Dorset is the ultimate garden. The fields wend their way through sleepy thatched villages to bustling seaside towns and the rocky, romantic Jurassic beaches. But there’s a slice of that English dreamscape right out of the French windows, with the promise of serene seclusion and cricket and croquet on the lawn.
The sun’s out, so let’s celebrate. And where better than in the heated outdoor pool? This is where memories are made. Towel off and explore the nooks and crannies of the garden trails beneath the big skies and the swooping skylarks.
Work up an appetite with pre-prandial strolls or football on the lawn, then light the gas barbie, get the steaks out and toast the rolling hills and the taste of freedom.
Spread out, chill out and break out with a book in the expansive spaces at Holmegate. Be apart, be together and be yourselves on comfy sofas in front of roaring fires.
This is a period-features world of grand fireplaces, picture rails and wooden-chest coffee tables. Everything is cosy and comfortable – from the throws on the chairs to the rugs on the floors.
There’s space for 18 here, to read, feed logs onto the fire, watch the flicks on TV or play family games in the lounge or drawing room. For a view of the rolling gardens, repair to the conservatory.
There’s a space, a place and a pace for everyone at Holmegate, the house with big spaces and an even bigger heart.
Pile the pot high and let it simmer in the classic country kitchen. Pick up your fresh mackerel, mullet and scallops at The Salt Pig, then let the Aga belt out the heat and cook up a storm as the air fills with the aroma of fresh produce about to hit the huge oak dining table.
Gather at the table, butter the bread, pour the drinks and chinwag away as you remember the simple beauty of family and friends being together over fine food. If you’re celebrating, let us do the work. Pick the phone up and put your feet up as our chef wades in and even washes up afterwards.
In East Holme, you can cook your own steaks on the Black Grill at The Quay Inn or enjoy hearty, family-friendly fare at The Antelope Inn. Try your luck with the 16oz ribeye at SteakASaurus or tuck into Nepalese nosh at The 29029. Head off for breakfast at The Salt Pig and leave with produce from the deli.
Half an hour away by road but a world apart in quality is Sienna. Celebrate in style at this Michelin-starred Dorchester eaterie. On sunny days, load up at The Salt Pig and gather in the garden to fire up the gas barbie and clink glasses on the terrace as you breathe the clean air and watch the birds swoop over the rolling English hills.
The six bedrooms on Holmegate’s first floor cater for deep and dreamy sleep. Sash windows stare out on an English scene of rolling greenery. At night, the clear skies glitter with a billion bright constellations.
The master bedroom comes with superking bed and en-suite bath for long and languorous soaks. There’s a superking in bedroom two as well, and bedroom three follows suit – but, with zip-and-link, converting to twins is the work of a moment. Bedroom four is another en-suite superking.
There’s further flexibility in bedrooms five and six, which you can use as superking doubles or zip-and-link twins, plus a zed-bed, for the folks you simply can’t leave behind.
Holmegate is the rural retreat that’s a riot of fun for families. But the bedrooms are a haven after a long day. Inch up the sash, wind down with a book or a soak and drift off with clear country air in your lungs and the hoot of an owl in your ears.
