Swallow Stable

Swallow Stable is a brick-and-flint cottage in Tarrant Hinton, in an International Dark Sky Reserve, 4.5 miles from Blandford Forum and 11 miles from Wimborne. It sleeps four. It is next to the owner's thatched home but has its own privacy. The pub is 1.5 miles away and the shop is 2.5 miles.

The layout is reversed. The two bedrooms are on the ground floor: a double, and a king-size zip-and-link bed that can be made up as twins if you ask when booking. The king-size room has an en-suite WC. Upstairs is an open-plan lounge, kitchen and dining space with a vaulted, beamed ceiling and exposed brickwork. The kitchen has an electric oven, a two-ring hob, a fridge with an ice box, a microwave, a filter coffee machine and a dishwasher, and there is a Smart TV. A door opens onto a balcony. The shower room has a rainfall shower and a WC, and is the only bathroom.

Private off-road parking holds two cars. A travel cot and highchair are available. Strictly no BBQs are allowed because of the adjacent thatched roof, and CCTV covers the entrance to the driveway. Short breaks can be enquired about by phone for stays between 15 March and 1 November.

Dogs are not allowed. The cottage suits a couple or a family of four who want a quiet village and dark skies, with the stairs between bedrooms and living space.