Dorset 5* Seaside Cottage

FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD

On Chesil Beach, Dorset; the UNESCO World Heritage Jurassic Coast, SHORT HOUSE is perfect for a 'Stop the world, I want to get off' break. Filled with light and colour; a haven of tranquility with spectacular sea views, beautiful gardens and grounds. 

Surrounded by National Trust farmland, designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, SHORT HOUSE is in small private estate with a 200m frontage on to Chesil Beach.

Drive through a tunnel of swaying pampas grass and umbrella pines to this recently restored Purbeck stone converted barn.  The sea shimmers behind the house and a solemn terracotta warrior stands guard. 

Horses graze as you take a short stroll across an unspoilt meadow to Chesil Beach.

• Good mobile & wifi signal: c. 30mb per second
• Large fully equipped kitchen with eye level fridge/freezer, fan oven/grill, hob, extractor, double sink & dishwashing machine
• Plenty of pots, pans, sieves, blender, juicer, cooking knives, cutlery, crockery, glassware, serving dishes and bowls 
• Kitchen basics: Olive oil, salt, pepper, tea, coffee etc 
• The kitchen table seats six, extendable to seat 8
• Nuna high chair and a higher kitchen chair for toddlers
• High ceilinged dining & sitting room; bright kilims, oak floors & purple doors 
• Dimmable lighting 
• Bold canvases, lots of board games & books 
• 43" Sony Bravia UHD TV (2018 model), Sky Q (Sky Sports, Movies, Box sets, Kids etc), Netflix & Amazon Prime.
• DVD player, with loads of DVD's
• Bose Dock sound system
• Easy to control central heating system, with a Hive gizmo thermostat control so you control the heating
• Comfy furniture with proper squashy cushions  
• Two double bedrooms with ocean views
• King size beds: 6ft 6" (198cm) long x 5ft 4" (162.5cm) wide, in both bedrooms 
• Fine Egyptian cotton linen with feather & down pillows and high tog duvets
• The bed in Bedroom 2 splits into twin beds - please ask for that when booking
• Two John Lewis inflatable extra beds; one fits in Bedroom 2, the other in the main room - please ask for those when booking.
• There is a John Lewis travel cot - please ask for that when booking.
• Plenty of decent size fluffy towels (6 in each bathroom), and beach towels, buckets and spades
• Travertine stone tiled bathrooms, big tub baths; one with an overhead shower, the other with a hand shower and a sea view when sitting in the bath. 
• Instant hot water from a Combi boiler; i.e. on all the time
• LG washer dryer (2018 model) 
• Tennis rackets (of all sizes for all ages) and tennis balls, badminton rackets and balls, basketballs and footballs provided
• The outside terrace dining table seats 8 and a barbecue with barbecue cooking utensils
• The terrace is surrounded by a wide box hedge, making it safe for toddlers
• There are two outside reclining chairs with cushions, two loungers with mattresses and four beach chairs. 
• Great for stargazing; the very low ambient light means the stars shine bright.

The lights of Lyme Regis twinkle in the distance after the sun sets over the Devon coastline and Golden Cap; the highest point on the south coast.

Reviews: http://www.short-house.co.uk/en/632913/reviews.

LOTS TO DO IN THIS BEAUTIFUL CORNER OF ENGLAND

There are lovely walks direct from the cottage; in both directions along the beach and inland.  Wear's Hill, voted as having the best natural view in England by Country Life Magazine, is about 45 minutes walk. 

A private tennis court (rackets & balls provided) is on the doorstep as are the riding stables, where lessons can be arranged.  The beach is famous for fishing and birdwatching.

Abbotsbury Sub-Tropical Gardens, with a great colonial style cafe, is 30-40 minutes walk along the beach.  Abbotsbury Swannery, a further 20 minutes walk, is the only place in the world where you can walk through a colony of nesting Mute Swans. 

In Burton Bradstock (5 minutes by car), Hive Beach has a great cafe and good swimming off a sandy beach. Bridport, (15 minutes), is a charming market town with a great selection of restaurants, bars, pubs and shops, including Waitrose.  The Saturday street market is very good; lot's of local produce and traders.  Catch a performance at Bridport Arts Centre. 

West Bay Harbour (TV's 'Broadchurch') also 15 minutes, with boats to hire, fishing trips and the best fish restaurant in the area; The Riverside.

The county town Dorchester (12 miles) has an Arts Centre and a new Odeon; the 2015 national cinema of the year.  Restaurants, bars, cafes and shops around the multi jet fountain in Brewery Square, include Carluccio's, Cote Brasserie, Wagamama, Nando's, Zizzi and Pizza Express.

Weymouth (14 miles) is the home of the Olympic Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy.  The water here is unusually calm, making it perfect for water sports.  A number of golf courses are within easy reach.

The A35/A31 provides access to the M3; Bournemouth, Southampton, Winchester and London.  The intercity station at Dorchester South (12 miles) provides twice hourly services to Bournemouth, Southampton, Winchester and London (2 hrs 30 mins to London Waterloo).  

Exeter International airport is within an hour.  Helicopter landing co-ordinates for Short House on request. 

There is ample parking right in front of the cottage.