The Swallows Cottage is a very picturesque18th century thatched cottage situated in Shitterton, on the outskirts of Bere Regis. It has two bedrooms and can accommodate up to five people in comfort. The cottage has a large lounge with open fire, TV and DVD, a large, fully modernised kitchen-diner that opens on to the garden and looks out over fields beyond, a modern bathroom and a cloakroom with second toilet and basin. Plesse note that the staircase is steep and winding, so children and the elderly should take extra care. There is a large, secure sun room in the garden where guests can keep bikes, prams etc.
This is an ideal property for family holidays and will appeal to walkers, cyclists, and those keen on angling and diving.
Shitterton is a quiet lane that does not carry through traffic. From here, the many beauty spots of the Isle of Purbeck are in easy reach, including the stunning Jurassic Coast, the spectacular ruins of Corfe Castle, Poole Harbour and Brownsea Island, the sandy beaches around Swanage, Monkey World and Bovingdon Tank Museum.
Bere Regis is about five miles from Wareham, which has the nearest local supermarket, Sainsbury's, and about nine miles south of Blandford Forum, which has a large branch of Tesco (both will deliver to this address).
There is parking directly outside the property for two cars. The village shop is a short walk away in the centre of Bere Regis, next to The Drax Arms. Honeycombe Cottage, a beautiful B&B, is next door if you have visitors during your stay.
Size:
Sleeps up to 5, 2 bedrooms
Nearest beach:
Lulworth, 15km
Will consider:
Short breaks
Access:
Car advised Nearest amenities: 500m
Family friendly?
Suitable for children of all ages Unsuitable for people with restricted mobility
Notes:
May take pets - please enquire No smoking at this property
Single beds (3), Double beds (1), Cots (1), Dining seating for 5, Lounge seating for 5
Other:
Linen and towels provided Highchair available
Outdoors:
Private garden, BBQ
Access:
Parking space
Further details indoors: The Swallows Cottage has two bedrooms, one with a double and single bed, along with space to put up a travel cot. The smaller bedroom has two single beds. Downstairs there is a large lounge with open fire and upright piano, a modern bathroom with shower, basin and toilet, and a cloakroom that has a second toilet and basin.
It has a large, modern and well-equipped kitchen-diner from which large French doors open on to the delightful garden and offer views over the open farmland and hills beyond.
The cottage has modern and highly efficient electric radiators throughout, and underfloor heating and heated towel rails in the bathroom and cloakroom. It has recently been completely refurbished and offers accommodation of great quality and character in quiet and very beautiful rural surroundings.
Further details outdoors: The garden is large and enclosed, mainly lawn, making it ideal for children. There is a summerhouse, and a wooden picnic table to enable guests to eat outdoors if they wish.
The Swallows Cottage is in the Isle of Purbeck, home of the world-famous Jurassic Coast. This part of Dorset is renowned for its outstanding natural beauty including rolling countryside and woodland, spectacular rocky coves and fine sandy beaches. It also features in many of Thomas Hardy's novels, and large parts of Tess of the D'Urbevilles takes place in Kings Bere, the fictional version of Bere Regis, where The Swallows Cottage is located.
The Bere Regis area
There are numerous attractions and beauty spots within easy reach of the cottage. The nearest towns are Wareham and Blandford Forum, which both have an excellent range of shops and amenities. The countryside is stunning and as a result is extremely popular with walkers and cyclists, not least for the spectacular Jurassic Coast, a World Heritage Site. Coastal beauty spots such as Lulworth Cove, Studland, Durdle Door and Swanage are all close by, as are world famous tourist attractions such as the Cerne Abbas giant, Brownsea Island in Poole Harbour, and the stunning ruins of Corfe Castle, from which visitors can take a steam train to Swanage and back. This is also the heart of Thomas Hardy's Wessex, and offers the opportunity to visit the real places that provided the backdrop to his classic novels.
For younger visitors there are numerous activities within easy reach. Bovingdon Tank Museum is less than five miles away, as is Monkey World.
The area also offers excellent walking, cycling, sailing, fishing and golf. TheJurassic Coast has some of the best snorkelling and scuba diving sites in England with outstandingly clear water ensuring great visibility.
There is a sports centre in Wareham with a public swimming pool and tennis courts. The 2012 Olympic sailing events will be held at Weymouth, approximately 25 miles away by road.
