Set under half a mile from the beach, this beautiful three-bedroom house is the perfect year-round stress-busting getaway. Explore Swanage’s cornucopia of independent shops and pubs, its pier, steam railway to Corfe Castle (5 miles), art galleries, seafront and smorgasbord of local eateries. Find wildflower meadows, sea cliffs, woodland, a fantastic cafe and spectacular views at Durlston Country Park and Nature Reserve (1.5 miles); walk to Anvil Lighthouse and Durslton Castle with its excellent art exhibitions. Take a ferry from Studland’s delightful Shell Bay (7 miles) to Sandbanks, and discover rare wildlife in the surrounding Nature Reserve; a small boat also visits Brownsea Island and Poole Harbour (19.5 miles). Walk The Priest’s Way and Dinosaur Footprints Trail from Swanage to Langton Matravers (2 miles).
Lots of love and care have been lavished on this charismatic house. The open-plan lounge/diner is a wonderfully convivial space, with its original folding pine doors, polished floorboards, bay window, nautical flourishes and two feature fireplaces. Summon sumptuous local seafood feasts in the bright and beautiful kitchen (down a few steps), and spill out into the paved courtyard garden for al fresco meals or morning coffee and croissants; the breakfast room is fabulous for cold and rainy days. Upstairs, soak in the shower room or the roll-top bath in the tranquil bathroom, before drifting to bed; the king-size master and en-suite is a spacious delight, with charming flavours of the sea, while the double has a lovely feature fireplace.
Find more sublime beaches at Studland’s South Beach (4 miles) and Knoll Beach (5 miles); the northern end of the former is a naturist area. Poole and Bournemouth also have several fabulous beaches, including peaceful Canford Cliffs (23 miles), Branksome Chine and Alum Chine (24 miles). Be sure to visit Bournemouth’s Oceanarium, with its sharks, octopuses, rare green turtles and the world’s first virtual Dive Cage. Spectacular memories await.