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Make a holiday cottage in Shaftesbury your home away from home

Shaftesbury is a small town dating back to Anglo-Saxon times. Located in Blackmore Vale, it is one of the oldest and highest towns in England and is known for its spectacular scenery, castles, and its role in the Hovis bread adverts. HomeAway offers holiday cottages in Shaftesbury with luxury views over the town and rural scenery while holiday apartments in Shaftesbury offer all the advantages of a market town setting. Being furnished and with all the amenities you would expect, holiday homes in Shaftesbury are perfect for couples looking for a quiet weekend, or a family wanting to stay in a tranquil home complete with reliable transport links to the attractions of the surrounding area.

Things to do in Shaftesbury

Shaftesbury holiday cottages sit in the rolling green hills of the Dorset countryside. With the town being only 20 miles away from the historical city of Salisbury and a short distance from Glastonbury Tor, there are lots of things do in and around the local area. This is an historical area of the country and there are plenty of interesting sights and attractions within a short radius of Shaftesbury running the gamut of the ages from Iron Age Hill Forts, Roman Villas, Stone Circles to sprawling country manor houses and gardens. And for those that just want to enjoy the great outdoors, the scenery is splendid and the holiday pursuits varied.

-Old Wardour Castle is a beautiful lakeside castle built by John Lord Lovel in the 14th century. Its light fortifications show it was originally designed to act as a luxury abode. Most unusually, it has a central courtyard with a hexagonal tower house. Visit and learn about the history of the castle through an audio tour which brings the past to life.

-Gold Hill Museum is an intriguing exhibition which once served the local community as a doss house for the jugglers, drovers, and traders which attended the town’s fairs and markets. Today, it’s a museum revealing the town’s past and which sits in beautiful gardens. Sit in the gardens and enjoy a view over Gold Hill, which was where the famous Hovis adverts of the 1970s and 1980s were filmed.

-Farmer Giles Farmstead is a working farm which offers an adventure playground for all ages. Within just a few miles of most Shaftesbury holiday homes, this farm lets visitors bottle-feed baby lambs, cuddle the donkeys, and meet an alpaca. Children can also enjoy riding in a full-size tractor. This is an all-weather venue, to be enjoyed by all ages.

-Wincanton Racecourse and Golf Course is a racecourse, and 9-hole golf course, just outside of Shaftesbury. Throughout the year, racing enthusiasts can expect quality jump racing and the best betting action around. The small but well formed 9-hole golf course, which can be played to 18 holes, is another facility offering challenging sport for experts and a place where beginners can try the game for themselves.

-Compton Abbas Airfield is 800ft above sea level and comes complete with working planes and a restaurant. Visitors can enjoy a selection of locally-sourced dishes for breakfast and afternoon tea. And there’s even the chance to gain control of a plane and take to the skies over the magnificent Dorset countryside and coastline.

Weather in Shaftesbury

Shaftesbury is blessed with mild winters and reasonably warm summers. The average for the summer months is between 15 and 21°C. The North Atlantic Drift ensures winters rarely dip towards freezing point.

Travel to Shaftesbury

Getting to Shaftesbury by road is a decent drive as the main route from London the M3/A303 runs close to Salisbury, with the A30 being an alternative. Shaftesbury has no railway station but mainline services run from London and Exeter to Gillingham. National Express coaches serve the town directly and Shaftesbury holiday cottages are also with easy reach of Bournemouth airport.