California Barn

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Barn |4 bedrooms |Sleeps 17

Swanage in West Country

From £700 per week |  From £150 per night

2 nights minimum stay

Changeover Friday

3.5 out of 5

6 reviews | Write a review

Key info  Beach or lakeside relaxation, balcony/terrace, car advised, private garden, pets welcome

About the home

The barn and studio has been converted to luxury holiday accommodation (4 bedrooms).
Built of the mellow local Purbeck stone, the mid 19 th century barn provides accommodation for up to 17 people +cots . The large open plan ground floor includes a fully fitted contemporary kitchen, dining and lounge areas. Also on the ground floor is a bedroom and shower room both of which are wheelchair accessible. Two further bedrooms and bathroom lie on the first floor ( family room -with double bed, single bed and bunk beds and another room with double and single bed). Both bedrooms are large enough to accommodate further guest beds. the adjoining studio has a mezzanine sleeping area for further guests, an adjoing 19th century shepherds hut sleeps has a double bed for additional accomodatation and camping is available nearby.
the size of the property and flexibility of the accommodation makes it ideal for larger groups and activity holidays.


The barn is comfortably furnished throughout with many original works of art. Underfloor heating, a wood burning stove and double glazing make it perfectly suited to a break out of season, often when the scenery and wildlife are equally impressive.

In early summer the fields are a mass of meadow flowers and deer, badgers, foxes and buzzards are regular visitors along with the resident horses and neighbours organic Dorset Downs sheep and Hereford cows. The Barn has a south facing patio and garden and visitors have direct access to paths to the cliffs only 2 fields away.

Swanage with its blue flag beach, cafes, shops and family entertainment is a mile downhill.


The adjoining studio, can also be used as a studio/workshop for meetings, exhibitions, family gatherings, corporate events, tutoring activities or parties. The studio includes a small kitchen, shower room with WC and sleeping accommodation for 2-4 on a raised mezzanine area. The large living area is big enough to accommodate guest beds to accommodate some of those staying. if prefered to the mezzanine sl;eeping area
the studio has access directly onto the garden and has its own decked patio with sea views and access to a japanese garden.

A victorian Shepherds Hut nearby is available for hire as additional accommodation for those staying in the barn / studio. It has a double bed which is best suited to those under 6 foot tall (there is a normal length mattress but there are small beams just above the matress retsricting sleeping length).
Those staying in the shepeherds hut will share bathroom and kitchen facilities with their fellow guests in the barn or studio.

Facilities

Further details indoors:
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the studio sleeping up to 5 either as beds on the mezzanine or guest beds that can be put in the large open plan living area. The lounge area in the studio can seat up to 9. there is a very large dining table and dining seating for up to 12. There are 7 solid/covered dining chairs and 10 folding chairs ideal for talks or workshops.
The lounge includes CD player/radio, vinyl record player, TV (currently indoor aerial with digibox)
There is a separate small kitchen with sink, hob/hotplates, microwave and fridge and a shower room with WC.

The studio is frequently used as a functions/party room for the those renting the property (barn and studio). it is also ideal as a lectures/meetings room. making the property ideal for activity holidays for specific groups to date it has been used for arts and crafts activities, exhibitions, yoga and wellbeing holidays, music/dance/performance workshops, storytelling/writing/poetry and puppetry w/s, corporate workshops,
the studio has its own decked area, full length window with double opening doors with seaviews. The studio has access to the adjacent japanese garden viewed from the deck

the barn section sleeping up to 12 plus cots, has 3 bedrooms and 3 bath/shower rooms (dble+single, en suite, but is large enough for 2 additional guest beds/cots), another bedroom has dble+single+bunk beds and there is room for a cot, the 3rd bedroom (groundfloor) is a twin, at a squeeze a cot could be accommodated in the downstairs bedroom.
The downstairs bedroom and shower room are wheelchair accessible and ramped from living areas and parking.
The openplan lounge/dining room of the barn has sofa seating for 10, a large 44" digital television. and dining table seating up to 10/12 but with additional table nearby can accommodate 17, plus high chairs.
The lounge bookshelves include plenty of books inc local history/geology, games. The barn is decorated in a cosy but "contemporary country" style.
The lounge has direct access onto the paved patio and garden path (no steps). The garden is accessed by both the studio and barn lounges. Visitors to the barn also have access to the adjacent japanese garden.

