Cosy thatched cottage tucked at foot of a wood

The Burrow is a 17th century cottage annexe on the unspoilt Symondsbury Estate, cosy sitting room with woodburner, double bedroom with additional sleeping spaces available to book, claw foot bathtub, picket fenced courtyard for guests, shared orchard garden with stunning views of local landmark Colmers Hill, first class country walks from your front door, village cafe and pub a 5 minute walk away, 1.5 miles from coast and from Bridport market town. Pets welcomed with prior approval. The space We are lucky enough to live on the outskirts of a beautiful Dorset village on a hillside at the edge of a wood, with stunning views of the surrounding countryside. Our house has a separate space for guests, The Burrow, consisting of the original cottage with thick cob walls and deep thatch, giving you your own private access, a small fenced garden just for you, and a shared orchard garden to explore. (We live in the more recent extension to the original cottage, which has separate access). There are wood or stone floors throughout and a winding original oak newel staircase. Guest quarters consist of: - small sitting room with sofa and armchair and woodburner - great for winter evenings with some mulled wine and a good book -double bedroom tucked under the thatch with A-frame shaped ceiling, with a single bed in ensuite cupboard. This bedroom configuration is most suitable for a couple, or a couple and a single child. (The sofa in the sitting room is not suitable for sleeping on). -Bathroom with window looking up into the woods, WC, clawfoot Victorian bath, basin, separate shower (upstairs) -Second small bedroom off sitting room downstairs, with "hobbit hole" raised alcove bed that is not quite a standard double, so fits two children, but not so much two adults - Basic kitchen (Belfast sink, induction hob and double oven, full size dishwasher, fridge, cafetière, neopolitana, kettle, toaster, mixing wand, pots and pans, china, cutlery, tea towels, cooking utensils, baking and roasting pans ) with small prep and eating table. Essential items for the kitchen including tea, coffee, sugar, olive oil, tea towels, cleaning products, dishwasher tablets, washing up liquid, etc are also provided. - Small outdoor dining table with views of the wood and orchard and surrounding hills -Access to shared laundry room if needed. The space is only used by guests (via Airbnb or friends and family) so is uncluttered, but it is an old and creaky house and a family home, so neither indoors nor outdoors feel like a pristine holiday let - more the old school Airbnb model . Our pricing is designed to enable the place to be booked affordably and flexibly for different sized parties. If you book for two, you get the double bedroom upstairs, if for 3, you get the cupboard bed made up as well, and if you book for 4 you pay extra and you get the hobbit hole downstairs bedroom made up as well and can spread your party across the beds as you please. A travel cot is also available and any baby sleeping in it does not count towards the guest count. The premises are not toddler-proofed, however and considerable supervision of toddlers would be required to keep them safe. There are thermostatically controlled radiators, plus the woodburner. There is no television but we have tv licence so you can watch BBC on your own devices in the sitting room- but streaming can be glitchy at times. Guests have a picket fenced courtyard garden to sit out in, and access to the shared orchard garden which in turn is hedged off from the quiet single-file lane with only occasional vehicles passing. The orchard is studded with special places to bring a book or a drink, including a hammock suspended between an apple tree and a cherry tree, and hardwood seating at the foot of the wood for sundowners. From all over the orchard there are lovely views of the surrounding hills, including the iconic Colmers Hill. We particularly love how apparent the seasonal changes are in this part of the countryside. Our orchard is wild rather than manicured, but through the year treats us to snowdrops, grape hyacinths and hellebores, then the yellows of daffodils, celandines and primroses on the banks, and in the wooded area bluebells and wild garlic, then the white season of May blossom and cow parsley, then in summer, you will glimpse ox-eye daisies, wild strawberries, dog rose, purple loosestrife, foxgloves, speedwell, red campion, red clover, yarrow, purple creeping buttercups, yellow buttercups, ladies' smock, rosebay willow herb, vetch, spear thistle, borage, budleia and crocosmia, and as autumn approaches, the Japanese anemones make a brave last stand while everything else falls over. The orchard is maintained under the "no mow" regime. We wage an intermittent war on brambles and nettles - exploring the orchard you will encounter both. We aim to be green hosts, and use products with minimal packaging. The bedding is 100% cotton, and feather-filled. Your host has lived here or hereabouts for periods of time covering all the phases of life from childhood to parenthood and so our guest guide provides good local intelligence and should be able to ensure that however short your stay, you get the most out of this extraordinary corner of rural England. **Please note that we are making rooms available in a different configuration to past years so some of the reviews from the past reference a redundant layout. Guest access You will be able to access the guest annex which will be exclusively for your use, consisting of small sitting room, kitchen, upstairs bathroom and large double bedroom, together with fenced in court yard garden. If you book for three people the tiny cupboard single bed off the main bedroom will be made up for you upstairs, and if you book for four people and pay the extra you will have access to the downstairs hobbit hole bedroom with the "not quite double" bed. Other things to note Please note: The cupboard bedroom off the upstairs main double bedroom contains a single bed and just enough space to put your feet on the floor to get out of bed. It does not have a window, just a glazed door to the main bedroom, with a curtain to go over it for privacy. If you want a second bedroom, book for 4 people and we will make up the hobbit hole bedroom just off the sitting room. This is a small (just sub double) alcove bed suitable for one adult or two children sharing. There is no ground floor lavatory. This hobbit room is not soundproofed from the sitting room. The guest quarters are part of an old rambling cottage which is a family home, and the orchard garden and woods are wild, rather than manicured perfection. If you prefer something more orderly, have a look at the Symondsbury Estate website for alternatives. People in the 1600s were apparently tiny. Most rooms have very low ceilings due to the age of the cottage and there are some very narrow doorways. There is a flight of uneven steps up from the carpark to the garden. As this is a rather ancient cottage, without central heating, modern insulation or glazing, you need to wear jumpers and keep doors and curtains closed to keep warm in winter, even with the modern electric radiators and woodburner functioning. Wifi internet access is available but the speeds may not be what someone in a city is used to.