Dorset
Working in the travel business you sometimes forget that there are many fabulous places to visit in Britain, but I have had my eyes re-opened to the beauty of the English coast having recently stayed in Dorset!
With the Queen’s Jubilee celebrations and the London 2012 Olympics we wanted to stay close to home and soak up the atmosphere, but we were also longing to get away! We decided to combine a trip to see the sailing at Weymouth with a short get-away.
We picked, at random, a B&B we found online located between Weymouth and Lulworth Cove and seeing this B&B make it into the Top 10 Best Hotels and B&B’s in Dorset prompted me to write this post! Marren Bed & Breakfast in Holworth, Dorset is set in National Trust land. In fact, we thought we had made a mistake when trying to find it as we drove over a cattle grid into a National Trust car park. Across the headland, through a gate on the other side and down a very steep single track! But what a fabulous location! The 1920’s house is located between Ringstead and Lulworth and has views to die for, overlooking Weymouth Bay.
The garden is beautiful with hidden wooded areas, mature plants and pots, secret paths and statues. The room we stayed in accomodated us comfortably with our 9 year old, with a private bathroom! The bed was sumptuous and the room very tastefulluy decorated. The owners are friendly and gave us so many ideas of places to visit that we completely forgot about the sailing!
Each morning started with Peter’s English breakfast; gratefruit, the full works, cereal, toast and homemade jams, tea and coffee, we really didn’t need anything else until dinner, although there were always the Dorset Cream Teas!
We went fossil hunting on the beach and as this area is part of the Jurassic Coast there are plenty to be found. We discovered a lovely cove following a trail from the house down to the sea which was completely deserted! Lots of lovely walks in this area too – check out these which you can download free of charge!
We also spent a day at Lulworth Cove including the walk to Durdle Door and a visit to the ghost village of Tyneham. Tyneham was evacuated during WW2 so the army could take over the land and even though the villagers were promised they could return after the war, it has remained unoccupied since. It now forms part of MOD land with access only at weekends! Eerily quiet, the old school remains exactly as it was the day the villagers left, with even the children’s name tags on their coat pegs.
Three of the evenings during our stay at Marren B&B we walked to The Smugglers Inn at Osmington Mills which was a two mile walk each way along the stunning coastal path – just enough to work up an appetite and then to walk it off on the way back! On the final night we drove to Lyme Regis and ate at Hix Oyster & Fish House for locally sourced fish and seafood, see if you can tell the difference between Brownsea Island or Devon Yealm rock oysters!
You too can follow in the steps of Lizzie Newberry, of Thomas Hardy’s short story ‘The Distracted Preacher’ as she hurries along the coast to Burning Cliff. High above Ringstead Bay and with the unspoilt scenery perfectly suited to aiding the illicit activities. It’s not hard to imagine yourself back in the days of Ye Olde Smugglers which has been a part of the history of this area for hundreds of years!!
Oh, and why are Pirates called pirates? Because they just arrrr!! For more information on booking a UK break call us on 01932 866565 or email cobham@travelprofessionals.co.uk
