Dog Friendly Holidays Dorset

Nestling in beautiful countryside just 12 miles from West Bay, these comfortable lodge style properties offer an ideal base from which to explore the Jurassic Coast and glorious landscape inland. Along with five caravans tucked into a field with grazing sheep behind them, they are within a short drive of the Abbotsbury Swannery, 5 miles, and subtropical gardens, and Weymouth, 7 miles, with its traditional seaside delights, beaches and sealife centre. Monkey World, the Bovington Tank Museum, Corfe Castle, the fascinating Maize Maze, Lulworth Cove, the Cerne Abbas Giant and historic town of Dorchester are among easily accessible attractions. Shop 0.5 miles, pub serving food 1 mile.

Blacksmith’s Cottage (ref UK10211) and Carpenters Cottage (ref UK10239) are two cottages located next door to each other in the popular area of Upwey in the Georgian seaside town of Weymouth, Dorset. They are newly built cottages, constructed in 2018, on land that was once used by the owner’s grandfather for his workshop. He could turn his hand to anything from carpentry, wheel wrights, metal works, painting and electrical. In fact there are very few if any, buildings in the village of Upwey that the owner’s grandfather has not worked on in the past. Over time the workshops had become run down and so the decision was made to redevelop the land with the construction of Blacksmith’s Cottage and Carpenters Cottage. Reflecting the owner’s grandfather’s love of carpentry and wood, the cottages are timber framed and their names have been chosen to echo the prior use of the land. Both properties offer countryside views from the front, as well as great walks. They are also on the main bus routes to explore Dorset while leaving the car behind. Weymouth itself boasts an award-winning golden sandy beach, picturesque harbour and ideally positioned along the UNESCO World Heritage Jurassic Coastline. A perfect spot for couples and families wanting to explore the beautiful surrounding areas of Dorset.
The UNESCO World Heritage Jurassic Coast is on your doorstep offering highlights such as Chesil Beach, whilst Abbotsbury, West Bay, Bridport, Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove are slightly further away. The Jurassic Coast is home to more than 300 coastal walks offering some breathtaking views across the 200 million year old shoreline. Dorset’s county town, Dorchester, is known as Thomas Hardy’s town and is home to Roman relics, Brewery Square and the pioneering, architectural royal develeopment of Poundbury. Take a trip to the Isle of Portland, host to the 2012 Olympic sailing events, and home to the world-famous National Sailing Academy. Chocolate box villages can be admired in many areas of Dorset. The swannery at Abbotsbury provides the opportunity to observe the resident colony of mute swans, which has been in existence since the 14th century. From late May, visitors can walk around the nesting area, observing the cygnets at close quarters. Another attraction at Abbotsbury are the sub-tropical gardens, which flourish in a site protected from the cold winds. Here you can find species rare to Britain, such as Japanese camellias and Casucasian wingnut. Other attractions close by include Monkey World, Bovington Tank Museum, Milton Abbey, Athelhampton House and the National Trust’s Corfe Castle. Slightly further afield, you can visit Swanage, Poole and Poole Quay. Poole harbour is the second largest natural harbour in the world, and from here you can take the ferry to Sandbanks or Brownsea Island Nature Reserve with its red squirrels. Why not also take a ferry and visit the Channel Islands of Guernsey and Jersey? Lyme Regis is also another hot spot to visit, known locally as the ’pearl of Dorset’, and is a great place for searching for fossils found in the cliffs and along the beach. If you love golf, Dorset’s Camedown Golf Course is just 2 miles away, and where the Ryder Cup was started. Beach 4 miles. Shop 3 miles, pub and restaurant 500 yards.
Blacksmith’s Cottage (ref UK10211) and Carpenters Cottage (ref UK10239) can be booked together to accommodate up to 8 guests.

