For a restful or romantic rural retreat, it doesn’t get much better than Fern Hill Cabin on Laverstock Farm in the West Dorset countryside. This top-quality, self-contained cabin sits in its own secluded meadow with views across the green and pleasant Marshwood Vale. It offers everything you might want from a shepherd’s hut stay: a log burner, indoor cooking facilities, a private ensuite shower and flushing loo. Beds are made, towels provided and outside there’s a fire pit and a hot tub. And to top it all off, dogs are welcome as well.
The fact that this spacious shepherd’s hut-style cabin is on Laverstock Farm is an added bonus. It means you’re in capable hands. This place is home to two other huts and six holiday cottages so your hosts on this family farm know a thing or two about looking after guests. That means you can expect a few extra touches that make a special stay extra special. The hot tub, for example, will be warm on arrival. Logs for your fire pit and log burner are provided and there’s an excellent guestbook that’s full of insider tips on this lovely part of the world.
Laverstock Farm lies between Dorset’s highest hills within the vast designated National Landscape that accounts for almost half the county. A hike to the top of the tallest hill, Lewesdon, makes for one of several great walks in the area. From its wooded top, glimpses of the rolling countryside that inspired Thomas Hardy and Dorset’s Jurassic Coast reveal that Laverstock’s hidden location is not so far away after all. The market town of Bridport, West Bay, Charmouth (the famous fossil beach) and Lyme Regis are all within 10 miles. Chesil Beach, Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall’s River Cottage and Abbotsbury Swannery are no more than 20.
Fern Hill Cabin is a cosy one bedroom cabin which enjoys far reaching countryside views which make it perfect for enjoying the woodfired hot tub (no bubbles). The cabin built by Plankbridge offers open plan accommodation with a king sized bed and a living/kitchen area. There is a wood burning stove and electric radiator in the cabin with a fitted kitchen which has a hob, oven, fridge and sink and space for two to dine. The shower room has a shower, sink and toilet. The cabin is located in its own private meadow with countryside views. The woodfired hot tub is filled with fresh spring water between each guest and is not chemically treated. The private meadow has a small patio area for seating and lordship chairs for relaxing by the firepit, guests also have access to the extensive communal grounds. A maximum of 2 dogs are welcome in the cabin for the additional charge of £25 per dog. This is to be paid directly to the owner prior to your stay.Hosted by Emma B.
Joined in December 2022Beyond your own meadow, you can explore parts of Laverstock Farm including a woodland and driveway walk on which you might meet some of the resident animals which include sheep, pigs and chickens. There’s also a games room which is shared with other guests on the farm. Local footpaths cross the farm and lead out into the surrounding countryside if you fancy a longer walk. The highest hill in Dorset, Lewesdon Hill, is a good place to head for. There’s horse riding available at the local Bidlake Stables too. The pretty village of Broadwindsor is three miles away and has a shop, pub and lovely independent shops at Redlands Yard with a restaurant. The closest town is Beaminster, four miles away, where you’ll find some nice boutiques, a couple of places to eat and the little Beaminster Museum. Just outside town is the Jacobean Mapperton House and Gardens. The market town of Bridport is six miles away and it’s just seven miles to the beaches of the Jurassic Coast. Head south-west for Charmouth, one of the best places for fossil-hunting, and south-east for the small fishing town of West Bay, where you can join family-friendly mackerel-fishing trips with West Bay Charters. Bustling and historic Lyme Regis is a few miles further than Charmouth with The Cobb, the 13th century harbour arm, a Dorset must-see.
The New Inn in Stoke Abbott is the closest pub to Laverstock. It’s two miles away and walkable in just under an hour. The Shave Cross Inn is also about two miles away and has a garden and skittle alley. Stableyard Restaurant is a licensed restaurant at Redlands in Broadwindsor, open for breakfasts, lunches and afternoon tea. Also within the centre is The Wobbly Cottage, a recommended artisan micro bakery. At Beaminster, Brassica and Ollerod are highlights. West Bay’s Rise café/bar is a recommended all-rounder with harbour views and, for seafood, you might like to try The Watch House Café, which is right on the beach. Bridport has a wide range of good quality eateries to choose from, which are detailed in the guidebook you’ll find in your shepherd’s hut. And there’s also a farmers’ market in the town on the second Saturday of the month.
