Warmwell Lodge

Warmwell Lodge is a Grade II listed early Victorian house at the entrance to a Jacobean manor house in Warmwell, a few miles from Dorchester. The house has a sitting room with a log burner, a dining room, a kitchen with a breakfast table and utility areas, and the bathroom (bath with shower over) and a separate cloakroom are on the ground floor. Gas central heating is fitted, and fuel, power, bed linen and towels are included.

Two bedrooms sit on the first floor, a king-size double and a twin, so the lodge is limited to four people. The stairs are a flight of 12 cottage-style steps with a handrail on the left, and they are slightly narrow and steep. A cot, a high chair and a stair gate are available, though guests bring their own cot linen. The kitchen has a gas oven and hob, a microwave, a dishwasher, a washing machine and a tumble dryer, and there is WiFi.

The garden is big and landscaped, and a field next door holds grazing horses. The owners suggest four walks and leave an annotated map: a half-mile loop, Lower Watercombe at about 2 miles, the watercress beds and heath at about 3 miles, and the beach at about 4 miles, which is strenuous and takes 1.5 to 2 hours. Parking is on the roadside, and the road to the lodge is unmade. The shop is 2 miles away and the pub 3 miles.

Two small dogs or one medium dog are welcome. Smoking is not allowed. The lodge can also be booked together with two huts, Sika and Fallow, which add four more guests. It suits a family of four or a couple with a dog who want a garden and walks from the door.