The Retreat is a semi-detached, Grade II listed, stunning five bedroom country house nestled at the heart of the pretty Dorset Village of Burton Bradstock. Set just ½ mile from Hive Beach, on the world heritage Jurassic Coast, it’s perfectly located between Weymouth and Lyme Regis. The house itself is perfect for large family groups with stylish and flexible accommodation over three floors. The social hub is a large kitchen/dining room and is perfect to relax, cook and enjoy each other’s company. The stylishly furnished living room is the perfect space in which to relax after a busy day exploring.
The village of Burton Bradstock is a beautiful place to explore, with village inns, a restaurant and a superb café directly on Hive Beach. A little further afield is the harbour settlement of West Bay which is a spectacular place to while away a few hours. The pretty harbour has a back drop of stunning sandstone cliffs and beautiful beaches.
The Market towns of Dorchester and Bridport are a short drive away and offer a wide variety of independent shops and eateries. This luxury holiday home will have you enchanted from the moment you step inside, and will have you longing to return.
The Retreat can be booked together with Coach House Retreat (UK32202) to accommodate up to 17 guests.

The Coach House Retreat is a loving converted coach house nestled at the heart of Burton Bradstock a truly traditional Dorset coastal village, with its picture postcard cottages, traditional village inns, Village shop and a cliff top restaurant. Did we mention its also just a 15-minute stroll to the glorious Hive Beach, just a small stretch of the Jurassic Coastline and home to a wonderful beach front Café. Having been lovingly renovated, this charming holiday home offers all the creature comforts you would expect from a modern, luxury holiday home. With three beautifully appointed bedrooms and a large open plan living space this holiday home is just perfect for friends and family to enjoy a fabulous break in this wonderful part of Dorset.
Stunning countryside walks and miles of coastline to explore you won’t need to use the car, however just over 2 miles away is the pretty Georgian town of Bridport with a wide variety of independent shops, cafés and pubs, it’s well worth a visit. Other places to visit include the pretty harbour of West Bay or why not reach new heights and climb Golden Cap, Dorset’s highest point and marvel at the stunning coastal views. If that all sounds a little tiring, so why not just simply relax at the Coach House Retreat and enjoy good conversation with some great local food and drink. Beach ¾ mile. Shop 350 yards, pub 50 yards and restaurant ½ mile.
Coach House Retreat can booked together with The Retreat (M555306) to accommodate up 17 guests.

Welcome to Holly Hedge Farm, a wonderful collection of properties that we’re certain everyone won’t be able to get enough of!
Dorset has something for everyone. Close to the property, you will find Lytchett Matravers with local shops, pubs and restaurants. Further afield is the famous Dorset Jurassic Coastline. You will need more than a day to explore places like Durdle Door, Lulworth Cove and Lyme Regis and are all worth the visit. From award winning beaches to attractions such as boat trips and water sports the whole family will enjoy themselves. Poole Harbour is approx. 15-minute drive from Holly Hedge Farm which lays claim to the title of the second largest natural harbour in the world after Port Jackson, Sydney, this is a place of natural beauty with trips running daily to the famous Brownsea Island. Keep the eyes peeled for a red squirrel. For the golfer among us Bulbury Woods Golf Club is approximately 1-minute drive from the property where you will find a tree lined course for all abilities to enjoy. Back to the property is where to make more memories around the wood burner and outside enjoying the end of the summer sun. Beach 7 miles. Pub and restaurant 2 miles.
These properties can be booked together to accommodate up to 19 guests.

These stylish renovated properties are set in a rural location and form part of a charming collection of holiday homes. These five properties (refs UK40448 UKC3108, UKC3109, UKC3334 and UK40450) stand in a semi-rural location, adjacent to horse stables and accessed along a track. These properties are ideal for couples or families, offering couple, spacious accommodation and private outdoor spaces with hot tubs. There is also a shared games room with table football, table tennis and magnetic darts, and for guests who would like to bring their horse, stabling can be arranged by prior arrangement with the owner.

Many thoughtful and personal touches have been added, such as books, family games and a record player with a large selection of vinyl records. All of the rooms have a sumptuous feel, with careful co-ordination, very high levels of comfort and design. The bedrooms are all themed with feature wallcovering to one wall, using beautiful interior design. Also, all guests have shared access to a ’chill out’ room, outdoor table tennis, a playhouse, slide, boules, outdoor large chess set, badminton net, 5-a-side football – there really is something for all age groups!

