Benville Cottage details
Benville Cottage, an historic Grade II Listed 17th Century detached property with a charming thatched roof and a wealth of period features, restored to a very high standard. Benville remains the small unspoilt hamlet that Thomas Hardy described in the 1800's. You will still find the pub described by Hardy and the cottage where Tess was to have stayed in nearby Evershot. The cottage itself is on Benville Lane, the very lane that Tess of the D'Urbeville walked along on her journey from Beaminster to Evershot.
Comprising a dozen or so houses and cottages, Benville is an ideal base for touring West Dorset and Thomas Hardy country. Two miles to the east lies Evershot, with its award winning pub, The Acorn and an outstanding restaurant, The Summer Lodge. In nearby Beaminster, you'll find a traditional market town selling excellent local produce alongside tea rooms, pubs and restaurants. 10 miles to the south is the market town of Bridport and the fishing port of West Bay. This stretch of Jurassic - World Heritage - coastline boasts the stunning beaches of Burton Bradstock, Lyme Bay and Chesil Beach, as well as the Abbotsbury Swannery and Tropical Garden. The area is popular with walkers, cyclists and horse riders and if you’ve had your fill of prehistoric sites, the county town of Dorchester is 10 miles to the South East where the Dorset County Museum has a good collection of locally found artefacts.
This holiday at a glance
- Sleeps four guests.
- Two double bedrooms, one single bedroom and family bathroom.
- ¾ of an acre of enclosed garden with views on to open countryside.
- Children and infants welcome.
- Two small well behaved dogs welcome (small additional charge).
- Parking for up to three cars.
- WiFi.
- Minimum of a two night stay.
Additional features
- Characterful sitting room with exposed beams and a unique stone wall carving of a King discovered during the cottage renovation.
- Inglenook fireplace with wood burning stove.
- Luxury hand built kitchen with flagstone floors and vaulted beamed ceiling.
- Two oven Aga, separate electric hob and combination oven/microwave, fridge and freezer. Dishwasher and combined washing machine/dryer.
- Television, DVD player and CD player/radio.
- Travel cot, high chair and stairgate available on request.
Attractions and nearby amenities
- Nearby Evershot provides guests staying at Benville Cottage with a village post office/shop, a bakery, an award-winning 16th century public house, The Acorn Inn and the Summer Lodge, a luxury country spa hotel and restaurant.
- Discover the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site which covers 95 miles of coastline from East Devon to Dorset.
- Across Dorset are countless cycle routes, bridleways, countryside and coastal footpaths to enjoy on foot, horseback or bicycle.
- Popular museums to be found nearby include Dorset County Museum, The Dinosaur Museum and the National Trust's Hardy's Cottage, the birthplace of author Thomas Hardy.
- Mainline rail services from London Waterloo to Dorchester, Yeovil or Sherborne take around 2½ hours.
For additional inspiration on what to do within the area, please
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