Loved Bluebell Cottage!
We have visited Corfe Castle every winter for the last five years, each time with our dogs and each booking with Corfe and Purbeck Holidays who have been very responsive and helpful on each occasion. Their portfolio of cottages in the area offers a wide variety of holiday homes, most of them have history and charm and the staff are attentive and knowledgable about their properties.
This time (January 2026) we chose a smaller cottage in the middle of the village and found Bluebell Cottage to be exactly as described. Small but has everything you need, comfortable furniture, a very good bed and a new bathroom with underfloor heating which was lovely! The cottage might be a challenge if you are very tall and there is a tight staircase but it is charming and cosy. The log burner and gas boiler with radiators are very efficient. There are lots of thoughtful touches, good quality bed and bath linen, a cupboard full of games and the benefit of a utility / boot room from the back door with plenty of hanging space.
The small garden backs onto the field adjoining the children’s playground and leading to the wonders of Corfe Common – 123 hectares of open land with grazing horses and spectacular views of the castle. Even in the pouring rain this is an excellent dog walk but at sunrise, sunset or on a beautiful sunny day with a blue sky the common offers some of the most spectacular views in Dorset.
The village of Corfe Castle has three good pubs and each offers a very warm, friendly welcome and an acceptable menu. There are other restaurants available and many more good pubs in nearby villages. The local shops can provide almost anything you need and there are bigger stores at Wareham and Swanage. Swanage offers a wonderful shopping option in the run up to Christmas when some of the beach huts are taken over by individual artisan crafts.
Studland Bay, four sandy beaches and miles of heathland, is wonderful at any time of the day. The entire peninsula is owned and carefully managed by the National Trust who also has an excellent café at Knoll Beach. Dogs are welcome but there are some restricted areas during bird nesting season – all clearly displayed in the parking areas or you can look at it on the NT website
You can also take the chain link ferry over Poole Harbour to ‘the mainland’ landing at Sandbanks to go on to Poole or Bournemouth.
From the village of Corfe Castle trips out along the headland offer walks for all abilities and amazing views – The NT shop offers some good value guide books to the area.
