Large Cottages in Dorset for Group Holidays

Reviews

What our customers say about their holidays

• Stacy - Verified booking

  At the end of February we had a wonderful week long family getaway to the gorgeous Under Acre Cottage.

  Brimming with period features, this 16th century cottage has bags of character and charm. We loved the exposed beams and the huge inglenook fireplaces! Staying in winter and during the tail end of storm Eunice, we spent many a cosy evening curled up in the living room with a roaring fire going in the wood burner, playing Jenga and other games provided by the owners. When we weren't playing games we would pop on a movie on one of the two tv's in each of the living rooms. There are three bedrooms set in the main historic body of the cottage, one large master bedroom and two smaller, cosy double rooms which you would expect with a property of this period. Downstairs in the extension there is a huge kitchen, ideal for a large family getaway or a weekend away with friends and this is fully kitted out with all the cooking materials you could possibly need. The large kitchen opens up onto a wonderful conservatory which has views out to the garden and much to our delight, under floor heating - perfect for our winter getaway. I absolutely loved the huge garden that was set out over different tiers, the top terrace providing a fantastic entertaining space with a wood burning pizza oven, outdoor dining area and brilliant views out over the surrounding countryside. Despite staying in February we managed to enjoy a fantastic evening up there making pizza's together. The cottage itself is set right back from the road by a long driveway so it's incredibly peaceful and quiet. The only other neighbours are a smaller rental property located next door, however we never heard a peep out of the guests there. I loved the feeling of being slightly off grid with the complete lack of phone reception at the cottage, a pleasure to get to enjoy these days! Saying that, there was wifi for internet and phone calls if required. The pub at the end of the road had recently closed, but that wasn't a problem for us as there are plenty of other fantastic pubs close by such as The Thimble Inn in Piddlehinton (15 mins drive west) or the Anchor Inn in Shapwick (15 mins drive east), both of which did a brilliant meal! On the nights we wanted to eat in, there is a large Tesco supermarket just 10 mins away so we would get ingredients there to enjoy cooking dinner at the cottage. Set in the heart of the Dorset countryside, the cottage is ideally located with some fantastic places to visit just a short drive away like Thomas Hardy's Cottage, Athelhampton House and the unique village of Milton Abbas. All in all a wonderful property and we would happily book a return visit. We thought the gardens would be incredible to enjoy during the summer months! I shared about my stay at Under Acre Cottage on my Instagram account which you can view here if you'd like to see images of the cottage - https://www.instagram.com/p/CarVaiGrYOK/ www.whatstacydid.com

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• Sally - Verified booking

  Lovely cottage in an absolutely fantastic location.

  Hive Beach Cafe is a must just for the fish & chips, quite expensive but worth it! The two Pubs both serve excellent food though we found The Anchor was less expensive and had no problem in booking a table, yes you have to book a table in advance. Hillview Bungalow is in a lovely location and is quite spacious. The sofas could do with updating as I found them rather uncomfortable and a bit worn. Upon arrival, I was disappointed to note that there was no milk, not even UHT, and that mean't I had to wait for my shopping delivery to arrive before having a cup of tea, there was inadequate toilet roll provided even just for the first night, so again I was glad that I had ordered some extra with my shopping. Also there were no dishcloths, however I did leave the ones we bought so someone else can use them. So if you are going to Hillview, I would recommend that you take these kinds of provisions with you. The garden says it is enclosed and for the most part it it, however there is a gap under the side gate that my small dogs could get through, so please bear that in mind, we put the main bins by the gate so our dogs could not get out. All in all, I would not hesitate to recommend Hillview and would not hesitate in staying there again if I was in the area, these are just some minor niggles that could cheaply and easily be rectified.

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• Keith - Verified booking

  Location is fabulous, and the house, light, bright and airy, but empty, tired and dated.

  There are empty shelves and furniture in the living room. It has a DVD player however not a single DVD, puzzle, book, game or magazine, very unusual. Misleading info about 'separate' toilet. Be aware ... There is only 1 and it's separate from the 'family' bathroom. Again misleading use of words because they state not suitable for children. This then begs why they provide twin beds that are child sized with childrens single duvets, these were not suitable for adults. It also only had 1 toilet roll which was for 4 people for a week! Nobody expects an endless supply but 1 ?!! The tv was not working the first night and was not sorted until following day, regardless of the 'this has happened before' comment. We had to mention the bedroom door handles due to them clicking and not being able to get out a couple of times! There was mould on the bathroom ceiling and blind. The house is advertised as an enclosed garden. We had to block a gap under the gate as our dogs would have gone underneath a d out onto the deuve amd consequently the road. We stay in many cottages throughout the year and have been doing this for a number of years. This is is the first one we have booked where it was not as described or up to a standard that we would consider accepctable.

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• David - Verified booking

  Overall, we enjoyed our time at handsome Under Acre Cottage.

  We especially appreciated and shall long remember the really spacious interior, many interestingly quirky and ;characterful' features and contents - and above all, the delightfully peaceful grounds, both around the cottage itself and the unique 'secret garden' above the surrounding trees. One slight negative was a concern over 'housekeeping' (both fridge and freezer were showing signs of wear and tear and in need of a little TLC). We also felt that the comfort of the main living room would benefit from one or two rugs on the cold quarry tile floor - and perhaps at least a few cushions on the sofas. There was also one important consideration we felt ws not made clear on the website. Prior to booking we were given reassurances over our concern as to how close the adjoining 'Mouse House' rental cottage was to Under Acre. In fact, this is a matter of only yards at one point and Mouse House is clearly visible from a couple of rear windows. Thankfully on this occasion our new 'neighbours' were charming and shared out wish for peace and privacy . . . Otherwise - a very pleasant stay. Thank you!

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• Jason - Verified booking

  We usually are very open minded when it comes to holiday cottages and what to expect.

  Particularly as we take our dogs and expect the property to be dog friendly which comes hand in hand with not being the high end spec you would get from none pet friendly. However, this property in reality looks very tired and in need of a clean as well as decorating. The skirting boards, kitchen cupboards, and generally all around were dirty with old dirt. Damp/mould in the bedroom and around each of the windows in the bathroom and toilet. The garden was also really not well maintained and the property form the kerb looked run down compared to the rest of the properties. The freezer situated in the garage (which has no garage door on it) was mouldy both inside and out. The light socket in the garage was loose and you could see the wires. Now, this does all sound terrible and for some people it would be. We still enjoyed our stay as we don't put these issues high on our list of priorities but it is worth highlighting them so that the owners are aware and the future customers can make an informed decision on whether to book this property

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