The shepherds hut which can sleep2 is nearby and is accessible from either the barn or studio.

Further details outdoors:
Garden with lawn, beds, stone paved patio, timber decking, childs play area with swing/slide frame all overlooking flower/hay meadows and grazing horses. Views to the sea. Fields adjoin an important wildlife/country park (Durlston) and Jurassic coast for walking, climbing, birdwatching and geology. car parking for up to 6 cars is adjacent to the front door/s.
A small basic campsite on the farm allows for extra guests to visit.
A shepherds hut sleeping 2 is available as extra sleeping accommodation for visitors staying in the studio and/or barn. The hut has its own small garden area and wonderful views towards the sea and the Isle of Wight.
access to bridle paths and hacking.

Outdoor activities can be arranged including - climbing, horse riding, guided walks(historical/geological/wildlife) sea fishing, diving, alternative therapies.

Further details

No more than the agreed number of visitors may stay.
Booking is confirmed by a deposit of the third (full week bookings) and a half (short stay) of the total fee with the balance due 4 (short stay)- 6 weeks (full week bookings) before arrival.
The rental fee does not include linen and towels.however these can be hired at a fee of £12 per single set and £22 a double set. The owner requires at least 2 weeks notice for the provision of linen.



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Conditions

Arrival from 3.30pm onwards.
departure by 10.30am.
owner lives on site in separate cottage,
Up to 2 well behaved pets are welcome and accepted on the understanding that the owners are fully responsible for their behaviour. The adjacent farm has livestock and several dogs and this should be taken fully into account during your visit. The owner retains the right to ask visitors to leave if serious problems arise. Horses can be accommodated at extra cost on site or at local livery yards.

Booking is confirmed by payment of a deposit with the balance due 6 weeks prior to the date of arrival. Fees for short breaks to be paid in full on booking and when time limitations do not allow for postal confirmation/cheque clearance, such as a late booking, payment is to be made in cash on arrival.

Should you cancel your visit notification in writing in neceessary and although every effort will be made to re let the property, if this is unsuccessful you will be liable for the full fee. it is strongly recommended that cancellation insurance be taken out as part of standard travel insurance.
No more guests than originally agreed can stay in the barn without prior permission from the owner. This could incurr extra fees.

The property should be left clean and tidy ready for the next visitors.
PLEASE NOTE Any furniture moved during your stay has to be returned to its original location prior to your departure, ready for the next guests.
If linen is provided the beds should be stripped prior to departure.
Any problems or complaints should be brought to the owners attention as soon as possible as it may not be possible to deal with issues after your departure.
The owner trusts visitors to inform them of any breakages etc. these will be paid for accordingly.
The owner reserves the right to demand a deposit for breakages/damage etc prior to arrival date, depending on the nature of the party hiring the property and its anticipated use. The owner will give plenty of notice if a deposit is likely to be requested. Any deposit paid will be returned/refunded after a 2 week period when the property and contents are deemed satisfactory.

Photos

 

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California Barn with parking courtyard

 

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The "french" bedroom sleeps 3-4

 

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The barn's well equipped kitchen

 

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Barn lounge/dining area, with garden and views over meadows

