county's interior has a pastoral charm immortalised by Thomas Hardy, who set his novels here. He turned the county town of Dorchester, close to where he was born, into Casterbridge. Thousands of visitors arrive each year to explore the real-life locations of his novels Far from the Madding Crowd, Jude the Obscure and The Mayor of Casterbridge. The historic market town of Shaftesbury and its steep cobbled street Gold Hill (immortalised in that Hovis advert) draws visitors to admire the charming ranks of Dorset cottages.
Few other towns in Britain have such a wealth of unspoilt medieval buildings as Sherbourne, while the twin towers of the magnificent Minster church dominate the market town of Wimbourne Minster. At Cerne Abbas the abbey ruins and infamous - if rather rude - chalk giant can be admired. In the folding hills of West Dorset lies Beaminster. This little market town once thrived on wool and sailcloth, leaving a legacy of fine Georgian buildings and picturesque 17th-century Dorset cottages. Glorious walks abound here as Beaminster stands at the head of Dorset's 'Hidden Valley', the historic Vale of the River Brit, whose tranquil beauty hides rare flowers and old water mills. From our selection of holiday cottages in Dorset all these attractions await your exploration.
Places to visit in Dorset
Poole
Dorset has some of the best beaches in the country, especially in and around Poole Harbour. One of the largest natural harbours in the world it boasts five islands, fabulous scenery, wonderful wildlife and exhilarating watersports. Poole's premier Blue Flag Beach is three miles of golden sand along the Sandbanks peninsula in Poole Bay. It has flown the European Blue Flag more times than any other British resort - for 20 years - and was rated among the top five beaches in the country by a Tidy Britain Group resort survey. Across the harbour entrance is the wilder Studland Beach, three miles of gently sloping, sandy beach backed by grassy dunes stretching towards the limestone cliffs of Ballard Down, including the famous Old Harry's Rocks.
One of our Dorset cottages in Poole.
Lulworth Cove & Durdle Door
Lulworth Cove is an almost perfectly circular bay with pebble shores flanked by high cliffs. A short, albeit energetic walk, along the coastal path leads to the natural limestone arch called Durdle Door, one of the most photographed and famous parts of Dorset's coastline and two small, busy shingle beaches separated by the rock formation.
One of our Dorset cottages near Lulworth.
Chesil Beach
Chesil Beach is a 16-mile long shingle beach stretching from West Bay near Bridport to The Isle of Portland. Pebbles are graded from east to west - the largest at the Portland end. Fishermen coming ashore in fog are said to have been able to tell where they were from the size of the pebbles. Perhaps not the best beach for bathers, it is nevertheless a sight to behold and worth a visit. A walk along the beach starting either at West Bay, Abbotsbury or Ferrybridge is the best way to experience it (but very tiring). Those searching for the hotel featured in the novel On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan might be disappointed to know that it does not exist.
One of our Dorset cottages near Chesil Beach.
Abbotsbury
Abbotsbury is an old village lying amongst the hills behind the great Chesil Bank and best known for its swannery. This bird sanctuary is over 600 years old and nestles in the lagoon behind the Chesil Bank.
One of our Dorset cottages nearAbbotsbury.
Lyme Regis
The picturesque seaside town of Lyme Regis lies on the county border with Devon and is full of atmosphere. A narrow maze of streets and shops wind their way down to the ancient Cobb harbour with its spectacular sea views and safe, sandy beach. The Cobb has been a haven for shipping from the time it was built and made famous, more recently, as the location of the film The French Lieutenant's Woman. Starring Meryl Streep and Jeremy Irons the book was written by the late, resident local author John Fowles.
One of our Dorset cottages near Lyme Regis.
Dorchester
Dorchester is deep in the heart of Thomas Hardy's Wessex. He turned the county's unremarkable capital - close to where he was born - into Casterbridge, and thousands of visitors come here each year to see the real-life locations of Far from the Madding Crowd, Jude the Obscure and The Mayor of Casterbridge. On the outskirts is Poundbury, Prince Charles' most famous attempt at town planning - designed in a traditional Dorset style and built with local materials. Worth a visit, it does however seem to split opinions on its merits.
