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Holidaymakers searching for holiday rentals in Dorchester also enquired about apartments in Bridport, cottages in Chichester and cottages in Swanage

Make a Dorchester holiday cottage your home away from home

The enchanting town of Dorchester in Dorset, is an historic rural gem on the banks of the sparkling Frome River. Famous for being the home of Thomas Hardy, whose novel ‘’The Mayor of Casterbridge’’ was set here, the scenery literally does seem to jump out of his pages and there is an abundance of beautiful historic buildings and sites that captivate every visitor who come here. HomeAway has a wide range of holiday cottages in Dorchester to suit every need. Charming holiday accommodation in Dorchester might be a romantic cottage for two, or a gracious home for large travelling parties and families. Thatched roof tops, sea views of Chesil Beach and lush rolling hillsides, make holiday cottages in Dorchester ideal for a traditional British break. Being just a few miles away from Weymouth and the Jurassic Coast, there’s no lacking in holiday activities here.

Things to do

Dorchester has an exciting past, evidence of which can be seen all over the town. Despite many fires occurring between 1613 and 1725, much of the breathtaking medieval, Roman and other historic sites have remained, beautifully preserved for prosperity.

-Dorchester Museums: are a diverse and eclectic mix and full of interest for many tastes and ages. Their exhibitions also run the gamut of the ages from prehistory to the present day. The museums include the Dorset County Museum (mainly ethnographical and environmental), The Roman Town House, the Dinosaur Museum, the Dorset Teddy Bear Museum, the Tutankhamun Exhibition, the Terracotta Warriors Museum, and the Keep Military Museum.

-The Borough Gardens: are located right in the centre of town and are a favourite with visitors in Dorchester holiday homes. A site for festivals and outdoor concerts during the summer months, there is a lovely play area for the kids, a sweeping bowling green, two tennis courts, a small café and don’t miss the clock tower and band stand while you are there.

-The Maiden Castle is a stunning hill fort and the largest in all of England. It was originally occupied way back in 3000 BC and sweeps out over a whopping 45 acres. A complicated network of ditches and fortifications can be found within and the massive walls are some 6 m high. Definitely not to be missed.

-The Thomas Hardy Walk: takes visitors through many of the sights and buildings associated with the famous writer. The aforementioned Dorset Country Museum has a great many artefacts of his and you can also visit his cottage, where he wrote his books and spent a great deal of his later life. The Hardy Walk is just one of four guided walks in the town.

-The Maumbury Rings: are a fascinating tiered monument with wide open spaces and open earth works, each with a different levels of shaft from 3 completely different eras. Careful excavation brought up a number of interesting artefacts which can be viewed at the Dorset Country Museum.

The Weather in Dorchester

The Dorset climate is mild but can be damp in the winter months. The summer weather is perfect for holiday cottages in Dorchester when temperatures can reach the balmy 20°C range.

Getting to Dorchester

Dorchester is just over 26 miles away from Bournemouth International Airport and there are direct bus, coach and rail connections. You can reach Dorchester holiday homes by rail as one of its two stations is on the main London to Weymouth line, or by road with the M3 being the main route and about two and half hour’s drive from London.

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                                                                                                      Dorchester Holiday Cottages & Homes (300+)

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                                                                                                      Recent Reviews

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                                                                                                      Excellent

                                                                                                      5 of 5
                                                                                                      Perfect location and setting for our group of friends. Accommodation well equipped and suited our needs perfectly. We did a lot of walking with fantastic views and the weather was kind to us. Perfect accommodation to come back to at the end of the day to relax after a long walk. We really enjoyed our stay.
                                                                                                      ... continue reading
                                                                                                      • Review Submitted: Oct 19, 2017
                                                                                                      • Date of Stay: Oct 2017
                                                                                                      View property

                                                                                                      Alan, Jill and grandson Oliver

                                                                                                      5 of 5
                                                                                                      So we thought we would take our 2.5 year old grandson away for a week to give his Mum & Dad a break so we chose Park House Barn near Sherborne in Dorset. A beautiful part of the country lots to see and do in the area and It has its own indoor swimming pool and as Oliver is learning to swim we thought great idea and it was he loved it and so did we we all went out every day after a swim to explore the area and museum's the Tank museum and Fleet Air Arm museum were a massive hit with lots to see and do so would I recommend Park House Barn yes 100% we had a great time and our hosts were the best even though we only saw them when we arrived and then when we were leaving thank you so much.
                                                                                                      ... continue reading
                                                                                                      • Review Submitted: Oct 18, 2017
                                                                                                      • Date of Stay: Sep 2017