With Lyme Regis just 3½ miles away, this cottage is a great base from which to explore Dorset and east Devon.
Ground Floor:
Open plan living space.
Living area: Smart TV, Netflix, Amazon Prime, DVD Player, CD Player, DVDs, Electric Woodburner
Dining area.
Kitchen area: DAB Radio, Electric Cooker, Microwave, Fridge/Freezer, Dishwasher, Washer Dryer
First Floor:
Bedroom: Zip And Link Super Kingsize Bed (2 x Singles On Request)
Bathroom: Roll Top Bath, Cubicle Shower, Toilet
Oil central heating, electricity, bed linen, towels and Wi-Fi included. Welcome pack and doggy extras. Enclosed gravelled patio with garden furniture and barbecue. Large garden (shared with owners). Private parking for 2 cars. No smoking.
In a lovely position 3½ miles from the picturesque, seaside resort of Lyme Regis and the famous World Heritage Jurassic Coast, this well-equipped, semi-detached holiday cottage, adjacent to the owners’ home, offers a great location to explore West Dorset and into East Devon.
There is a spacious and light-filled open plan living space, with a fully fitted kitchen, a comfy 3-seater sofa and funky armchairs. There is also an electric wood burner for cosy nights in and a Smart TV offering Netflix and Amazon Prime. The kitchen area has ample work surfaces for dishing up culinary delicacies, whilst the dining area is perfect for sociable gatherings with friends or family. Upstairs, the bedroom is spacious and has been decorated with Laura Ashley wallpaper and fabrics. It features a super kingsize zip and link bed with sumptuous 400-thread count linen. The stunning bathroom has a separate claw-footed roll-top bath which is under the roof light, from which you can view the starry skies, and a curved shower cubicle.
A short easy drive allows you to enjoy Lyme Regis, with all its quaint shops and its wonderful scenic harbour and Cobb, the bustling town of Axminster, River Cottage, Forde Abbey and Gardens and Broadwindsor Craft Centre. Further afield, visit Beer, Branscombe and Seaton, and going east, West Bay, Bridport and onto Weymouth and Portland. There is much to do, including superb coastal and country walking, and village pubs for wining and dining. Shop, pub and restaurant ½ mile.
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.