The properties lie on the National Cycle Network, and this area is known for its scenic walks and wildlife. There is a direct gravel track along the Castleman Trailway (the old railway line) to miles of woodland walks making this ideal for walkers and cyclists. One route leads to a pub, Chinese restaurant and golf course (all within 20-minute flat walk).

Cranborne Chase and the Jurassic coastline (Purbecks, Swanage and Wareham) are within easy reach, the latter being a nationally protected Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and offers extensive scenic walks and a wealth of wildlife. Wimborne is a market town with a historic town trail taking in the buildings ranging from the 15th to 17th centuries. Here you will also find the popular Tivoli theatre, model town, coffee houses, shops, market and restaurants. The sandy beaches at Bournemouth and Poole are just 10 miles away and Sandbanks, Studland Bay and the Poole Natural Reserve are within easy reach. National Trust properties Kingston Lacy Estate, Badbury Rings and Brownsea Island are a short distance away. Beach 10 miles. Shop 1½ miles, Please note: Fireworks are not allowed in the garden or grounds of this property due to livestock and horses nearby.
These properties can be booked together to accommodate up to 34 guests.

Seaside Cottage (UKC5932) and Coastguard Cottage (UKC5933) each feature two comfortable double bedrooms. Bedroom one has a kingsize bed that can be made up as twin beds on request, with a sea view and an en-suite shower. Bedroom 2 has a double bed with beautiful sea views. There is also a comfy double sofa bed available in the spacious open plan living area with kitchen.

The beach is just 100 or so yards walk away and this area of Southbourne is quieter than the beaches towards Boscombe and Bournemouth. It is a sandy beach with fantastic views across the ocean and toward the Isle of Wight and The Purbecks. Also within walking distance is Southbourne high street which has a selection of convenience stores, independent restaurants, shops and pubs, including is a wide variety of takeaways and cafés as well.

There are numerous places you can visit nearby including Hengistbury Head which is an area of Scientific Interest due to the abundance of wildlife. Christchurch with its , independent shops, beautiful harbour and wide range of independant shops and eateries is well worth a visit. Bournemouth is also within easy reach with high street of shops, frequent events, cinema, theatre and of course its golden sandy beaches The New Forest with its free-roaming ponies, cattle and donkeys. It is an excellent place to go walking and cycling and is just a short drive away.
These properties can be booked together to accommodate up to 12 guests.

Marshwood Manor offers excellent accommodation and facilities in a tranquil rural setting, surrounded by Dorset’s loveliest countryside, and only 5 miles from the unspoilt beaches and golden sandstone cliffs of the coastline. The estate’s 10-acres of lawn, garden, pasture and woodland offer plenty of room for adults to stroll and children to play.

The properties have been carefully formed from a fine original range of buildings next to the manor house and may be booked together to accommodate larger groups holidaying together (property refs DEY, DFA, DEX, DUS, DWS and UK41304). Previously filmed for BBC television, all retain character and charm, whilst offering comfortable holiday accommodation fitted to a high standard throughout. Each has its own garden or courtyard with furniture, and all enjoy shared use of the extensive gardens and grounds. There is a large lounge bar/games area with table tennis. Approached along a private drive and set well back from the road, the cottages are perfectly positioned for enjoying this delightful corner of Dorset.

There is a variety of beautiful beaches, both sand and pebble, within a five to ten mile radius, including those at Lyme Regis, Charmouth, Seatown, Eype, West Bay and Burton Bradstock. Fossil-rich cliffs define this dramatic stretch of coastline, which encompasses the 2,000-acre National Trust estate of Golden Cap. This is a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and superb walking country, both on the rolling chalk hills overlooking fertile inland valleys and on the coastal footpaths offering spectacular clifftop views. It is also an area full of romance and history, with three ancient hill forts and the house and gardens of Forde Abbey all nearby.

