Ruth's

Ruth's is a former coach house in Charminster, a village in a conservation area about 2 miles from Dorchester. It sleeps four in two upstairs bedrooms with pitched ceilings and skylights: a double with a full-length feature window, and a twin. A small cloakroom with a WC completes the first floor.

Behind the double wooden entrance doors, the hall leads to a living room with a log-effect electric fire and a TV/DVD. The country-style kitchen and dining room has terracotta stone tiles and a range cooker, a dishwasher, a fridge/freezer, a microwave and an air fryer. A utility room has a washing machine and a clothes airer, and the family bathroom, with a bath and shower and a WC, is on the ground floor. A welcome pack with home-baked treats is waiting.

Patio doors open from the living room to an enclosed courtyard with a BBQ and seating. There is also a grass area at the side for pets, which is not enclosed. Parking is private for one car, with a second by agreement with the owner. EV charging is not available at the property, though there is local charging within half a mile in the village.

A travel cot, a stairgate for downstairs only and a booster seat are available on request, and guests should bring their own cot linen and beach towels. Two village pubs are 0.5 miles away, the shop is 2 miles and the beach is 9 miles. Two dogs are welcome, and there may be additional charges. The cottage suits a couple or a small family who want a village base with a courtyard.