"An ancient landscape of rolling downs, sheltered valleys and Iron Age forts, immortalised in Hardy's writings ..."
Enjoying a truly tranquil position in the village of Harcombe Bottom, close to the popular resort of Lyme Regis, Harcombe House offers a variety of accommodation to suit all tastes and requirements. Completely renovated, the house started life as a Victorian gentleman's residence, and was more recently used as a boarding house for the local public school.

Surrounded by 9-acre grounds, comprising gardens brimming with rhododendrons, well-tended lawns and shady woodland, each property is furnished to a good standard and enjoys shared use of an indoor swimming-pool, hard tennis court and games room and well-equipped children's playroom - making this an attractive choice for families. With sandy beaches, a host of seaside attractions, and beautiful countryside peppered with picture-postcard villages, all the on the doorstep, Harcombe House truly is an ideal location for exploring the delights that Dorset has to offer.

Just 2miles distant lies Lyme Regis, setting for the TV adaptation of John Fowles' novel A French Lieutenant's Woman. Here colourful fishing vessels and pleasure craft line the pretty harbour, and a host of outdoor activities, such as fishing, boating, sailing and windsurfing tuition, and golf can be enjoyed.
Superb coastal walks can be taken along the World Heritage Coast, with its stretches of fossil beaches to explore, and magnificent views to admire from Golden Cap - the highest point on England's south coast at 626-ft high. Nearby, Hardy Country beckons visitors to discover the rolling green pastures and pretty thatched villages made famous in his novels, while for a great family day out, the Georgian seaside town of Weymouth is within easy reach, offering in addition to its harbour and sandy beaches, a host of all-weather attractions, as well as several RSPB sanctuaries.

Also well worth a day trip is the county town of Dorchester (20miles), alias Hardy's Casterbridge; offering a bustling market square, and some excellent shops and restaurants, Dorchester is also a great base from which to explore the impressive Maiden Castle rising up from the plains. Exeter is within easy driving distance, its skyline dominated by the distinctive monument of St Peter's Cathedral. Other important historical buildings in the city include the 14th-century Guildhall, several ancient churches and the restored Quayside with its Custom House dating back to 1681.

Another town well worth a visit is Weymouth, with many attractions for all the family. The Sea Life Park gives the opportunity to get close to sharks and rays, the Deep Sea Adventure tells the sobering story of the Titanic disaster and The Timewalk contains an entertaining and educational walk-through exhibition of Weymouth's maritime and brewing past. Nearby Sidmouth boasts nearly 500buildings listed as having special historic or architectural interest, and in August the town hosts what many consider to be the country's best folk festival at the beginning of August. Folk and roots artists from around the world as well as dance and theatre companies take over various venues in the eight-day event.

The fishing village of Beer lies huddled within a small sheltered cove between gleaming white headlands. Much of the village remains unchanged since the time when it was a smugglers' eyrie. With numerous stately homes and gardens to visit locally, including Abbotsbury Swannery and Tropical Gardens, ancient forts perched upon hilltops affording far-reaching views and a host of seaside towns, including Seaton (with its tramway) stretching along the coastline, there is something for everyone to enjoy in this part of the country.

"Where Hardy went `by footpath and by stile, beyond where bustle ends' . . ."
Higher Bockhampton is Hardy's `Upper Mellstock', and those interested in the literary landscape can explore the locations of his famous novels - whilst living in cottages converted from barns built by the famous writer's father in 1849! All around is a wealth of glorious National Trust countryside, the beautiful coastline is just 6miles away and the properties are set in their own 4acres of peaceful grounds. As well as offering plenty of space for strolling and relaxing, there are two en-tous-cas tennis courts, lawns for croquet and badminton, and a children's play area with swings and Wendy house.

There is also a magnificent Roman-style indoor heated swimming-pool (complete with mural!) with full changing facilities, a large sauna and elegant sitting area. Careful and tasteful conversions of the fine old barns earned these cottages the English Tourist Board's coveted `Development Award'; furnished and equipped, they retain tremendous character whilst offering modern convenience and comfort.

Featured on TV's Wish You Were Here, Greenwood Grange offers the ideal holiday combination - quality accommodation, fine facilities and a friendly and welcoming atmosphere.

Steeped in history, Greenwood Grange was built by Thomas Hardy's father, whilst a short distance away is the thatched cottage where Hardy himself was born, built by his great-grandfather and little altered. At Lower Bockhampton, Hardy went to school and there is alovely walk from there to the next village, Stinsford, where his heart is buried. There are walks directly from the door over some of the most beautiful countryside in Dorset: nearby Thorncombe Wood is awildlife sanctuary from which a nature trail leads through magnificent chestnuts, beeches and oaks, and through 70acres of black heath, furze, birch, holly, heather and rhododendrons. Dorchester (Roman Durnovaria and Hardy's `Casterbridge') is a pleasant walk away (2miles) and a most attractive country town, with museums of the dinosaur and the military, swimming-pool, golf (good golf can also be found at Weymouth and Charminster) and plenty of good shops, restaurants and pubs. Also of interest is Prince Charles's development at Poundbury, near Dorchester.

