Inspiration

Perfect Dorset cottages for a weekend of quiet contemplation

Guest Expert

5 min read

Dorset has a honey-coloured aura about it, a gentle glow that offers balm to the soul, so where better to aim for when you’re in need of a restorative weekend break. Hidden away in glorious countryside, or tucked in pretty villages and hamlets, we’ve picked a few of the cosiest places to spend a quiet and contemplative couple of days. There will be lakes to plunge in, the Jurassic Coast to wonder at, tranquil gardens to help you feel at peace. Country pubs and really good restaurants if you fancy venturing out but glowing wood-burners and neat kitchens if you just want to hunker down. Here are a few perfect places to get away from the busy world so you can return to the fray feeling refreshed and renewed.

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The Store at Wellhayes

A romantic retreat for two beside a glassy lake, circled by wooded countryside. In summer you’ll be out on the terrace lounger or swinging in the lakeside hammock. The brave can plunge into the fresh water when they want to cool off and there’s a little rowing boat for pottering around in. Or light the fire and feel cosy even when the weather is doing its worst. It’ll be dramatic viewing through the big windows. Dip into the welcome hamper of local eggs, bread and fruit as you plan a tranquil weekend pottering about the Jurassic Coast. Return and open a good bottle of French wine – another treat from the hamper – while you rustle up dinner with local goodies from the nearby farm shop.

Owner James: Dog owners can take advantage of a short circular route around the valley in the morning or something altogether more ambitious.

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West Cottage

A cosy village cottage surrounded by three acres of deliciously wild gardens with hidden nooks and crannies, a paddock, and the River Piddle drifting through. Find fresh bread, good coffee, milk and flowers as a welcome, and a bundle of games, books, comfy sofas and a wood burner to keep things cosy. It’s a relaxed place and you’re welcome to splash in owner Lucy’s outdoor pool in summer – she lives next door but you’re nicely private, with an al fresco dining area and barbecue. Bridleways can be joined directly from the house, and it’s a hop, skip and a jump to the village pub and shop.

Owner Lucy: We’re walking distance from six pubs, two are less than 5 mins walk, and two really excellent dining pubs are only a mile away.

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Garden House

You stay in a wooden clad retreat with uninterrupted views in the middle of a tiny hamlet on the side of a hill that feels like the middle of nowhere. Utterly peaceful but you’re just three miles from Sherborne. Tucked in Andrew and Susan’s colourful garden, they set you up with a basket of breakfast goodies, a stack of books and games for rainy days and a piano should you feel inspired. Ask Susan about borrowing bikes, and feel free to use the swimming pool and tennis court. Stroll across the fields to The Mitre Pub, return to light the barbecue, before settling down to watch the alpacas in their paddock from the back deck, and the swallows on a summer’s evening.

Owner Susan: There’s something special to see around Holway throughout the year: masses of wildflowers; bluebells galore; our resident swallows and an abundance of wildlife.

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Stable Cottage

Settle in for a tranquil slice of country life in this very comfortable, courtyard conversion with its views over tree-lined lawns to woodland spiked by the village church tower and Corton Hill. You’ve your own small, sheltered garden and are welcome to wander the wider manor grounds, admiring the billowing herbaceous borders, prolific vegetable garden, rare trees, orchards and lake. Stroll to the award-winning Queens Arms, next door, for a dinner of fresh produce from the walled garden, then return for a cosy evening in front of the wood burner in the immaculate, quintessentially English retreat.

Owner Jane: The ancient town of Sherborne, where many independent shops thrive and there are regular markets, is 4 miles away.

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Wellhouse and Wellhayes

Gaze at the lake from the large deck, take to the surface on a boat, or plunge in, if you dare. The quiet countryside all around is just the ticket for nurturing the soul. Wander the woods with red kites overhead, walk to Lyme Regis in under an hour for sublime seafood at Hix Oyster and Fish House or a fossil hunt on Monmouth Beach. Back at base, the contemporary house and barn are lovely light-filled spaces, full of handmade furniture, both with roaring wood burners, comfy beds and nifty kitchens. Laze in the hammock – you won’t want to leave.

Owner James: Numerous footpaths and bridleways connect to the house to enable one to walk or cycle into the surrounding countryside, Lyme Regis and the Jurassic Coast.

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Mill House

This brick and flint flour mill, niftily modernised into an open-plan space, brims with light and good cheer. With heaps of space, you can lark about in the garden when it’s warm or hunker downstairs on orange bean bags and watch a film when it’s not. Walks are superb from the door (you’ll find maps) and there’s a tennis court, little village shop and a good pub, The Thimble Inn at Piddlehinton, less than two miles away. Barbecue on the terrace with views of the river and feel at peace.

Owner Julie: Striking distance from the Jurassic Coast. Visit the Purbecks and Corfe Castle, Durdle Door, Lulworth Cove, Abbotsbury, West Bay or Golden Cap. Easy access to the popular beaches of Ringstead, Mupe Bay, Weymouth and Studland.

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Carmen McCormack

Guest Expert

Carmen is a freelance writer specialising in travel. She once lived in a bus in north Wales, skipped off to study in Barcelona, and now calls Bristol home. When she’s not tapping away on her laptop, she can be found reading (a lot), lake swimming (a little), and pottering on the allotment with husband and two kiddos. She’s currently dreaming about cold cerveza and torta in Mexico.

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