The Yardarm

The Yardarm is a top-floor apartment in a listed building more than 200 years old, in the middle of Swanage. The single bedroom has a super-king-size bed, and the bathroom has a bath with a shower over it. The apartment sleeps two, and the living/dining room has a sofa bed. The owner warns that the building has steps outside, stairs inside and a deep bath, so it may not suit anyone with limited mobility: there are nine internal steps to the apartment and a few stone steps from the car park.

The garage holds one small or medium car, no bigger than a Mazda 5 (about 4.5 m long and 1.75 m wide). There is no other parking at the property, though there is roadside parking nearby, and a car park 3 to 5 minutes away sells daily and weekly tickets. A shared rear courtyard has a patio and furniture.

In the kitchen are an electric oven, a gas hob, a microwave, a fridge/freezer and a washing machine. Two Smart TVs, WiFi and gas central heating complete the fittings, and magnetic secondary glazing covers fit over the windows and come off easily. The rent includes bed linen and towels, plus fuel and power.

Bookings change over on Friday and Monday only. The shop and pub are 0.1 miles away, the beach 0.2 miles and the pier 0.3 miles, with some street noise to expect at busy times. Younger children should not be left unsupervised, there is no smoking and no pets, and the apartment takes a good-housekeeping bond. Ideal for a couple who want a town-centre base and can manage the stairs.