Detached Cottage in the Heart of Hardy's Wessex

9.7 / 10.0

Outstanding(25 Ratings)

Cottage in North Dorset District

11 guests · 5 bedrooms · 2 baths

Reasons to book

Guests love it hereGuests give this property a top rating

Great for petsBring all your friends and family, even the furry ones

Includes essentialsGarden, Pets allowed, Kitchen or Kitchenette and more

About this cottage rental

Eighteenth-century farmhouse with recent additions on the banks of the River Piddle. Ideal for both families and groups. Quiet location on a bridle path. Child-friendly dining nearby. 2.5 hours from London. The cottage has recently been re-configured and a new kitchen installed.
Accommodation comprises:
Sitting room with large character fireplace, plasma TV & bluray player
Fitted kitchen with dining and sitting area (with additional TV), dishwasher, fridge/freezer, microwave.
Utility room with washing machine, tumble dryer
Broadband for those who can’t look out of the window.
Large conservatory with ample dining space.
Five bedrooms (some with TV), sleeps 11.
Bathroom with separate large shower. Second large shower room.
Garden furniture and barbecue. All bed linen and towels included. Central heating throughout.
Drive with space for at least 4 cars.
Large garden sloping gently down to the River Piddle.
Situated on a bridle path with the opportunity for numerous walks.
Views over the Piddle Valley.

We bought Bankhayes in 1997 and have made a number of alterations and extensions over the years. There is an aerial photo on the upstairs landing of the house around 1960. There is also a copy of the auction details when it was sold in 1956 as Bank Farmhouse. We believe that the core part of the building dates from the mid-eighteenth century.
There are five bedrooms: four with double beds and one with three single beds. There are two main bathrooms upstairs and a shower/toilet downstairs. On the ground floor there is a main reception room with a log fire, a well-stocked kitchen/dining/sitting area and a large conservatory for dining and reading. There is also a study room and a utility area.
The house is pet-friendly (within reason). There is a large area for parking at least 4 cars.

Amenities

Pets allowed

Kitchen or Kitchenette

Internet / Wifi

Fireplace

Parking

Laundry

Balcony or Patio

Dishwasher

Garden

Map of North Dorset District

Nearby attractions

Longleat

44.6 mi

Paultons Park Home of Peppa Pig World

63.2 mi

Hawk Conservancy Trust

75.4 mi

Purbeck Heritage Coast

39 mi

$$$$

Detached Cottage in the Heart of Hardy's Wessex

$$$$

9.7 / 10.0

Outstanding(25 Ratings)

Cottage in North Dorset District

11 guests · 5 bedrooms · 2 baths

Reasons to book

Guests love it hereGuests give this property a top rating

Great for petsBring all your friends and family, even the furry ones

Includes essentialsGarden, Pets allowed, Kitchen or Kitchenette and more

About this cottage rental

Amenities

Pets allowed

Kitchen or Kitchenette

Internet / Wifi

Fireplace

Parking

Laundry

Balcony or Patio

Dishwasher

Garden

Map of North Dorset District

Nearby attractions

Longleat

44.6 mi

Paultons Park Home of Peppa Pig World

63.2 mi

Hawk Conservancy Trust

75.4 mi

Purbeck Heritage Coast

39 mi

Ratings and reviews

9.7 / 10.0

Outstanding(25 Ratings)

Summary of reviews

Beautiful and spacious property with stunning gardens, ample room for all family members. Ideal for relaxation and quality family time. Local amenities and surroundings are fantastic.

From real guest reviews summarized by AI

10.0 / 10.0

Aug 2024

A fantastic property with plenty of space and a well kept garden. The home itself is within driving distance of most of the places you'd want to see in this part of the world, we enjoyed our stay.

8.0 / 10.0

Aug 2024

A property to suite all the family from the more mature to the great grand children; those seeking a little solitude to those more boisterous, a family holiday to suit all. A space for those who seek to hide in comfort and a space for family past times. A true holiday home.

10.0 / 10.0

Jun 2024

Such a great holiday home for the larger family with a stunning garden to enjoy

8.0 / 10.0

Aug 2022

This old house is set in the most peaceful location. Perfect for rest and recuperation. Loads of space for all the family to stay. Kitchen Aga has been updated to a modern 6 ring electric cooker which has two ovens and excellent for cooking for the larger group. Plenty of crockery, maybe a bit short on cutlery, but keeps you on top of washing up. There are two downstairs toilets (one has a shower) and a further two toilets and bathrooms upstairs. So that's four toilets altogether which is brilliant. Two large rooms with double beds, one smaller room with a double and a room with three single beds. There is also a futon downstairs the room with the toilet and shower. The large upstairs rooms are a little distance from the bathrooms which needs a walk along a corridor and up and down single steps, which was going to be an issue for my mother who is up and down a lot in the night and would definitely have got lost, but fortunately they slept downstairs so this was not an issue in the end. The garden is massive, we visited in a hot summer and easily followed natural shade from the trees and a lovely gentle breeze. Mum and Dad enjoyed sitting under the trees drawing and painting the garden and river. Ample parking for four cars. The house is super old though and the down side for us were the stairs. My elderly parents absolutely could not manage the narrow treads and the beam that has to be ducked to go under if you are over 5ft4 tall, which I am sure is common for the area and quirky in old houses but we'd have liked to have known about it before booking. Given the size and space of the house, we did manage to do some juggling about and put my parents in spare beds downstairs, but not really ideal. Also, as you can see from the photos, the house has amble room for 10 people, but there isn't seating for everyone together. When we were eating we sat 4 in the kitchen and 6 in the conservatory, which was ok for us. The area is lovely. So many places to take the dog who had the best holiday ever. We love the local rubbish collection policies and filling the milk bottle from the local stores. A must try are the scotch eggs from the village shop in Cerne Abbas. Mr and Mrs Hayes helped us with our requirements for which we were very grateful.

