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Bell Cottage

(Ref. 1089047)

Dorchester, Dorset Show on map

4.6

Sykes rating

  • 2 Guests

  • 1 Bedroom

  • 1 Bathroom

  • Pets Yes

Features

  • Open fire
  • Garden / Patio
  • Pub/shop < 1 mile
  • Washing machine
  • Dishwasher
  • Broadband / WiFi

Reviews & Ratings

Accuracy of the listing
Cleanliness
Comfort
Facilities and Maintenance
  • All reviews
  • cottage (15)
  • lovely (10)
  • everything (7)
  • well (7)
  • our (7)
  • equipped (6)

17 Customer Reviews

  • "Nice little cottage in the heart of Dorchester."

    Very quirky (in a good way) and is a great little place with lots of history. Well equipped, central and easy to get anywhere in Dorchester. Would recommend for lone travellers or couples.

    Thank you for your lovely feedback. We have tried to keep the personality of the cottage, while also making it comfortable and bright. We are grateful for your recommendation, and hope to welcome you again. The Bell Cottage team Property Owner

    Reviewed by Simon5.0Jul 2024

  • "Lovely cottage in a central location."

    Clean, bright, well thought out. A real gem.

    Reviewed by Sarah4.7May 2024

  • "Our second stay at Bell Cottage."

    It’s very comfortable, well equipped and in a really convenient location for the town and lovely walks.

    It was great to have you back, thank you for returning to Bell Cottage and for all your helpful comments. We look forward to seeing you again. Property Owner

    Reviewed by Mark5.0May 2024

  • "We enjoyed our week ."

    Lovely cottage steeped with history . Would be lovely for guests to be able to read up on the history and its connection with hangman’s cottage in Dorchester . Lovely cosy cottage .

    Thank you for visiting, I'm so glad you enjoyed your week at Bell Cottage. We will certainly look at providing more detailed history of a link with the beautiful Hangman's cottage to add to the history section in the guest book. Thank you Property Owner

    Reviewed by Karen4.1Apr 2024

  • "Sited in the middle of Dorchester meaning that you can walk everywhere."

    Wonderful Wednesday market. Bus to Weymouth recommended. No 5 for scenic route or No 10 more direct. The cottage has everything you need for a successful visit. Most enjoyable visit.

    It's most kind of you to leave such lovely, positive feedback. I'm so pleased you enjoyed your visit and were able to make the most of the local area, we are very fond of Dorchester and the surrounding area ourselves, and are thrilled to be able to share it with our visitors. Property Owner

    Reviewed by Anthony5.0Mar 2024

  • "Bell Cottage is a lovely comfortable home, very well equipped and in an excellent position to explore Dorchester, both the town centre and surrounding area."

    The cottage is full of character and in a quiet spot. A generous welcome pack was provided which was appreciated. Very well set up for dogs, especially the doggie area in the garden. A home from home. Really loved the various Thomas Hardy books, which did lead to a bit of a pilgrimage around the local area! Dorchester has good independent shops and cafes as well as supermarkets, and the museum, a few minutes walk away, is excellent.

    How lovely to read your wonderful feedback. Thank you for your kind words. We have tried very hard to make sure the cottage has everything you might need, and I'm so glad you enjoyed it, and especially our selection of Thomas Hardy. Max and Elsa, our Springer Spaniels, are also pleased to hear that the dog area in the garden was useful. We too enjoy the independent shops and the museum, and we are delighted when our guests share our love for this fascinating town. Thank you for visiting. Property Owner

    Reviewed by Mark5.0Mar 2024

  • "The property could not have been better positioned for everything."

    Shops , restaurants , tea shops , parks and lovely walks with our dog. The Sun Inn is particularly nice and a smashing walk to it along the River Frome. Cottage was lovely, really ticked all the boxes we loved it. So close to Salisbury Fields for our dog Charlie to run and chase his ball. The television however didn’t want to play ! , but we were on holiday so not that important. Watched a few films so that was nice too. Cottage was clean and tidy and tastefully decorated. We would definitely consider a return to that area.

    Reviewed by Mike4.4Sep 2023

  • "First class cottage, superb position for Dorchester and easy to get anywhere in Dorset."

    Cottage incredibly equipped and very dog friendly. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Bell Cottage. A real home from home. Thank you.

    Reviewed by Sarah5.0Sep 2023

  • "Great little cottage in the centre of town."

    Has everything you need for 1 or 2 people to enjoy a well equipped stay. The only small consideration is the location - guests should expect some noise from people and vehicles on busy weekends.

    Reviewed by Simon4.1Jul 2023

  • "Bij aankomst bleek de oven niet gereinigd, was erg vies."

    Hebben hem niet gebruikt daarom. Verder was alles tip top. De tv was iets te ingewikkeld voor ons om optimaal gebruik van te maken. Ook was het jammer dat Sykes niet vermeld had dat er alleen betaald parkeren in de omgeving was, we hadden gezocht op parkeergelegenheid inclusief.

    Reviewed by Frederika3.8Jun 2023

  • "Lovely cottage in the heart of Dorchester."