How to get there
The Swallows Cottage
What's nearby:
Attractions
Restaurants
Click map icons for more information
Nearest Travel Links
Airport:
Bournemouth: 25 km
Railway:
Wareham: 10 km
Ferry:
Poole: 20 km
The Swallows Cottage is on the edge of Bere Regis, a village mentioned in the novels of Thomas Hardy. There is an excellent village website at www.bereregis.org. The village is on the A35, the main road west through Dorset, approximately two and a half hours from London by road and five miles from the railway stations at either Wareham or Wool, which are both on the main line out of London Waterloo.
Activities near Bere Regis
Sports: Watersports Horse Riding Golf within 30 mins drive Fishing
Great for: Walking holidays Rural / countryside retreats Beach or lakeside relaxation Cycling holidays
Lovely well equipped cottage. Kitchen is lovely with safe sunny aspect to the garden. Would stay again. Ideal for all ages. Good for dogs too.
27 May 2012
“Charming cottage in lovely area”
A sweet cottage within walking distance of two pubs and small supermarket. Modern bathroom and we particularly liked the kitchen/diner which was ideal for family and had doors to garden. All... more
22 May 2012
“Lovely cottage, beautiful location, and lots to do in the area”
A really nice cottage in a lovely part of the world. We had a few terrific walks in the area - one along the coast, one to the abandoned village on military land and the final one to and from Corfe Castle. On the way we stopped into a few country pubs; on our return to the cottage we curled up with a DVD or two (there is a good selection in the property). The cottage has everything you'd want - a good sized and good kitchen, two decent bedrooms, a sweet garden, a lovely fireplace to curl up in front of. We will I am sure want to return in the near future.
I decided to celebrate my birthday in the beautiful surroundings of Dorset and needed to be somewhere very cozy and with a "home feel" attached to it. Well, I absolutely loved this cottage, very comfortable beds, fully equipped kitchen and a lovely fire. (plus Egyptian cotton towels)
10 May 2012
“Great character cottage,wonderful location.”
A beautiful cottage with everything we needed. Having a real fire in the evenings was magical. We liked the mixture of old thatched cottage charm but with modern, well equipped kitchen and bathroom etc. Fab village - we ate at the Drax Arms several times and loved it. Great location - we visited the following which were all reached easily; Poole, Bournemouth, Brownsea Island, Monkey World, Abbotsbury swanery, Ludlow cove, Sherbourne, Corfe Castle, Studland Bay and Thomas Hardy's House (Max Gate). Would definitely book this cottage again.
30 Jan 2012
“Great - cannot recommend highly enough”
Myself, partner and dog stayed at this fab little cottage over Christmas 2011. It's really lovely and just perfect for almost any needs.
Cottage is really well decorated and is full of character, being several hundred years old.
So well equipped with pretty much everything you could need and then some – far better than our own house! Lovely and toasty warm, especially with the open fire roaring whilst it's freezing outside. Lovely big and modern kitchen, fields and woods to the rear – great for walking dogs and generally getting some air after stuffing our faces the whole week.
Beds were really comfortable, pile of wood and logs in outhouse which was really nice touch and saved on wet and expensive logs from local garage.
We cannot recommend this highly enough to anyone thinking of staying. Anna and Andy also extremely helpful – we had a minor problem whilst trying to book and they could not have gone further out of their way to resolve this.
Without doubt the best cottage we've stayed in.
Drax Arms is a nice little pub up road too for food etc.
Only minor point is you can clearly hear the hum from main road whilst outside front of house but this goes once you shut front door and is not audible anywhere else or inside the house. Oh and driveway too narrow to easily get car in but you can park on road.
“Delightful cottage in great position for visiting the coast and delights of Dorset.”
We would have loved to stay longer than the 2 nights we had, what a lovely, well equipped, cottage. Despite it being December we still managed to get out and about enjoying Monkey World, Lulworth, Wareham, all an easy drive away. Bere Regis itself is delightful and a lovely meal was had in the Drax Arms where the locals were friendly and welcoming! Would love to go back and enjoy more time in the area when the weather is better. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay!
05 Jan 2012
“Wonderful relaxing week in charming cottage.”