10.0 / 10.0

Jun 2022

The cottage had everything there you needed and the garden was beautiful. Pictures didn't do it justice. There is no pub to walk to but there is a very short drive away. Small convenience store in walking distance that only opens in the morning but sells all basic things. Ideal for a real peaceful getaway.Neighbours very friendly

10.0 / 10.0

Apr 2022

An amazing property with lovely gardens, stream at the bottom. Plenty of room to accommodate our family. lovely place to relax and enjoy family time. Although the local pub has closed during the pandemic and is " due too open" they still haven't. That said we found a pub around 10 mins drive that did excellent food - The Sun Inn near Dorchester Fantastic food but wise to book.

10.0 / 10.0

Oct 2021

The house and gardens are spacious, enough room to spread out . It was a shame the pub has closed. Lovely walks from the house. The aga was lovely , kept us all warm

10.0 / 10.0

Sep 2021

This is a beautiful and spacious house, in stunning gardens which end at the river Piddle. I would recommend it to anyone. We felt at home straight away, and were lucky enough to have glorious weather for the duration of our stay. It is such an enviable and peaceful location. Even the neighbours made us feel very welcome. We even mastered the Aga, and managed a Sunday roast which came out perfectly. There are many more rooms than photographed and we didn’t even find the downstairs shower room until our 3rd day!!

10.0 / 10.0

Sep 2021

We were two families with four adults and three children that stayed here for a fortnight and loved it. The house is superb: spacious, well equipped and in a superb location. The children were in the river within moments of arriving! It's very close to Dorchester and all the major sights are in easy reach. Just one thing to be aware of. The main cooking appliance is an Aga, but the alternative electric offerings aren't as useful as could be especially if you are trying to cook for everyone at once. But overall highly recommended!

10.0 / 10.0

Aug 2021

We are a family of 8 adults and 2 children and loved our week in this beautiful property with it’s amazing garden. Ideal location for discovering the surrounding areas. The owners were very helpful and prompt in response to any questions. We would definitely stay here again.

10.0 / 10.0

Sep 2020

Great location in a quiet village with plenty of walking trails direct from the door. Beautiful large garden enjoyed by the grandchildren. Very spacious property, we were 9 in total and never felt overcrowded. Only one small negative was the cooking facilities the arga was a challenge and made the property feel very warm and the other small oven could not cope with cooking for 9.

10.0 / 10.0

Aug 2020

Well , as soon as we pulled in we we’re amazed by the surroundings and home we had booked . We couldn’t have asked for more children loved the garden and stream at the bottom of the garden , and the next door neighbour’s were lovely too . Had a lovely meal out at the Thimble Inn and another pud further along ( sorry can’t remember the name ) but everyone so friendly. We were here on one of the hottest days and cooking on the Aga was an experience but loved it : Would like to thank the owners for letting us stay in your wonderful holiday home we would definitely recommend it to family and friends

10.0 / 10.0

Aug 2020

Very nice stay - a little disappointed that the river was rather clogged up, which meant the kids couldn’t paddle but with the COVID pandemic it’s understandable that the owner hadn’t been able to get down to clear it. Do we get a refund on the reduction on V.A.T.?

5.0 / 10.0

Aug 2020

Lovely big house and garden ideal for us as a family. Lots of places to go to.

5.0 / 10.0

Jul 2019

Very spacious cottage with majestic garden

FAQs

How much does this cottage cost compared to others in North Dorset District?

The average price for a rental in North Dorset District is $198 per night. This rental is $345 above the average.

Is parking included with this cottage?

Yes, parking is listed as an amenity at Detached Cottage in the Heart of Hardy's Wessex. For more information, we encourage you to contact the property about where to park.

Is there a pool at this cottage?

We didn’t find pool listed as an amenity for this cottage. It may be worth double checking if a pool is important for your stay.

Is Detached Cottage in the Heart of Hardy's Wessex pet friendly?

Yes! This cottage is pet-friendly. For more information, we recommend contacting the booking provider about animal policies.

What amenities are available at Detached Cottage in the Heart of Hardy's Wessex?

We found 10 amenities for this rental. This includes pets allowed, kitchen or kitchenette, internet / wifi, fireplace, and parking.

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Detached Cottage in the Heart of Hardy's Wessex

Cottage in North Dorset District

Reasons to book

About this cottage rental

Amenities

Map of North Dorset District

Nearby attractions

Detached Cottage in the Heart of Hardy's Wessex

Cottage in North Dorset District

Reasons to book

About this cottage rental

Amenities

Map of North Dorset District

Nearby attractions

Ratings and reviews

FAQs

How much does this cottage cost compared to others in North Dorset District?

Is parking included with this cottage?

Is there a pool at this cottage?

Is Detached Cottage in the Heart of Hardy's Wessex pet friendly?

What amenities are available at Detached Cottage in the Heart of Hardy's Wessex?

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