Four of our favourite dog-friendly places to stay in Dorset
Dorset is a delight. Home to the awe-inspiring Jurassic Coast, a UNESCO World Heritage Site strung with hidden bays, towering cliffs and beaches just waiting to be combed for fossils. Happily it doesn’t get quite as busy as neighbouring Devon or Cornwall, so it’s a great bet for a self-catering holiday with your dog. Base yourself at one of our lovely cottages and discover charming towns, tire out four-legs and two on superb coast and country walks, then return to snuggle in front of a cosy fire, glass of wine in hand. We make sure that all our dog-friendly places to stay are exactly that, properly kitted out for you to bring your furry pal on holiday, so expect treats, towels and great walk ideas as standard.
Oak Barn at Wooden Cabbage
Dogs are welcome by prior arrangement, £35 per week.
Leafy lanes and a private drive lead you to this lovely Green Oak Barn next to the owners’ hamstone house hidden in rolling West Dorset. Views are of colourful gardens and fields – a super spot for your dog to scamper – and there are lots of walks from the door: a favourite is a four-mile route into Melbury Park and on to the pub in Evershot, where there’s a hose in the garden for muddy paws. Inside the Oak Barn, your spacious open-plan flat has a giant bed, little kitchen area and comfy sofas. Spot deer, foxes, and swallows and house martins dipping and diving over the garden. Listen to nightingales, watch wonderful sunsets or drive to the Jurassic coast for a day by the sea.
Owners Martyn & Susie: Lyme Regis is a 40-minute drive for great walks, fossil hunting at Charmouth, cafés and shops.
53 Durweston
£10 per dog per stay. Water bowl, food bowl and a doggie treat provided.
A carefully, classily renovated thatched 18th-century cottage, bursts with character and clutter-free style, with wood burners to dream in front of, a neat kitchen for creating delicious meals, and oh-so-pretty bedrooms upstairs, which are light and luxuriously carpeted, with views of the church, water meadows and woods beyond. Outside, a herb and flower-filled garden, secure for dogs to run around in, and gorgeous country and chalk ridge walks from the door. You’re in the quietest part of a very attractive Dorset village with a pub to ramble to and you’re only a ten-minute drive from Georgian Blandford. It’ll be hard to leave.
Owner Emma: The superb Iron Age hill fort of Hod Hill has the greatest views over rural Dorset and is home to spectacular wild flowers and butterflies.
Eastbury Cottage
£20 per dog, per night. Toy, bowl, treats and bed provided.
Everything you need for a lovely holiday is here. A roomy modern kitchen with all the gear, a sitting room with a big Inglenook fireplace and a wood-burner, books, games, Netflix for rainy days and Alexa to play your music. French doors lead out to the garden for al fresco suppers, a barbecue and a bubble in the hot tub. It’s a generous place with a hamper for you, and another treat-filled one for your dog. Amble through the deer park to Sherborne Castle, wash muddy boots and paws in the utility room, then relax before supper. If you’d rather not fend for yourselves just nip up the road to the hotel for meals, or to use the spa.
Owners: Enjoy a variety of picturesque walks through the winding meadows of Dorset. Pick up a walking brochure from the cottage and lose track of time exploring!
Short House Chesil Beach
Beach runs and towels for drying after splashing in the sea.
Drive through swaying pampas grass and umbrella pines to this bright pink cottage with deep blue sea shimmering behind. Sheep graze the surrounding National Trust farmland and you’ve only an unspoilt meadow between you and Chesil Beach. Find a large, sociable, open-plan kitchen – stock up with wine and Dorset delights in various farm shops and markets. There’s plenty of comfortable furniture, piles of DVDs, a swanky TV with Sky Q, good WiFi and a Bose speaker. Both bedrooms open onto a west-facing private terrace overlooking the garden – quite safe for dogs. Walk through a meadow to the beach or start wonderful coastal walks from the door.
Owner Andrew: Bridport, the quintessential market town, with a busy Saturday morning market and a brass band in the square by the Arts Centre, is 15 minutes away. The largest hat shop in the country is also there and is a very good place to buy a hat – they do wicked socks as well!
Written by
Carmen McCormack
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.
