Happiness Cottage

4 Customer Reviews

• Verified booking

  "I came away for a week’s break to escape the intensity of a demanding role in service excellence for high-end clientele."

  I mention this only because I would recommend this cottage to any one of them. Set in a charming English village and surrounded by rolling farmland, Happyness Cottage is pure chocolate-box perfection. Every detail is beautifully thought out, offering both comfort and calm. It feels luxuriously private yet warmly welcoming. The parking was ideal for my car, and the surrounding countryside offered some of the most peaceful and picturesque dog walks I’ve experienced. My dog and I both returned home refreshed. The owners have created a true sanctuary and were wonderfully supportive throughout my stay. Whether you’re seeking rest, inspiration, or simply a pause from the world , you’ll find it here. I leave feeling restored and truly grateful.

  Dear Gemma Thank you so much for your kind words and wonderful feedback. I’m so glad you and teddy feel rested after having a break at Happiness Cottage. We loved having you to stay and please come back soon! Thank you, we’ve worked hard restoring the cottage and really want it to be a special place for people to unwind and relax and it means a lot when we have feedback like this Come and see us soon. Abi Property Owner

  Reviewed by Gemma5.0★Jul 2025

• Verified booking

  "Lovely cottage location, cosy and rustic feel to the cottage."

  Kitchen is well stocked, with all you need. Nice touches of welcome pack, coffee pods to start you off, bedside water, fruit bowl. Pub is a 5min walk to the The Timble inn, superb food and atmosphere. We visited Milton Abbas fare which was delightful. Note that the road parking is limited and it really was a main road for heavy duty tractors and trailers, at one point with them outside the front of the cottage at 3am (bring earplugs).

  Hi Emily Thank you so much for your feedback and giving us 5*, we do really appreciate this and think hard about what our guests would like on arrival. I’m sorry the tractors woke you up, it is a rural village and with this dry weather we are at the peak of combining and all the farmers are trying to get as much done as possible. It’s only for a short time. Your right The cottage has one parking space on the gated drive and limited parking across the road. I’m sorry you found the road noisy, it’s just whilst they work hard on harvest. But I am glad you liked the cottage, pub and the street fair. It is a beautiful area. Best wishes Abigail Pitcher Property Owner

  Reviewed by Emily5.0★Jul 2025

• Verified booking

  "Over the years my partner, Gillian, and I have stayed at many cottages and houses (aka villas in the Mediterranean) in the UK and abroad,."

  A few have been outstanding. Happiness Cottage joins this elite group. Letting agents for holiday properties – which now include web sites, such as Airbnb, where owners create the ads – usually exaggerate the pluses and minimise (or ignore) the drawbacks. Sykes’ advert for Hapiness is accurate and frank but doesn’t address the key point: that the owners have taken unusual care to turn this little cottage into a gem. This was clear as soon as we arrived. The owners had left a postcard near the front door thanking ‘our lovely guests’ for booking Happiness and politely asking us to water the hanging baskets if we had time. They signed it, and included their pet Labrador, Percy. This was not a cynical marketing ploy. It was backed up by a generous welcome package of chilled rose, fruit, milk, home-made jam and locally made biscuits. The cupboards were stacked with the basics of cooking and with tea and coffee. There was an assortment of cleaning sprays, dog treats, chests stuffed with fresh linen and towels, spare bulbs, torches in every bedside cabinet and quality soaps in the bathrooms. All this went beyond what is usual. In holiday lets. The family have owned the cottage, they say, for 14 years and it was obvious that it had brought them great pleasure; which is presumably why they called it Happiness. They have spared no expense equipping the kitchen and bathroom (where the shower which blasts out water of a temperature and power usually only found in 5 star hotels) Rooms have been imaginatively decorated and furnished. For example, there’s a screen, which looks like it has come from a Thomas Hardy-era house, in the second bedroom in case the occupants of the two single beds want privacy. I imagined the owners drawing up lists of what each room needed. Flowers here. Pictures there, Rugs there. Plugs everywhere. And then, someone said, What about a privacy screen? And everyone said, Yes! The garden, half of which is paved, with decking for a sofa, chunky table and huge parasol, and half of which is a lawn, surrounded by mature trees and bushes, is a delight. Our dog, a small Portuguese hunting hound, who looks like a fox (which is ironic since one of his great joys is screaming at actual foxes) adored the cottage.. He is a good judge of place and obviously felt its vibes. He seemed to enjoy its peace, broken only by the sound of wildlife, insects buzzing and wind rustling the trees and an occasional car and tractor. Of course it is not perfect. The kitchen is so small that it is crowded with two adults. The fridge is in a utility room next door, which is a nuisance. The living room is stylish, but, sadly, the wood burner is locked because the insurers worry about the thatched roof. So no roaring fires when the nights are chilly. The stairs are steep and narrow. There’s no bath, which didn’t bother us but would disappoint people who enjoy a long soak after a strenuous day. Parking is tricky because neighbours’ cars line the road. The Jurassic Coast is half an hour away. The sandy beaches of Studland, Swanage and Poole are an hour awayr, if the traffic is light. To the south west are the resorts of Weymouth, Bridport and Lyme Regis. If you just want to potter around shops and museums and grab a meal Dorchester, the county town of Dorset, is only six miles away.

  Dear Mr Freeman Thank you so very much for your lovely feedback. It made my heart so happy. Your right, the cottage has been in our family for years and we have just decided to holiday let it and I’ve worked hard thinking of everything I would want or need on a holiday and I’m so glad you liked it and had a lovely time. This little cottage (and I agree about the kitchen one day I would love to knock through to the utility room if I can) is in my heart and I’m so glad you liked it. With best wishes and thank you for your feedback. We will of course take note of all. Abi Do come back and stay soon! Property Owner

  Reviewed by Simon4.4★Jul 2025

• Verified booking

  "Happiness cottage is set in a lovely location with easy access to all of the beautiful Dorset coastline."

  The thatched cottage is lovely with a sun trap of a garden with most things that you need including sun beds on the lawn. Just bring candles and matches for the garden lanterns. An array of extras including milk tea biscuits and a beautiful bowl of fresh fruit. Also all the products like hand gel washing up liquid We had a small problem with marks on the bedding on the first night which was quickly resolved with a call to Sykes who contacted the owners. Who came straight out with fresh laundry and made the bed up lovely and fresh. Beautiful local walks and vineyards close by. It’s a small village but expect with the time of year to have the busy farmers passing from early morning until late into the evening. But don’t let that put you off it’s beautiful around there and you’ll be out like us most of the day. Thank you for our stay at your beautiful cottage.

  Reviewed by Patricia3.4★Jul 2025

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