Vineyard Farm Cottage

Vineyard Farm Cottage is a pretty thatched cottage just below the ruins of Corfe Castle, a royal castle established by William the Conqueror and partially destroyed in the English Civil War. The cottage takes its name from the castle’s vineyard, which was located in fields nearby. 

A stone terrace in the cottage's small garden looks up to the castle ruins, and there's a path by the stream which leads to the centre of Corfe as well as the castle entrance. You have free entry here and at all National Trust places during your stay. Take your time exploring the ruins, and there's a National Trust cafe, shop, second-hand bookshop and information centre where you can learn about the castle's past as well as the surrounding Purbeck Hills. 

The cottage is an ideal base for a holiday exploring this pretty corner of Dorset. From the castle, you can walk the Purbeck Ridgeway towards Old Harry Rocks, where you'll look over Poole Harbour, Swanage and over the bay towards the Isle of Wight. Visit the beach and catch the bus back to Corfe, or the Swanage Railway when it's operating. A bit further south, you'll reach the Jurassic Coast. For walks here, loop onto the South West Coast Path. 

There's another cottages by Corfe Castle - Boar Mill Cottage (sleeps six). 1 Heathland Cottages (sleeps six) and 2 Heathland Cottages (sleeps eight) are about a 10-minute drive away.