We spent a wonderful week at Swallows from 30th September -6th October 2011. The weather was glorious all week,we enjoyed many walks with Bella-our black lab-our favourites being Studland... more
03 Oct 2011
“Fantastic accommodation, well equipped, close to great attractions”
We spent a wonderful week in this delightful cottage. Our toddler enjoyed playing in the garden and our dog loved the walks over the fields right behind the back garden. The kitchen / diner is very spacious and well equipped and the lounge is very comfortable. There are many great attractions fro young children nearby including Monkey World, Farmer Palmers and the beaches of Studland. We certainly recommend this cottage for a lovely peaceful spot to enjoy as a base for the varied local area.
Special mention for the excellent communication from the owners in the lead up to our stay at the cottage, thankyou!
“Exquisite Country Cottage nestled in a perfect location”
When I walked through the door of this stunning cottage, I was nothing short of delighted. It manages to combine two wonderful features of being spacious and yet cosy. I loved the personal touches such as a piano in the front room and a selection of books to read and dvds to watch in the evenings.
The kitchen is inspirational and extremely well equipped. It has been tastefully decorated and I love the sofa by the patio doors which makes the kitchen an equally sociable room to hang out. Wonderful garden with the added bonus that it backs onto fields for perfect morning or evening strolls.
The bathroom/toilet arrangements are fantastic and again well thought through with one toilet and shower/bath in one room and another toilet next door. I found this very useful with children. Yet again, the addition of under floor heating in these rooms was another wonderful touch of luxury.
The beds were very comfortable and bedrooms ideal.
The location is perfect with great access to a wide range of beaches, walks, indoor activities in a stunning part of the country. I would certainly recommend this cottage to anyone and hope to visit again..
thank you...
13 Sep 2011
“The perfect holiday cottage for all”
We had a superb holiday at Swallow Cottage. It was a wonderful surprise to find such well equipped, modern facitlites inside this charming thatched cottage. Even the crockery is lovely. The owners have thought of just everything to make your stay excellent... and more. We cooked nearly every night and found all the utensils and pans that we needed everytime. The kitchen table is a great size for chatting over a family meal. There are lots of lovely beaches to go to, breathtaking coastal walks and yet we often stayed around the hamlet enjoying the woods, fields, swinging and paddling in the stream and eating fresh croissants from the well stocked local shop. The bathroom facilities were brilliant and there was lots of room for washing/drying at the end of any busy beach. We enjoyed using our Kayak on the river at Wareham as well as the local beaches. There were lots of potential activities for rainy days but we will have to return to complete them because the weather was superb! We couldn't recommend this cottage enough.
04 Sep 2011
“Fantastic family holiday!”
This was a real find. We were all amazed that it was a thatched cottage, tucked away in a quiet and beautiful part of the village. The accomodation was fantastic - stunning new bathrooms, lovely country kitchen with big table and big french doors overlooking the cottage garden. There was easy access from the back garden in to the fields and countryside beyond. The lovely sunroom was a hit with our kids (8 and 3 years). Our daughter enjoyed playing the piano and we liked the fireplace in the evening - making it cosy and atmospheric. The bedrooms were very comfortable. Lovely views from the master bedroom. We enjoyed the river and the walk along it (pass the cress beds). Also one of the neighbouring houses sells amazing jam (try the damson) and local honey to raise money for charity. Local shop sells lovely fresh local cress too. Two pubs in the village too - we tried one of them which was nice. Monkey World is worth a visit - a really interesting day seeing the amazing work they do. The beach at Swanage was perfect for the family - buckets and spades, swimming and a BBQ in the evening. We will definately be going back and will recommend to friends. Thank you!
We found Swallows Cottage to be a perfect place to stay. Located down a lane which is a no through road, it is very pretty from the outside - 'chocolate box' springs to mind - with a... more
25 Aug 2011
“Beautiful cottage in a lovely village centrally located.”
This is possibly the lovliest cottage we have stayed in EVER. Swallows Cottage has it all. Not only is it the perfect 'chocolate box' thatched cottage but it is spacious as well as being cozy. It is set down a quiet lane of other picture perfect cottages which is just off the main high street of Bere Regis which has a well stocked general store. Nowhere on our days out were more than half an hours drive - Weymouth, Dorchester, Lullworth Cove and Durdle Door, Swanage, Corfe Castle - really, you'd be hard pushed to find a more centrally located yet quiet and idyllic spot.
