Farthing Cottage

Farthing Cottage is an 18th-century Grade II listed house in the village of Corfe Castle, on a no-through lane that ends at Corfe Common. Its stable door opens into a sitting room with beams, window seats and an open fire in an inglenook fireplace, and there are flagstone floors and low ceilings in the house. Take a step up to reach the kitchen, which has an electric oven, a gas hob, a fridge/freezer, a dishwasher and a microwave, and which opens to the rear garden.

A steep winding staircase climbs to two bedrooms under the eaves. The double room opens through to a twin room, so one of the pair is a walk-through. The only bathroom is on the ground floor, with a bath, a shower over it, a basin and a WC. Because of the age of the house and its steep stairs, it is not suitable for children under six, and anyone over six feet tall should take care of the low ceilings.

Outside, the rear garden has lawns and a patio with a table and chairs, with views towards the Purbeck Hills and Corfe Castle, and steps lead down to the grass. An orchard of fruit trees with a picnic bench adjoins it, and a stone terrace at the front is a second place to sit. Two well-behaved dogs are welcome. Smoking is not allowed, and a good-housekeeping bond is payable.

Parking is off the street for one car, with roadside parking available on Village Lane. Shops and pubs are 0.4 miles away and the nearest sandy beach 4 miles. Fuel, power, bed linen and towels are included in the rent, and there is a Smart TV with Netflix and WiFi. The cottage suits a couple, or a family whose children are over six and who are comfortable with stairs and low beams.