Taking a break in 2026
Got back fairly recently from a trip to the Little Cottage, Dorset and although I had a moderately long list of jobs and chores and tradesmen to meet I have to say how happy I was to be to borrow a phrase from a Dorset writer "far from the madding crowd". I think my favourite part of the day is to take my morning tea on the bench in the garden and listen to the birds singing. The primroses were particularly good this year too. It's been quite a journey the last few years and tricky transition trying to find the balance between taking over a family cottage much loved for decades and facing the financial necessities of making our cottage available to paying guests. There was a long list of jobs in the backlog and although not all have been completed yet, most of the pressing ones are now tackled. I am happy to say that nearly all the time in July and August is now let but there are still days (weeks even!) available in the early part of the summer and in the autumn too. So plainly some of the changes have worked and I have a course for the next few years at least. This trip we made a return visit to The Greyhound in Corfe Castle, its always a please to step onto the flagstones and duck the low beams & the food & beer was excellent. We also took a walk up the hill towards Creech Barrow and then left along the track to Stonehill Down & continue to Creech Arch & drink in the views across to Kimmeridge, west to Worbarrow bay and over to Portland in the distance. Double back and continue until the track hits the tarmac lane from Church Knowle this time looking over Poole Harbour and across to the Isle of Wight. It really is a timeless landscape and there's always something to see related to the seasons, right now it is primroses and bluebells, there were also a pair of hares grazing in the fields, these have only been spotted in the last couple of years so the wildlife is not only continuing but regenerating. Also worth noting is that there is no TV at the cottage - for me that's part of taking a break & gives me the chance to catch up on my reading. A concession and compromise has been to add fast wifi as this lets people work remotely and also plan and book trips and on a rainy day it can be quite nice to stream a program or film, just don't watch the news, you're on holiday!
Back home now and missing the Dorset spring already but the first guests of the year have been and left this lovely review.
"We had a lovely break at Little Cottage with the family . It was ideally located to explore Purbeck . The cottage was clean and well maintained. Stephen was a great host . Very responsive. Would definitely recommend a stay at Little cottage" Sonali
Do reach out if you'd like to stay
/Stephen