    Very comfortable bed. Everything you need to feel at home, very dog friendly. Cottage guide really helpful and comprehensive. We took a couple of the walks listed and really enjoyed them. Sykes and the cottage owners were great when the TV broke - replacing the TV there and then! Do try the Italian restaurant across the road La Caverna. Fantastic authentic Italian food at a reasonable price. No hesitation in recommending to anyone (especially dog owners) wanting a relaxing holiday with great amenities a stone's throw from all of Dorset's major sights.

    Reviewed by Louise5.0Jun 2023

  • "Nice cottage ,kitchen had everything need and was clean and tidy ."

    Bed was comfortable with nice linen. The bathroom was clean and shower worked OK but spoilt by the paint peeling of the bath and toilet . The biggest disappointment was the little courtyard. On arrival the garden table and chairs were covered in bird poo ! The whole area was dirty and generally a mess. I did relent and I cleaned the table and chairs as we really wanted to sit outside for coffee and in the evening . After I had cleaned the table and chairs no further bird mess appeared so although sea gulls may be a problem the furniture stayed clean . This is such a lovely little area for sitting out and it could be so much better with a little attention . Didn't really want to start washing garden furniture on my holiday . All that said apart from the courtyard we did enjoy our holiday at the cottage .

    Hello, Thank you for leaving feedback for your stay at Bell Cottage, we are always keen to learn how we can improve the experience for our guests. I'm glad that you found the kitchen well equipped and the bed comfortable. I'm very sorry that you did not find the garden furniture in a clean condition. I will ensure that it is checked and cleaned more carefully in future, together with the rest of the courtyard. Sadly the cold start to spring delayed the preparation of the courtyard, and we were ill prepared for the change in the weather. Thank you for taking the time to clean the furniture, and I'm glad you enjoyed the rest of your stay. Kind regards, the Bell Cottage team. Property Owner

    Reviewed by Helen3.8May 2023

  • "Bell cottage is a lovely small quirky cottage that unfortunately sits in a not too brilliant position."

    Location isn’t great as it’s hemmed in by other big buildings and a big conversion is being carried out currently on the property opposite into an 11 flat house of multiple occupancy. Work began at 7 am and continued all day with the accompanying noise and comings and going’s. Obviously this is only temporary but it impacted my stay. The cottage smelt faintly doggy when I arrived and every time I returned..I’m not a dog person ,and this may not bother those who are. Despite that the cleanliness was absolutely fine. Good kitchen facilities..everything was perfect....slight issue with fire starter pack not being available that was quickly sorted with discussion with the owner..I hadn’t read the small print that this isn’t provided after the end of March...but the weather still being very cold at night I managed to buy some fuel from the nearby coal merchant Roger, who was most helpful. TV.....a major issue.....some expensive kit but no normal TV channels without going through a long winded laborious process using various app’s BBC’s I player, you tube etc....all a bit too complicated to even bother with. All in all..a nice cottage but spoiled for me mainly by the location...a tiny yard at the rear and nowhere outside at the front to sit..but I can’t blame anyone for that..it’s just the nature of this particular property. Thanks anyway...enjoyed the few days overall.

    Reviewed by Richard4.1Apr 2023

  • "This quaint little cottage was ideally situated."

    Whilst we were staying, it was bitterly cold outside, so we had a blazing open fire in the sitting room each day. This made it cosier than ever! We bought the coal and logs from 5 doors up the street and they kindly carried them down for us. Local amenities were excellent, with the Waitrose store being ideally situated. Car parking was easy, using the app JustPark, extending our parking duration from the comfort of the cottage. Would highly recommend and we would love to return next year. Thank you Bell Cottage for a super stay!

    Reviewed by Joanne5.0Dec 2022

  • "We enjoyed our stay at Bell Cottage."

    It is spacious, comfortable and well equipped for two, with lots of character and charm. Very convenient central location. Very helpful owner responded and resolved a difficulty promptly.

    Reviewed by Rosalind5.0Oct 2022

  • "This is a really lovely little cottage."

    Spotlessly clean and well supplied with everything you could need, very close to all amenities and central for days out. I would have no hesitation in recommending it to everyone. My two dogs and myself had a very enjoyable week there.

    Reviewed by Pam5.0Sep 2022

  • "Lovely place"

    Reviewed by Mark5.0Sep 2022

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Summary

  • One double bedroom
  • Bathroom with bath, shower over, basin and WC
  • Kitchen/breakfast room
  • Sitting room with dining area and desk
  • Gas central heating with open-fire
  • Electric oven, gas hob, microwave, fridge, freezer, washer/dryer and dishwasher
  • Smart TV, Smart speaker and WiFi
  • Fuel, power and starter pack for open fire inc. in rent (Oct to Mar)
  • Bed linen and towels inc. in rent
  • Recently redecorated and recarpeted
  • Parking in car park close-by
  • Enclosed courtyard with furniture
  • Two well-behaved dogs welcome (dog shower and artificial turf patch provided)
  • Sorry, no smoking
  • Shop 0.2 miles, pub 0.1 miles
  • Note: The nearby car park is free at night but you will be charged up to £6 during the day (minimum £0.50)
  • Note: The cottage has low ceilings on the stairs and first floor
  • Please note: if your booking is in the winter, we may be able to accommodate an earlier check in.