There is a good choice of beaches: at Weymouth (8miles) a broad sweep of sand, ideal for castle building, is overlooked by an elegant esplanade; swimming is safe from the beach, and there are lots of traditional entertainments; the nearby RSPB reserve at Radipole has nature trails from which grebes, swans and warblers may be seen. The beach at Ringstead Bay (6miles) is of particular interest for its geology, fossils and the vegetation and wildlife of its undercliff; nearby can be seen the outlines of avillage abandoned in the Middle Ages.

The Dorset Coastal Path offers magnificent views and surprising sights, such as the natural arch of Durdle Door, and the almost circular cove of Lulworth, about 7miles away. West Bay, as featured in the television programme Harbour Lights with Nick Berry, is also within easy driving distance. The area offers abundant river stretches for coarse or trout fishing, and sea angling from the coast. Gardens flourish in the mild climate, and there are many to choose from: Mapperton Gardens, Forde Abbey Gardens and the subtropical gardens at Abbotsbury are well worth an excursion.
 

"The places Hardy roamed as a boy, and later enshrined as rustic Wessex . . ."

Lying in the picturesque Piddle Valley in West Dorset are the twelve acres of glorious rolling countryside in which these cottages are set. No longer a working farm, Doles Ash Farm now has an established vineyard producing English wines.

The splendid range of barns here have been sympathetically converted to form a group of very comfortable cottages, interestingly clustered around a grass courtyard with the owners' 18th-century house. Facilities include an indoor heated swimming-pool, sauna, games barn with table tennis, snooker and table football, and tennis court. Outside, there are horses and sheep to visit, a pond with ducks to feed and plenty of space for walking, playing, exploring and relaxing in the shared grounds. Doles Ash Farm is the ideal venue for group get togethers, giving guests the benefit of families and friends being in the same place while still enjoying some personal space in individual cottages.

Four of the cottages have enclosed gardens, ideal for dogs, with the remaining four having individual patios. The indoor heated swimming-pool is open daily all year round and the building has full changing facilities, as well as a coin-operated sauna.

The tennis court is also available all year round. The cottages, facilities and grounds enjoy an outstandingly peaceful setting with magnificent walks on the doorstep. Riding, golf, clay-shooting and fishing are all available locally.

Good shops can be found 8 miles away in Dorchester and 10 miles away in Sherborne. There is a host of local attractions and a long sandy beach within a half hour's drive at Weymouth. Studland beaches and Swanage are also firm favourites with visitors. The Piddle Valley is a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty which boasts some of the prettiest villages in England and has a wealth of excellent family-friendly pubs to dine and relax in with the village of Godmanstone boasting the smallest pub in England.

The beautiful village of Cerne Abbas, overseen by the legendary Cerne Giant, also lies just 3 miles from Doles Ash Farm. This is Thomas Hardy country with many of Hardy's venues have changed little since his time. At Higher Bockhampton, standing among soaring beech trees, is the thatched cottage where the novelist was born. Lovely cottages in a fabulous setting, what more could holidaymakers want.Properties DGA, DGG, DFM, DFX, DGH, DGJ can be booked together for larger groups and family get-togethers

WINTER BREAKS AND OFF-SEASON HOLIDAYS Doles Ash Farm is perfect for holidays in late Autumn, Winter and early Spring. All cottages are cosily heated with wood-burning stove (not Keeper's Cottage) and electric central heating (oil in Keeper's Cottage). And, of course, the indoor heated swimming-pool is open all year round. 

"Amidst rolling meadows sweeping down to the sea - period cottages of individual charm..."
The gently rolling Purbeck hills form a picturesque backdrop for this attractive farmhouse and imaginative collection of period barn conversions.

Occupying a secluded rural position within a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, each of these delightful properties has been sympathetically modernised and refurbished in a contemporary manner, without losing any of their original charm, and provide a comfortable, cosy retreat for any season.

Guests at Woodyhyde Farm have shared use of a converted barn that provides excellent indoor facilities. There is a heated swimming pool 10m x 5m and a spacious sauna. In the games room there is table tennis, a pool table and table football. There is also a gym (adults only), and access to 20acres of organic farmland, where sheep and cows can sometimes be seen grazing. Complete with three small ponds fed by natural springs, the grounds provide a tranquil setting in which to enjoy the fresh country air and admire the far-reaching views.

This is excellent walking country - four footpaths lead from the grounds over open countryside, from where they link up with a magnificent network of paths, including the spectacular Dorset Coast Path just 3miles away. The historic stone village of Corfe Castle is just 1½miles away, where visitors will find the ruins of a National Trust castle, and a collection of shops, pubs and restaurants.

The scenic Swanage Steam Railway passes through the valley close to the farm - a trip aboard is bound to be a memorable experience. Swanage Bay, with its sandy beach, is just 4½miles away and the magnificent countryside and sandy beaches of the Studland Peninsula lie just 7 miles distant.

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Wookey - sleeps 4

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Nunney - sleeps 4

SUPERB ADDITIONAL FACILITIES *Magnificent indoor heated swimming-pool (50ft x 17ft, depth 4ft) with lounging areas, showers and changing facilities. *Tennis court *Children's playframe with swings, slides and monkey bars *Large games chalet with pool table, table football and table tennis and play area with toys for young children *Woodland walks with benches *Formal garden area with two small ponds and slate seat *Access to 70 acres of grounds with two lakes *Picnic area overlooking the top lake with wonderful views of the setting sun *Large courtyard with seats and tables