Special Places to Stay - More than a bed for the night

Enchanting – and at the top of the most famous cobbled hill in the country. Park at the bottom and puff your way up – like the Hovis boy in the ad. Centuries ago the cottage was a butchers; now it glows, and spreads itself over four floors of low beams, oak floorboards, beautiful cream carpets and deep-hide-in recesses. Pale walls juxtapose with rich silks and tapestries, carved oak mirrors and charming reclamation finds. The farmhouse kitchen has smart worktops, a modern Aga, a Nespresso machine. Breakfast on a welcome pack of Dorset goodies; fling open the doors to the delightful, steep-terraced garden, with heavenly views over Blackmore Vale. There's a music room with a baby grand, a sitting room with a wood-burner. On the first floor are two single rooms and a double with a window seat overlooking the hill. Up to the master room under the rafters, its tiny shower room as enticing as the rest. A bathroom with a basin set in a chunk of elm and a wet room on the ground floor are further luxuries. Shaftesbury is a favourite with artists, writers and musicians, rich in history and cafés and restaurants.