The property

Nestled in a conservation area in a residential street close to the centre of the market town of Dorchester, sits this delightful, Grade II listed home from home, Bell Cottage.

Within 200m you will find both a tranquil, leafy path alongside Dorset’s River Frome, and Dorchester’s bustling main shopping street, with a variety of pubs, restaurants and dog- friendly cafés nearby, making this ‘pets welcome’ cottage ideal for a couple and their canine companion.

There is easy access on foot to miles of public footpaths and cycleways through the Dorset countryside, as well as the modern Brewery Square development with its popular restaurants, galleries and cinema.

If you prefer to travel by car, there is a car park just 50 metres away.

Whether your day has been spent rambling on the World Heritage Site Jurassic Coast, exploring one of Dorchester’s eight museums, or visiting its wide range of galleries and shops - including a couple of excellent antiques and curiosities centres - you’ll be glad to step into the porch where you can kick off your shoes and hang up your jackets, ready for your next adventure.

In no time you’ll be relaxing in front of an open fire after a long soak in a hot bath.

You may choose to eat an intimate meal for two at the cosy dining table, cooked in the modern kitchen with everything you need for a self-catered stay, including an electric fan oven and gas hob, a dishwasher and a washer/dryer.

Or you can order in from one of the many local takeaways, or eat at one of Dorchester’s more than two dozen restaurants, serving food from around the globe.

If you’re ready for a quiet evening in, you’ll find this 220 year old cottage is right up to date with technology.

You can use the Smart TV to catch up on your favourite shows or watch music videos.

If you prefer, just ask the Smart speaker to dim the lamp and play some relaxing music, lean back in the comfortable armchair or rocker, and dip into one of the books on the shelf, including a selection by Dorchester’s own Thomas Hardy, who featured the town in his books under the name of Casterbridge.

If you want a more sociable activity, choose one of a selection of traditional board games you’ll find in the cupboard.

Next morning, refreshed from a night in the spacious double bedroom, with ample storage to keep your holiday clothes neat and tidy, enjoy a steaming cup of coffee brewed in either a cafetière, or a stove-top italian coffee maker.

It’s your choice whether to have a quick bite at the breakfast bar, or a lingering brunch in the courtyard, where on fine days you can bask in the mid-morning sun.

When it’s time to head back out you have a range of transport options.

Dorchester has two railway stations, and also connects with the Jurassic Coaster bus service, ideal for people who want to walk a section of the South West Coast Path.

Keen cyclists will find National Cycle Network Route 26 and the Frome Valley Cycle trail within half a mile of Bell Cottage, as well as many quiet country lanes.

Bicycles can be kept in the back yard overnight.

And if you want to travel further afield by car, Dorchester’s location on the junction of the A35 and A37 gives you quick access to the coast at Weymouth, West Bay and Lyme Regis, as well as the world famous Chesil Beach.

The seaside town of Weymouth is worth a visit, home to a Blue Flag beach for a cooling dip, SEA LIFE to marvel at marine life and the exciting Escape Dungeons.

If thrilling cliffs and stunning coves are more to your taste, the picture-postcard views of Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove are just 13 miles away, and you can even pick up a special doggie ice-cream in Lulworth, while you enjoy your own cone by the shore.

For visitors with limited time, there’s lots to see without even leaving Dorchester.

The Dinosaur Museum is just a few paces up the road, the Dorset Teddy Bear Museum is around the corner and you can immerse yourself in the past at the Dorset Museum or explore the Roman Town House without walking more than a mile.

No visit to Dorchester is complete without a visit to Max Gate, the home of Thomas Hardy - or just walk across the water meadows to Stinsford Churchyard where his heart is buried.

For canine guests, the green space of Salisbury Fields is just two minutes walk away and a popular place for a game of ball.

Duck watching on the River Frome is an enjoyable pastime, and Puddletown Forest and Maiden Castle - the largest Iron Age hill fort in Europe - both offer excellent dog-walking options.

If your dog just can’t help getting muddy, no need to worry, all the visitors at Bell Cottage are provided for, and there is a hot and cold dog-shower and artificial turf patch in the courtyard.

For all this and more, Bell Cottage is waiting to provide you with a warm welcome.

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About the location

DORCHESTER

Weymouth 7 miles.

A trip to Dorset is not complete without visiting the market town of Dorchester, with its Roman roads, museums and a wide selection of pubs and restaurants. Enjoy a scenic walk around Maiden Castle, the largest hillfort in England, or visit the County Museum which has a room devoted to Thomas Hardy, born just two miles away in Bockhampton. Just seven miles away are the glorious gently shelving beaches and picturesque harbour of Weymouth, and the rugged peninsula of Portland, linked to the mainland by Chesil Beach, part of the breathtaking World Heritage Coastline. In fact, you’ll find yourself so intoxicated by Dorset’s magic spell, you won’t want to return home at the end of your stay!

View more holiday cottages in Dorchester

This property offers the following short breaks:

  • Winter
  • Off-season
  • Christmas