High tide on Weymouth's beautiful sandy beach Explore our Collection of Dorset Holiday Cottages

Find My Favourite Dorset Holiday Cottages

A delightful selection of Dorset holiday cottages for families and friends can be found in one of England's most beautiful counties. Dorset's appeal is that it offers holidaymakers a choice of self-catering holidays by the sea or inland in wonderfully-named, idyllic and sleepy villages such as Compton Abbas, Gussage All Saints and Lytchett Matravers. Whether for a weekend break in a secluded country cottage in Beaminster or a luxury holiday home in Sherborne.  Find Dorset coast cottages for leisurely summer holidays in quaint seaside cottages from Swanage to Lyme Regis; you will fall in love with the fresh air and slow way of life in Dorset.

A lighthouse complex with a squat tower perches on a clifftop.
Sleeps
5
Bedrooms
3

Rowena Cottage is uniquely positioned inside a converted lighthouse near Swanage and enjoys superb ocean views from Anvil Point. The pet-friendly cottage features ample grounds to soak up the views of the Dorset coastline and boasts luxury and a rare chance to get away in a spectacular location.

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Sleeps
3
Bedrooms
2

Situated in the desirable Dorset village of Burton Bradstock is Dormouse Cottage, a stone-built cottage with a thatched roof and character. The pet-friendly cottage sits near the beach and offers a lovely courtyard, exposed beams, an inglenook fireplace and cottage style kitchen, plus modern elegance.

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A single-storey Dorset holiday cottage overlooks a large lawn surrounded by a wooden fence, trees and rose bushes.
Sleeps
11
Bedrooms
5

Situated amidst the splendour of the Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and boasting amenities suitable for all ages, Court House Farmhouse is a large holiday cottage on the edge of the Dorset village of Whitchurch Canonicorum. This a child-friendly cottage with five bedrooms, a private hot tub, and a shared games barn.

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Exterior of a 1930s Dorset house and garden in Dorset with a large lawn
Sleeps
4
Bedrooms
2

This comfortable family cottage on a working farm near Beaminster sleeps six in two bedrooms. It has a sunny conservatory, cosy spaces, farm-fresh eggs, and an open fire. The farm lies on the borders of Dorset and Somerset, within easy reach of Beaminster and the Jurassic Coast.

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A partially thatched Dorset cottage overlooks a large and secure lawned garden
Sleeps
4
Bedrooms
3

Enjoy the unspoilt beauty of the hamlet of Benville, Dorset, just as Thomas Hardy described it a century ago, with a stay at Benville Cottage, a historic child-friendly cottage with three bedrooms, a large garden with three terraced lawn areas, an Inglenook fireplace, and 17th-century stone wall carving.

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A semi-detached chalet bungalow with French Windows onto a patio with steps down to a flower-lined lawn.
Sleeps
2
Bedrooms
1

Cuckoo Cottage is a luxurious romantic cottage in Bridport, Dorset, boasting open-plan living spaces and a delightful garden with a patio which catches the sea breeze and the views of the surrounding region. The sophisticated coastal cottage offers urban chic, light, airy spaces and elegance.

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A semi-detached, stone-built village cottage surrounded by a privet-hedged garden.
Sleeps
5
Bedrooms
3

Rose Cottage is a delightful Grade II-listed detached cottage in the charming village of Powerstock in Dorset. The stone-built rural cottage boasts mature gardens with sitting-out areas, an interior with exposed beams, tiled floors, an inglenook fireplace, a wood burner and modern comforts.

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Exterior of a chalet bungalow overlooking an ornate garden with rockery
Sleeps
4
Bedrooms
1

North End Farm's Old Dairy is a very comfortable, spacious rural holiday cottage for couples near Bridport in Broadchurch country on Dorset's Jurassic Coast with walks and beautiful beaches nearby. Well-equipped kitchen, central heating, wood burner and Strauss piano. Great pubs.

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Sleeps
2
Bedrooms
1

The Brambles is a single-bedroom holiday cottage in Dorset, ideal for couples or lone travellers. It is situated between the seaside town of Weymouth and Abbotsbury, famous for its swans. It is set in stunning farmland which overlooks the Dorset Coast and the Chesil Beach. Fantastic walks straight from the door of the cottage.

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The County offers endless opportunities for holidays, ranging from cheap weekend or mid-week breaks out of season to long, leisurely week or fortnight holidays in high summer. It's not just the tranquil charm of its quaint holiday cottages in Dorset that attracts visitors to the County - it's their location too. Dorset also offers its visitors a wide choice of lovely beaches. Find coastal cottages in Dorset from the seaside resort of Weymouth in the east along the South West Coast Path to the Regency town of Lyme Regis. There's a splendid choice of Dorset coast cottages, including Chideock, the long shingle banks of Chesil Beach (taking in the world-famous Swannery at Abbotsbury), Studland Bay, Burton Bradstock, peaceful Charmouth and picturesque Lulworth Cove. Just think of a day spent fishing in rock pools on a beach for minute sea creatures (Kimmeridge Bay is particularly recommended) and then turning to the cliffs on this famous Jurassic coastline. Here, winter rockfalls often reveal fossils (although you're no longer allowed to go digging for them). The

There's an equally appealing choice of attractions to enjoy away from Dorset's south coast beaches. Why not spend an afternoon viewing the Purbeck countryside from the windows of a heritage steam train on the Swanage Railway? Next, catch your train at Corfe and visit the magnificent ruins of Corfe Castle, high on the hill above the town. Then, head west to Bovington, where you'll find the (seriously) best and most entertaining tank museum or the nearby Monkey World, which is as educational as its primates are adorable.

In the far west of Dorset lie the attractive little coastal towns of Bridport, West Bay, with its fantastic fish restaurant and Lyme Regis.

Inland Dorset is as pretty as the names of its villages imply. How can you resist a holiday in a county with place names such as Fifehead Magdalen, Purse Caundle, Hazelbury Bryan, Piddletrenthide, Sixpenny Handley, Toller Fratrum and Tolpuddle (home of the Tolpuddle Martyrs)?

Many of its towns boast splendid vernacular architecture (usually accompanied by quaint tea rooms), as visitors to Blandford Forum or Gold Hill in Shaftesbury will readily testify. The latter is the location for a famous Hovis Bread advert in the '70s.

Other attractions worth visiting include the Model Town at Wimborne and the Great Dorset Steam Fair near Blandford Forum at the end of August. Unfortunately, the Steam Fair is so large you'll need more than one day to work around it. But, of course, this shouldn't be a problem if you stay in a Dorset holiday let!