The Well House

The Well House is a detached, Grade II listed house at Hengistbury Head in Bournemouth, directly next to the 350-acre nature reserve, with Southbourne the nearest town. Five upstairs bedrooms sleep ten: a super-king-size with an en-suite bath and separate shower, a king-size with a basin, two doubles, one with an en-suite shower and basin, and a bunk room, which uses the family bathroom.

Downstairs, the beamed hallway has a seating area and a woodburning stove, and the sitting room has an open fire, with a starter pack for the fires included. There is also a second sitting room, a garden room, a dining room that seats ten and a kitchen with a double oven, a gas hob, a microwave and a fridge freezer. A utility area next to the kitchen has its own entrance. Fuel, power, bed linen and towels are included.

The enclosed gardens run to half an acre, with a pond, a large lawn, a barbecue and a patio with seating. The driveway takes up to five cars, and an extendable hose is there for rinsing boards and kayaks. The River Stour public slipway is 100m away. One well-behaved dog is welcome. The shop is 0.6 miles away, the pub 0.7 miles and the beach 0.8 miles. Stays need at least three nights, and over Christmas only seven-night bookings from a Friday are taken. There are no stag or hen parties, check-in is from 4pm and check-out by 10am, and a good-housekeeping bond is payable. Smoking is not allowed. It suits a large family or a group of friends sharing, and the hose and nearby slipway help anyone bringing boards or kayaks.