One of our Dorset cottages near Dorchester.
Bridport
Bridport is a vibrant market town dominated by a Georgian town hall and broad, wide open streets offering views of the countryside beyond. The town is also one of the gateways to the Jurassic Coast, which has been awarded World Heritage Site status, being just a couple of miles inland from the seaside village of West Bay. Nestled between the spectacular East and West cliffs, it has a wide sandy beach split by the harbour entrance.
One of our Dorset cottages in Bridport.
Beaminster
Beaminster is a prosperous little market town which once thrived on wool and sailcloth. It contains some fine examples of Georgian buildings and picturesque 17th-century Dorset cottages. Glorious walks abound as Beaminster stands at the head of Dorset's 'Hidden Valley' the historic Vale of the River Brit. Little has changed over the centuries in this secluded valley whose tranquil beauty hides rare flowers and old water mills. The Brit Valley Way takes you from the sea cliffs of the Jurassic Coast at West Bay through floodplains and grassy pastures. Above Beaminster the trail takes you up the chalk hills of Beaminster Downs with panoramic views of the West Dorset countryside.
One of our Dorset cottages near Beaminster.
Yetminster
Yetminster is a hidden gem. Described as the best stone-built village in the South of England, most of the buildings at the centre of the village are constructed from the local yellowy-orange limestone, including a remarkable number of 17th-century buildings which were originally farmhouses. Its sleepy, old-fashioned feel is mostly due to its lack of through traffic. Six times a day the bells of the Minster of St. Andrew chime out the National Anthem. The bells belong to a faceless clock, 300 years old, with the chimes incorporated to celebrate Queen Victoria's Jubilee.
One of our Dorset cottages near Yetminster.
Blandford Forum
Blandford Forum is a busy market town on the River Stour between the rolling chalk downlands of the Cranborne Chase and a trio of ancient hill forts with views over Blackmore Vale. There are many idyllic villages in the area including those of the Tarrant and Winterborne valleys and Milton Abbas. This attractive village holds the distinction of being the first planned settlement in England. It was founded in 1780 when the Earl of Dorchester decided that the old village ruined the view from his new mansion at Milton Abbey. So he decided to move it in its entirety over a nearby hill, creating today's delightful village of whitewashed and thatched cottages lining a broad street.
One of our Dorset cottages near Blandford Forum.
Sturminster Newton
Sturminster Newton is a small, traditional north Dorset town in the Blackmore Vale. It lies on a meander of the River Stour, across which spans a six-arched 17th-century bridge. The town centre is the stuff of picture postcards. It comprises a mixture of traditional 16th and 17th-century cottages and Georgian stone buildings. It features charming shops and market stalls fill the square on Mondays. The town comes alive with the annual Cheese Festival - held in September - which has been known to attract local celebrity chefs like River Cottage-based Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall.
One of our Dorset cottages near Sturminster Newton.
Shaftesbury
Shaftesbury is one of England's most scenically located and charming historic market towns. Perched on a hill it overlooks north Dorset - the green rolling hills of Blackmore Vale and the chalk hills of Cranborne Chase. It is a town full of character made famous by the Hovis advert that featured Gold Hill - the steep, cobbled street lined with its unique thatched and tiled cottages.
One of our Dorset cottages in Shaftesbury.
Sherborne
Sherborne is a town of mellow-stoned buildings, two impressive castles and an abbey set amidst green valleys and wooded hills. The countryside around here was the setting for Hardy's Tess of the D'Urbervilles - with Sherborne renamed as Sherton Abbas in the book The spectacular 'new' castle, built in the 16th-century by Sir Walter Raleigh, lies on the opposite bank of Sherborne Lake to the ruins of the 'old' castle, destroyed by siege in the 17th-century. Sherborne Abbey has an impressive fan-vaulted roof and stained glass windows, as well as a 15th-century almshouse in its shadow.
One of our Dorset cottages near Sherborne.Cottages close to Dorset
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