Within 3 miles of the beach, this Grade II listed, thatched former barn offers spacious, very comfortable accommodation and a good range of facilities, including its own indoor heated swimming pool and games room. Sympathetically converted and very well equipped, it has its own lawned area and patio, and is surrounded by lovely countryside. The ancient town of Bridport
(2 miles), once famous for its rope-making industry, was Thomas Hardy’s ‘Port Bredy’, and holds a twice-weekly market in its broad streets. At West Bay (3 miles) there are fishing trips and rowing boats for hire. At Seaton (6 miles), the lush Winniford Valley opens to an unspoilt beach of golden shingle, shelving steeply to sand at low tide. To the west of the beach, the Dorset Coast Path climbs to Golden Cap – at 626ft the highest point on the southern coast, with superb views along the coastline. The National Trust owns 2,000 acres of land here, offering 15 miles of footpaths for walkers. Ten miles away is the attractive seaside town of Lyme Regis. Jane Austen’s novel Persuasion gives a good picture of the town in the early 19th-century, and its history is displayed in the local museum. The ancient town of Dorchester (14 miles), built on the site of the Roman town, has much of historical interest: the remains of a Roman town house and a mosaic in Colliton Park, the old county court where the Tolpuddle Martyrs were tried, and Thomas Hardy’s study in the Dorset County Museum. Shops 2 miles.