Rose Cottage

In the peaceful village of Higher Bockhampton, opposite Thomas Hardy’s birthplace and bordered by Thorncombe Woods, sits a private collection of holiday cottages with a wealth of facilities for guests to enjoy. Among them is Rose Cottage, a light and welcoming ground-floor retreat graded 4-Star by VisitEngland. Sleeping three, this dog-friendly cottage is perfectly suited to a couple, a small family, or anyone seeking a cosy base for exploring Dorset’s countryside and coast.

The heart of the cottage is its spacious L-shaped living area, where the sitting, dining and kitchen spaces flow together beneath large windows that look out over the central courtyard and its gentle fountain. A flat-screen television with Freeview makes evenings in feel easy, while tiled floors throughout give the space a clean, contemporary feel. The well-equipped kitchen includes an oven, hob, microwave and fridge, making it simple to self-cater, whether preparing a quick breakfast before a day out or sitting down to a relaxed dinner at the dining table.

Two bedrooms provide flexible accommodation. The double room includes a smart TV and generous storage, while the single room works just as well for a child as it does for an adult, or can be set up with a cot if travelling with a baby. The bathroom is finished with a shower over the bath, WC and basin, offering everything you need for a comfortable stay. Although Rose Cottage doesn’t have a private garden, guests are free to enjoy the shared lawns and landscaped grounds, as well as the communal hot tubs dotted around the site.

Rose Cottage forms part of a wider estate, where facilities are designed to suit guests of all ages. Tennis courts, a badminton and croquet lawn, and a boule pitch provide plenty of outdoor fun, while the games room—with table tennis, table football, pool and bar billiards—keeps everyone entertained indoors. Younger children can spend hours in the wooden playhouse and the dedicated playroom filled with toys, while families enjoy picking fresh vegetables from the kitchen garden or collecting eggs from the hens in the morning. Dogs are very welcome here, with a fully enclosed paddock for off-lead exercise and direct access into the surrounding woodland. After a busy day, slip into one of the outdoor hot tubs to watch the stars come out across the Dorset sky.

Step outside the estate and you are immediately immersed in Hardy’s Dorset. Trails lead straight into Thorncombe Woods and Puddletown Forest, where ancient trees, Roman roads and hidden ponds create a timeless landscape. It is a paradise for walkers, with routes ranging from gentle woodland loops to full-day hikes across open heathland where deer and ponies still roam.

Just three miles away lies Dorchester, the county town, where you’ll find weekly markets, independent shops, museums and two mainline railway stations offering direct services to London and the South Coast. Within a short drive, the UNESCO World Heritage Jurassic Coast offers endless days out: sandy beaches at Weymouth, fossil hunting at Charmouth and Lyme Regis, or dramatic cliff walks around Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door. Closer to home, traditional pubs such as The Wise Man in West Stafford or The Blue Vinny in Puddletown provide hearty meals and local ales, while tearooms and farm shops scattered through the villages make it easy to sample Dorset produce.

Combining the comfort of a well-equipped cottage with the facilities of a wider estate, Rose Cottage makes a relaxed and practical base for couples, small families and their four-legged friends to enjoy Dorset at its very best.