First-floor apartment.
Two bedrooms: 1 x super-king-size with en-suite shower, handheld shower, basin, heated towel rail and WC, 1 x super-king-size (zip/link, can be twin on request).
Bathroom with bath, basin, heated towel rail and WC.
Open-plan living area with kitchen, dining and sitting area with balcony
An ideal beach getaway for young families, Swanage is located on Dorset’s Jurassic Coast, just off the famous Isle of Purbeck, and is perhaps best known for the softly shelving nature of its fine, golden sands. In addition to its well-known yearly jazz festival, the quaint village has many stores and excellent bars and restaurants serving seafood collected in the area’s waters. To watch the world go by, take a stroll on the pier’s Victorian wooden pier, which is also a popular starting point for scuba divers. At the town’s southern end, the historic Swanage Railway serves as a starting point for nostalgic steam engine excursions that take visitors on a scenic 6-mile journey through magnificent countryside to the romantic ruin of Corfe Castle. Coastal hikes, dolphin sightings, and animal viewing are just some of the highlights in the nearby Durlston Country Park. There are also comfy viewing platforms and a well-stocked cafe for refuelling after all that exercise and fresh air.
To get to Studland, which features one of the best beaches in the country surrounded by heathland, take a short drive to Poole Harbour’s mouth and board the regular chain ferry, which crosses the mouth to Sandbanks. At any time of year, this is a wonderful place to visit.
With nearly 90 miles of stunning coastline, vast areas of open heathlands, ancient woodlands, and chalk and limestone grassland, Dorset’s diverse habitats support a rich variety of birds and wildlife.
A visit to the RSPB’s Arne nature reserve situated on the banks of Poole Harbour and in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is a must. Mainly lowland heath, it’s home to breeding Dartford warblers, while in winter, large flocks of wading birds come to the mudflats including avocets, black-tailed godwits, and spoonbills. There’s also a herd of sika deer and seals can often be spotted along the shoreline. At the visitor centre you can hire binoculars and find out more about the wildlife you might spot.
Nearby, the lesser-known and quieter RSPB Lytchett Fields has been transformed from arable land into a wetland haven where you can see green sandpipers, wigeons, and teal. Peregrine falcons, and marsh and hen harriers can also be spotted in the skies above as they hunt for prey. You might also be lucky enough to see an osprey which have recently been reintroduced to the area.
In the heart of Poole Harbour is Brownsea Island manged by the Dorset Wildlife Trust in partnership with The National Trust where bird hides give excellent views of the wildlife on the lagoon and surrounding reedbeds. Look out for common terns, sandwich terns, and water rails, and it’s one of the few places in England where you can see find red squirrels.
With country lanes, unspoilt meadows, and winding rivers, Kingcombe Nature Reserve hidden away in the Dorset countryside is the perfect place to escape into nature. Resident woodland birds include nuthatches, great spotted woodpeckers, and chiffchaffs, while dippers and kingfishers can be spotted along the water’s edge. There are bird hides, an orchard, and wildlife-friendly gardens, all set on a working farm, as well as a café serving locally sourced food.
The open farmland and copses of Durlston Country Park near Swanage are important not only for breeding birds but also migrants passing through in spring and autumn. Breeding birds include yellowhammers, linnets, and skylarks, while the exposed sea cliffs provide nesting sites for shags, fulmars, and guillemots. The park also attracts some rarities blown off course during migration, and in autumn, huge flocks of swallows and sand martins fill the air.
Portland Bill is another great place for migrating birds including dunnocks, chaffinches, and thrushes, as well as a variety of seabirds including Manx shearwaters, Arctic skuas, and kittiwakes. It has an impressive rarity list and is one of the best places to spot hoopoes in early summer. The Bird Observatory is a good place to visit too, with bird feeders, and volunteers can sometimes be seen ringing birds.
Head to Christchurch Harbour where the muddy creeks, mudflats, and marshland are home to a huge range of birdlife including wheatears, little egrets, and gulls. It’s also a another good place to look out for rarities such as golden orioles, wrynecks, and tawny pipits.
For a truly unique experience take a trip to Abbotsbury Swannery located on the stunning Jurassic coast, and the only place in the world where you can get close to a colony of nesting mute swans. During breeding season, you can watch cygnets as they hatch and don’t miss the twice-daily feeds where you’ll have the chance to hand-feed over 600 swans.
