A couple of weeks ago, we left the busy and bustling city of Bristol behind us and spent a blissful couple of days in quintessential chocolate box England.
Greenwood Grange is nestled deep in the Dorchester countryside and is made up of 17 stone, slate and brick cottages. The 66-acre site has tennis courts and an indoor heated swimming pool plus a games room and a children’s playroom. The grounds are vast and the beautiful views stretch as far as the eye can see with a network of patchwork quilt fields on all sides. If you went for a weekend and didn’t fancy venturing out then there would be plenty to keep guests of all ages entertained.
The two-bedroom cottage we stayed in was small but perfectly formed with a fully functional kitchen, dining table, flatscreen TV and electric fireplace. The upper floor had a beautiful country-chic master bedroom and a pretty second bedroom with twin beds and plenty of storage. It was nice to see a bath and a shower in the bathroom – which always comes in handy when travelling with little ones.
The cottage had a shared garden with a swing and plenty of space for Rose to run around.
On arrival, I immediately thought how well kept the grounds were, from the courtyard and pond in the middle of the cluster of cottages to the manicured lawns surrounding the properties the complex has a luxury feel.
It felt very safe, quiet and peaceful. The cottage we stayed in was clean and comfortable and the crisp white bed linen was of the standard I’d expect to find in a really good hotel.
The facilities are excellent with separate outbuildings, one of which housed washing machines and tumble dryers which were very handy! Rose was delighted to find the utility room was also filled with books, toys and DVDs as well as tennis racquets for the guests that wanted to make use of the outdoor courts. We enjoyed an hour of tennis (the evidence is on my Instagram story highlights!) I’m not very good but luckily Justin is a gracious tennis partner, it was great that there are racquets and balls available.
The highlight for Rose was, of course, the indoor swimming pool. It’s a really good size and very warm. Rose and Justin went swimming several times during our stay.
The grounds are nice to walk around and it was lovely to find a big pond hidden away behind one of the larger cottages. It had the most stunning views of the forest and fields that stretched for miles.
Unfortunately, we didn’t make it to Thomas Hardy’s cottage which is within walking distance to Greenwood Grange. With a four-year-old early riser, we were up and away before it opened but we were just a short drive from some really gorgeous beaches so we spent our time exploring Dorset. We visited Chesil Beach and also spent the day wandering around Weymouth and had a few hours on the beach. We found a couple of amazing vegan restaurants so other than making a few sandwiches at the cottage I didn’t actually cook for the whole weekend (which was a very nice break from the norm!)
Greenwood Grange is perfectly situated and in a really convenient location, we were only there for the weekend but we wouldn’t have run out of things to do and see if we’d been there for a week. It would be brilliant for a summer holiday staycation.
Whether you’re into walking, biking, dog walking or if you’re looking for a central and comfortable base to explore Dorset, Greenwood Grange offers a luxury country escape and is fantastic for a family or couples retreat.
*We were invited to stay as guests of Greenwood Grange in exchange for a feature on this blog
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