The West Country / Dorset region

Visitors to Purbeck are well catered for when it comes to activities and places to visit. It lies at the eastern end of the Jurassic Heritage coast. The barn lies only fieldsaway from Durlston country park recently designated a national nature reserve and allocated heritage lottery grants to develop a major visitor centre in the castle (due for completion in 2010) The National Trust acquired large areas of Purbeck from the Bankes estate, including the impressive ruins of Corfe Castle and the much visited sandy beach, chalk cliffs and heathland at Studland. Walkers and climbers have easy access to the coast which also accommodates hang gliders and paragliders from the higher slopes. Water sports are particularly popular off the Purbeck coast, including sailing and power boats, waterskiing, windsurfing, board surfing, fishing and diving. The internationally renowned sailing centre of Poole harbour and the Solent lie not far away and Britains successful bid for Olympics in 2012 will include the sailing events to be held at Weymouth further along the coast..
Swanage and Purbeck has a micro climate and has some of the highest sun hours and average temperatures in the country. Its coastline is recognised as nationally important for its wildlife and marine species and the geology is equally important and impressive with visitors coming from around the world to study its fossils.
Its attractive landscape and scenery has resulted in its regular use for film and television locations ( most recently BBc's Tess of the D'urbevilles May 2008),

The Swanage area

Popular attractions nearby include the steam railway, Corfe Castle, Studlands beautiful beach, Lulworth with its cove and castle, Thomas Hardy’s cottage, Lawrence of Arabia’s cottage and memorial, Monkey world, Bovington Tank museum and for those needing ‘retail therapy’ the shopping centres of Bournemouth, Poole, Dorchester and Weymouth are all within striking distance.
Swanage is the host for several annual festivals including The Blues festival in March, Purbeck and Dorset Art weeks in may/June, the Jazz Festival in July, Swanage Carnival (one of the largest on the South coast) in July/August, the folk festival in September, Film festival in October and Blues /roots festival in October. Local organisation and venues have other smaller events such as beer and cider festivals (The greyhound, Corfe, The Bankes Arms, Studland, The Square and Compass, Worth Matravers). Durlston Country Park regularly organises events related to the heritage and wildlife of the Park and adjoining coast.

How to get there

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40 minutes drive from Poole and Bournemouth. 5 minutes drive from Swanage.
accessible from Bournemouth International airport (Ryanair (Dublin, France,Spain, Germany, Poland) and Palmair), also Poole Port (Brittany ferries and seacat to Cherbourg, France and Channel Islands) also Weymouth from France. National express coaches to Swanage from Victoria , London.
Nearest rail station is at Wareham (Waterloo-Weymouth line).

Activities near Swanage

Reviews

Review: 1 to 3 of 6

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19 Aug 2011

“Uncomfortable and dirty!” The barn is situated at the end of a very bumpy track, ok if you drive a 4x4 - not so good in a fully loaded family car! An old derelict caravan dumped at the entrance didn't give a great first... more

02 Aug 2011

“Great location & nice accommodation - would stay again” We went with a large group (10 adults, 9 children) of all ages: 3 mths to 60 yrs. We hired the barn with studio and 'shepherd's hut' and found the living accommodation to be a very... more

23 Jul 2011

“Absolutely fabulous-we'll be back” The barn is in a fabulous location, surrounded by fields and with great walks nearby. It was a fifteen minute walk across fields with a view of the sea to the town centre- we even saw a badger en... more

Review: 1 to 3 of 6

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Review: 4 to 6 of 6

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21 Jul 2011

“Fantastic venue, beautiful location, friendly owner” A friend arranged for 14 of us to stay at California Barn for a long-ish weekend for my rather sensible thirtysomething stag do. It was a little tricky to find a find at first, but once we got... more

18 Jul 2011

“Spacious accomodation in beautiful location.” Plenty of space to sleep, feed and entertain 14 adults for a weekend of recording music. Comfortable rooms, relaxing garden, beautiful countryside and coastline.

23 May 2011

“Great location and building but not well managed or cleaned.” I thought a lot about doing this review as i am not one to complain about something unless there is really a need. On arrival to the barn we wondered whether we were in the correct place? 1st... more

Review: 4 to 6 of 6

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Guestbook for California Barn

"a lovely weekend and an amazing building" T. Beech
"had a lovely stay.. we all loved the barn..love to come again next year" heather, lucy and co
"What a fantastic venue for our wedding day... Karen you have been so amazing, good communication and fantastic hospitality.. a great friendly warm feel to the place" Mr and Mrs Plumridge
" a great place for a special family event.. we loved the horses and cliff walks" The Harris family
" a perfect gaff for my hen do.. we all had a most awesome and chillaxing time...couldn't have asked for a more beautiful setting" Clare hartley
"Thanks ever so much for everything. Lovely cottage and great location - top weekend" Chris Cable Oct '11