A range of attractions is on offer in nearby country towns. Lyme Regis is a pretty seaside resort, its elegant colour-washed buildings and promenade lining a handsome harbour. Motor boats can be hired and there are fishing trips, a sailing school and a windsurfing school. Bridport is a thriving market town, featured on TV’s River Cottage, the Port Bredy of Hardy’s novels, offering a good choice of shops, inns, restaurants, an arts centre and a sports centre with indoor pool. The coastline is excellent for sea fishing and inland waters offer good coarse fishing. Golfers will find courses at Lyme Regis and West Bay and there is also horse riding nearby within 5 miles. Caterers are available locally. The local shop at Marshwood and two charming thatched country pubs are within a short drive. Shops 2 miles.

In the quaint village of Leigh, just south of the picturesque abbey town of Sherborne, this Grade II listed, terraced barn conversion is set in an L-shape around a courtyard on one side with lovely country views over Thomas Hardy’s famous Blackmoor Vale. Set on the edge of an organic farm, it offers an excellent holiday base to explore North West Dorset and South Somerset. Renovated to a high standard with exposed beams, it has been tastefully furnished, and has use of a communal games room with a snooker table, table football and darts.
There is superb country walking available from the doorstep, a village shop within walking distance, golf, horse riding and water activities nearby, as well as canoeing at Halstock Reservoir. Within easy driving distance, you can visit the Yeovilton Fleet Air Arm Museum with its prototype Concorde, the Haynes Motor Museum, with its fascinating selection of vintage motor cars, and Montacute House and Gardens, one of the many historic houses in the area.
Spend days exploring Glastonbury, with its famous and enchanting Tor, the cathedral city of Wells, home to Bishops Palace, the famous Cheddar Gorge and Caves, and the Georgian city of Bath with its delightful Roman baths, museums and of course, shops and restaurants. Travel south where you will find the spectacular World Heritage Jurassic Coast and Chesil Beach, with the popular seaside resorts of Lyme Regis, Bridport and Weymouth, all offer many attractions, sights and activities to enjoy. More locally, Sherborne Abbey and Castle and the market town of Dorchester are not too far. Beach 24½ miles. Shop 500 yards, pub and restaurant 1 mile.

Marshwood Manor offers excellent accommodation and facilities in a tranquil rural setting, surrounded by Dorset’s loveliest countryside, and only 5 miles from the unspoilt beaches and golden sandstone cliffs of the coastline. The estate’s 10-acres of lawn, garden, pasture and woodland offer plenty of room for adults to stroll and children to play.

The properties have been carefully formed from a fine original range of buildings next to the manor house and may be booked together to accommodate larger groups holidaying together (property refs DEY, DFA, DEX, DUS, DWS and UK41304). Previously filmed for BBC television, all retain character and charm, whilst offering comfortable holiday accommodation fitted to a high standard throughout. Each has its own garden or courtyard with furniture, and all enjoy shared use of the extensive gardens and grounds. There is a large lounge bar/games area with table tennis. Approached along a private drive and set well back from the road, the cottages are perfectly positioned for enjoying this delightful corner of Dorset.

There is a variety of beautiful beaches, both sand and pebble, within a five to ten mile radius, including those at Lyme Regis, Charmouth, Seatown, Eype, West Bay and Burton Bradstock. Fossil-rich cliffs define this dramatic stretch of coastline, which encompasses the 2,000-acre National Trust estate of Golden Cap. This is a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and superb walking country, both on the rolling chalk hills overlooking fertile inland valleys and on the coastal footpaths offering spectacular clifftop views. It is also an area full of romance and history, with three ancient hill forts and the house and gardens of Forde Abbey all nearby.

A range of attractions is on offer in nearby country towns. Lyme Regis is a pretty seaside resort, its elegant colour-washed buildings and promenade lining a handsome harbour. Motor boats can be hired and there are fishing trips, a sailing school and a windsurfing school. Bridport is a thriving market town, featured on TV’s River Cottage, the Port Bredy of Hardy’s novels, offering a good choice of shops, inns, restaurants, an arts centre and a sports centre with indoor pool. The coastline is excellent for sea fishing and inland waters offer good coarse fishing. Golfers will find courses at Lyme Regis and West Bay and there is also horse riding nearby within 5 miles. Caterers are available locally. The local shop at Marshwood and two charming thatched country pubs are within a short drive. Shops 2 miles.