Looking back at our stay in a snug Dorset cottage

I'd been umming and ahhing about writing this post about the cottage we stayed in on our trip to Dorset last year, and I'm not sure why. It was a beautiful cottage and we had a great time there, but whether it was time or something else I hadn't shared the pictures of our stay. Then last week the owner got in touch to say they no longer owned the cottage but had another holiday let cottage in the same village if we felt like a Dorset break again.

I realised then the cottage we stayed in probably looks completely different now, so whatever reservations I had about sharing its interior were gone as well.  So today I'm looking back at our stay in what was a snug and comfortable cottage, with a log burner that was very welcome in a very chilly January.

matches on the mantelpiece
In front of the fire

Throughout the cottage there were some fabulous touches, like these wooden fish above the dining space.

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A dining space

The kitchen was in a single story extension at the back of the cottage with a stunning skylight, which let in light but also gave you a glimpse of the outside. It was a well stocked kitchen and one that had been cooked in - so often for self-catering holiday lets, there's basic equipment but not enough to cook as if you were at home, not the case here!

Into the kitchen
A skylight with a view
Plate rack

Upstairs the bedrooms were light and well accessorised. The single bedroom was very cute and the wooden hangers on the wall were a lovely design touch and practical too.

A single bedroom
A PICTURE THAT'S SIMPLE BUT ONE YOU KEEP LOOKING AT

A PICTURE THAT'S SIMPLE BUT ONE YOU KEEP LOOKING AT

SIMPLE, EFFECTIVE AND PRACTICAL

SIMPLE, EFFECTIVE AND PRACTICAL

And I thought that if I was going to be in the shot - I might as well be in the mirror - not sure what caught my eye though!

caught in the mirror

The main bedroom was full of character too, and a large comfy bed. After staying here I seriously considered buying a fluffy mattress topper as it was so successful here. In the end we bought a new mattress later in the year, but having never really been a fan of mattress toppers, here I was sold!

ANOTHER TRADITIONAL DOOR WITH IRONWORK

ANOTHER TRADITIONAL DOOR WITH IRONWORK

QUIRKY SIDE TABLES, WHITE BED LINEN AND A SPLASH OF COLOUR

QUIRKY SIDE TABLES, WHITE BED LINEN AND A SPLASH OF COLOUR

So a great stay in a fabulous cottage, which is now moving onto its next chapter. And looking back, I'm not sure why I didn't share before!

Home Etc
Lizzie Somerset

Rambling up Hambledon Hill

Well perhaps not a ramble exactly but I liked how it sounded along with Hambledon Hill. For this ramble we're popping back to January last year when we had a week in Dorset. It was pretty chilly then, but we had a lovely cosy cottage with a real fire, and occasionally we ventured out.  

Hambledon Hill was so close to our Dorset base that it would have been rude not to see it close up. It's an Iron Age hill fort and is one of the most iconic sites in Dorset according to the National Trust. It rises steeply to 190 metres above the Blackmore Vale and provides spectacular views - I perhaps should have read the 190 metres bit before we left, as it was quite steep. MOH helpfully asked what I'd expected as the clue was in the name...

Hmnnnn.

IT DOESN'T LOOK THAT STEEP DOES IT?

IT DOESN'T LOOK THAT STEEP DOES IT?

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Before we reached the path to take us into the Nature Reserve, I spotted several clumps of snowdrops.

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We went through the gate and then up. And up. I deployed the let's-stop-and-take-a-photo trick several times, but it was quite chilly so we didn't pause for long. The photo below though gives an indication of just how steep it was.

IT'S LOOKING STEEPER NOW, ISN'T IT?

IT'S LOOKING STEEPER NOW, ISN'T IT?

As we got closer we could see the ridges, or furrows or whatever the proper name for them are, which weren't visible from street level. They were quite intriguing, more on those soon. But first the views, they were spectacular. It was windy up there and at times we were hanging onto our hats.

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MOH HAD TROUBLE IN THE WIND WITH HIS EAR FLAPS

MOH HAD TROUBLE IN THE WIND WITH HIS EAR FLAPS

A TREE IN THE MIDDLE OF A FIELD?

A TREE IN THE MIDDLE OF A FIELD?

The ditches - I'm going to stick with that name for the ridges we'd spotted earlier - were actually quite large, from a distance they had been quite deceptive. It was quite strange to walk through them, although they did provide some respite from the wind.

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A completely fascinating place, and one I was glad we visited despite my original prediction that it was just a hill. It seems it's much more than that. Having had our fill of the wind, it was time to find our way down. And of course we couldn't just go the way we had come. Instead we headed down the other side, which while a shorter walk it was, yes you've guessed it, much steeper.  

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Mammsaurus HDYGG

The Jane Austen garden in Lyme Regis

As is fast becoming tradition for our trips to Devon, we stopped off for breakfast in Lyme Regis. Which in itself is no mean feat given that we live in South London! This time we arrived just before 9am, and as it was the start of October I decided that I'd head for the car park down by the Cobb, there should be plenty of space.

There was and it wasn't long before we were out of the car and heading along the front towards the town, looking hopefully into all of the cafes and eateries that were starting to set up. Without much luck it must be said, one of them pointed us towards a couple of places in the town so we carried on walking. It wasn't a bad walk to have before breakfast, and especially a good walk after a long drive.

Just as it was looking like breakfast might actually be a Devonshire Pasty, we spied a coffee shop serving Breakfast Baps. That will do very nicely thank you, and they did. Having eaten there was still time for another walk along the beach and we planned to head over to the Cobb.

Because no visit to Lyme Regis is complete without a blow around the Cobb is it? 

But before we got there, I got sidetracked by this sign.

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Well I just had to investigate didn't I?

So up the steps we went, and walked into a blaze of colour.

And it seemed appropriate that the garden was full of roses.

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And full of colour. How glorious are these leaves. I'd love to know how they've changed as the autumn has progressed.

The garden is set into the cliffs and has a a fair amount of concrete in, but even so it's softened by wispy daisies.

And do you know, in all of our visits to Lyme Regis I've never spotted this garden before. Isn't it funny how sometimes you see things you haven't previously?

Ah, just look at that sky.

And it's been a while since I've done any OTT editing, so without further ado here you go:

It is quite bonkers, but then again when a garden has this view out to sea some craziness is allowed I think.

This garden was a great discovery. It wasn't big, but it was colourful and we had it to ourselves. I suspect that in the summer or during the season that's unlikely to happen, so it was nice to see it when we did.

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