Rental prices

Prices for group size 17
Period	From	To	Weekly	Nightly rate		Minimum  stay
				Weekday	Weekend
	20 Jan 12	10 Feb 12	700£ 700	150150	375375	2 Nights
	10 Feb 12	17 Feb 12	800£ 800	0-	0-	1 Week
	17 Feb 12	30 Mar 12	850£ 850	150150	385385	2 Nights
school holidays	30 Mar 12	6 Apr 12	1000£ 1000	0-	0-	1 Week
easter week	6 Apr 12	13 Apr 12	1200£ 1200	0-	0-	1 Week
	13 Apr 12	4 May 12	950£ 950	200200	385385	2 Nights
early may holiday w/e	4 May 12	7 May 12	950£ 950	200200	385385	3 Nights
	7 May 12	1 Jun 12	950£ 950	200200	385385	2 Nights
whitsun school holiday	1 Jun 12	8 Jun 12	1350£ 1350	0-	0-	1 Week
	8 Jun 12	22 Jun 12	1200£ 1200	200200	400400	2 Nights
	22 Jun 12	6 Jul 12	1350£ 1350	250250	400400	3 Nights
	6 Jul 12	20 Jul 12	1900£ 1900	0-	0-	1 Week
summer school holidays	20 Jul 12	24 Aug 12	2100£ 2100	0-	0-	1 Week
summer school holidays	24 Aug 12	31 Aug 12	1900£ 1900	0-	0-	1 Week
	31 Aug 12	14 Sep 12	1800£ 1800	250250	400400	3 Nights
	14 Sep 12	28 Sep 12	1350£ 1350	200200	400400	2 Nights
	28 Sep 12	26 Oct 12	950£ 950	200200	385385	2 Nights
autumn half term	26 Oct 12	2 Nov 12	1100£ 1100	0-	0-	1 Week
	2 Nov 12	7 Dec 12	950£ 950	200200	385385	2 Nights
pre christmas	7 Dec 12	23 Dec 12	950£ 950	250250	400400	2 Nights
	23 Dec 12	27 Dec 12	2250£ 2250	500500	500500	4 Nights
	29 Dec 12	3 Jan 13	2250£ 2250	500500	500500	4 Nights

The property's weekend rates apply to: Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights

NB: Prices may be subject to change at the advertiser's discretion.

Short breaks are available for 2 nights, 3 or 4 nights. please note the first x2 nights are at the prices quoted per night, any additional nights would be at a reduced price o.ther than over the Christmas and New year periods

Payment by cheque only. cash on arrival for short notice/late bookings

Linen can be provided - £12 per single bed, £22 per double bed

A deposit of a third of the total, confirms the booking. the balance is due 6 weeks before arrival.

prices include electricity and some logs (1 bag per short break, 2 per week).

The owner retains the right to charge a pre visit breakages/damage deposit if it is felt the nature of the visit warrants it ie stag/hen visits/New Year. Any request for such a deposit will be made no less than 2 weeks prior to the visit and returned/refunded within 2 weeks of departure once the property has been checked and declared satisfactory and free of problems.

If no such deposit is paid/requested, the owner trusts visitors to adequately declare any breakages before departure and payment duly made if requested by the owner.

all breakages must be paid for.if deemed necessary by the owner

Availability

See below for next 9 months' availability - to see the next 24 months click here

Contact the owner

* Required fields Please check the following errors: First name * Last name * Email *   Did you mean ""? Yes / No Phone number Arrival date Departure date   Ignore calendar - enquire anway No. of adults No. of children Message * Email me special offers and holiday ideas T&Cs

You are contacting Karen Delahay Landline +44 01929 425049 Mobile n/a Languages spoken The owner is based in the United Kingdom and has advertised with Holiday Lettings since 2011. This barn has received 6 reviews from previous guests.