The living room is large and roomy, the kitchen/diner is to die for and opens onto a lovely garden with apple trees, summer house (for the children) and which itself is backed by a large field with a public footpath to explore for those evening strolls. We too, like a previous reviewer took advantage of the bbq one night. 2 toilets with underfloor heating make this a home from home - in fat it's nicer than my home! It is equipped with everything you need, and things you didnt know you needed. How lovely to find a note telling us there was milk in the fridge. Perfect! I have nothing negative to say about Swallows Cottage, even the neighbours were nice, we were given 3 bags of beans from next doors garden and Anna the owner was very helpful before we came with emails and links to places to visit during our stay. I wish we could stay longer, I'd love to see the cottage and village and surrounding countryside in all seasons...
20 Aug 2011
“Picture postcard cottage in gorgeous village location.”
We had a great week in the cottage which is very well equipped and manages to combine a quaint old fashioned charm with modern facilities . Lovely new kitchen and bathrooms ensured we had everything we could possibly need to self cater and keep our small children clean and fed, whilst in the evening we made a fire and soaked up the charm of the cottage whilst reading or watching a film. Anna and Andy have put a good deal of thought into making the cottage a great place to stay and it shows. Tons to see and do nearby including some stunning beaches which we spent a good deal of time exploring. Even when the weather was less than kind to us we were happy to just spend time in the cottage relaxing and enjoying it. We will be back again for sure.
The contact between the owners ans myself before the holiday was great. The cottage was the best equipt cottage I have ever rented, clean and comfortable. I took two Rhodesian Ridgebacks and was plenty big enough for all of us. The morning walk was on the doorstep and wonderfull. Close to all the great walks in forests and coast. We had a great time and will definatly be renting again. Thank you Andy and Anna for a great week in your wonderfull cottage, we will be back. Paulinr, Maria, Archie and Maisie Moo.
09 Jul 2011
“A little gem.”
We had a wonderful week staying here. The cottage has everything you could possibly need, the kitchen especially. Lovely and clean and very cosy. Lovely garden, with BBQ, we managed one before the... more
04 Jul 2011
“A totally relaxing stay in a picturesque cottage”
We stayed in Swallows Cottage in the middle of June. We were impressed with the quality of the finish as soon as we arrived at the cottage as well as the range of facilities. We stayed with another... more
We thoroughly enjoyed our recent week-long stay at Swallows Cottage. It was so lovely to stay in a charming, traditional cottage with all the mod cons. The bathroom and kitchen have been... more
31 May 2011
“The only downside was that we weren't able to stay longer.”
I visited the cottage with friends for a long weekend in April and thoroughly enjoyed our stay. The recent refurbishments are to a very high standard and provide all the modern comforts, while still retaining the character and charm of a traditional country cottage. The location is fabulous, set in a quiet hamlet with a pretty garden and great views of the surrounding countryside, it's perfect for a relaxing getaway. It is easy to find and ideally situated for nearby sites of historical interest and natural beauty. We enjoyed a great day out in the nearby town of Swanage with a trip on the ferry to Sandbanks. I would also recommend a visit to the beautiful Lulworth Cove. The kitchen is extremely well equipped and we didn't feel the need to go out to eat, spending our evenings cooking and chatting around the kitchen table instead! Next time we will have to take a stroll into the village and try out the one of the pubs. The cottage was a real home from home and the only downside was that we weren't able to stay longer.
23 May 2011
“Just Gorgeous”
We have stayed at Swallows Cottage on two occasions and will try and get there every year. It is a beautiful, characterful little cottage in a fantastic location. We enjoyed visiting Swanage, Corfe... more
“An home- away- from home in a beautiful location”
Myself and a group of friends spent a long weekend at Swallows cottage over Easter, and it made the perfect get- away destination to catch up in comfort and beautiful surroundings. In our 2- night stay, we managed to cram in trips to many of the stunning coastal areas that are within easy reach, including Swanage, Sandbanks and Lulworth Cove- we just wished we had had longer to explore. The cottage itself caters for all the creature comforts required for a relaxing break, and is excellent value for money- highly recommended.
22 May 2011
“A charming traditional cottage in the heart of Dorset!”
I spent a weekend away with friends at the cottage in April, 2011 and had a fabulous time in this beautiful Dorset retreat. I was very impressed with the cottage. It has a number of traditional... more
The owner is based in the United Kingdom and has advertised with Holiday Lettings since 2011. This cottage has received 23 reviews from previous guests.
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