Far from the Madding Crowd; Short House is a delightful seaside cottage on Dorset's World Heritage Jurassic Coast.
  • Sleeps: 4
  • Bedrooms: 2
  • Bathrooms: 2
  • Minimum stay: 3 nights

Short House, Chesil Beach is a Purbeck stone and pink rendered cottage, part of the Long House small private country estate, with a 200 metre frontage on to Chesil Beach, in the centre of Dorset’s World Heritage Jurassic Coast. Surrounded by National Trust farmland Short House is a haven of tranquility, with spectacular ocean views and a large open plan living/dining/kitchen space with a high ceiling, two double bedrooms, two stone bathrooms, a lovely garden and private access on to Chesil Beach (just 400 metres across the field in front of the house).

Formerly a barn, Short House has recently been completely restored and re-fitted and is now filled with light and colour, both bedrooms with sea views, and two ensuite limestone tiled bathrooms with roll top baths, one with a drench shower, the other with a view of the sea from the bath. Central heating and double glazing keep the house cosy during winter months. The alfresco dining terrace and garden are the places to be in summer, with loungers and barbecue with those terrific sea views.

Following the extensive re-fit, it has an impressive range of facilities: a new fully-equipped kitchen with double sink, hob, oven, fridge/freezer, dishwasher, microwave and a washer/dryer, oak floors, dimmable LED lighting, large TV, DVD player (and an eclectic selection of DVDs), Bose Sound Dock and very comfortable furniture (the sofa with proper squashy cushions), nice cotton linen, feather & down pillows and duvets, making this the perfect place for an English seaside holiday or a weekend getaway in one of the most beautiful parts of England.

Guests have direct private access across the front field leading 400m down to Chesil Beach (beach towels provided) and miles of beautiful coast and country walks.  The private tennis court is freely available to guests, (rackets and balls provided) and, if you want to bring your horse(s) on holiday and enjoy fantastic riding along the coast, stables and grazing are also available. Dogs are also welcome; they love it here, as do people!

Short House is in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, 3/4 of a mile east of the village of West Bexington.  The peace and solitude of such a stunning location and the sound of the waves on Chesil Beach make it a very special place and, being an area of very low ambient light, on clear nights it is a great location for stargazing. There are spectacular views over Lyme Bay, the Dorset and Devon coastline.

Exploring the area that surrounds the house, there are lovely walks in both directions both along the beach and inland.  The beach itself is famous for fishing and birdwatching. Wear’s Hill was voted as having the best natural view in England by Country Life Magazine; a 45 minute walk from the house.  Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens is a leisurely 30 minute beach walk, where you’ll find a colonial-style cafe.  Abbotsbury Swannery, a further 20 minutes’ walk, is the only place in the world where you can walk through a colony of nesting Mute Swans. 

Keep reading

At a glance

  • Sleeps up to 4 in 2 double bedrooms both with ocean views and stylish bathrooms
  • Direct access to the sands of Chesil Beach, on Dorset’s famed Jurassic Coast
  • A designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
  • Luxury bedlinen and towels are provided
  • Use of tennis courts with rackets and balls provided

Features

  • Dog Friendly
  • Family Friendly
  • Seaside Breaks

Facilities

Sleeps up to 4, two double bedrooms, two stone bathrooms, all bedding & towels provided, fully equipped kitchen, oven, hob, fridge freezer, dishwasher, microwave, washer/dryer, TV, DVD player, Bose sound system, books, DVDs, outdoor dining terrace, loungers, parking.

Local activities

Onsite: tennis, stargazing, beach access.  Offsite: coastal walks, cycling, horse riding, kayaking, canoeing, surfing, fishing, arts centre, cinema, sailing, golf, birdwatching.

More information

Just a 5 minute drive away in Burton Bradstock, Hive Beach has a great cafe and good swimming off a sandy beach. Bridport is a charming market town with a great selection of restaurants, bars, pubs, independent shops and supermarkets. The Saturday street market is very good; lots of local produce and traders.  Catch a performance at Bridport Arts Centre. West Bay Harbour (as featured on TV’s ‘Broadchurch’) is just 15 minutes’ drive, with boats to hire, fishing trips and the best fish restaurant in the area – The Riverside. The county town of Dorchester has an Arts Centre and a new Odeon cinema.  There is also a good range of restaurants, bars, cafes and shops around the multi jet fountain in Brewery Square. Weymouth is the home of the Olympic Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy.  The water here is unusually calm, making it perfect for water sports. Several golf courses are also within easy reach. 

Short House is in a serene location yet London is just a 3 hour drive away. Exeter International Airport is an hour’s drive away.

Things to note

Cots, highchairs and extra bed can be provided, minimum booking is 3 nights except July, August, Christmas, New Year and Easter Week (either Good Friday week or Easter Monday week), house-trained pets are welcome upon prior arrangement.

Where you'll be staying

West Bexington, Dorset

What the guests of Short House Chesil Beach say

“We
had an amazing stay at Short House, Chesil Beach.  The location is
awesome, secluded and so quiet.  Great beach walks and some scrummy
restaurants and farm shops added to our stay. Thank you so much for the
suggestions. The only problem we found, was finding a time when the cottage was
vacant again so we can return!”
Julia

“Short
House was perfect for our family getaway. What a privileged location. So much
attention to detail has gone in to making sure all guests of Short House feel
totally at home. The light! The views! Absolutely fantastic place. Thank you
for your kindness Andrew & Julie.”
Manni

“We
had an amazing time at Short House.  Andrew & Julie are fantastic
hosts and the property is as described with ample space for our family of 5 (2
adults and 3 young children). The location is fantastic, with direct access to
the beach and the most impressive views. We will definitely come back again.”
Virginie

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