Dorset
Dorset is Thomas Hardy country - an appealing mixture of rolling heathland, secluded valleys, picturesque villages, great houses and estates, and a coastline awash with natural beauty. The spectacular and varied coast has shaped the county’s history - from the rugged Isle of Purbeck and the sweeping Chesil Beach to the quaint charm of Lyme Regis and Brownsea Island in Poole Harbour. National Trust properties in Dorset include Corfe Castle, Kingston Lacy and Clouds Hill once the cottage retreat of T E Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia).

The Golden Cap Estate
One of the Trust’s finest coastal estates, Golden Cap occupies a ten mile stretch of magnificent Dorset coast just west of Bridport. This is part of the Jurassic coastline, a World Heritage Site. This is also the countryside beloved by Thomas Hardy, dappled with wild flowers, and its lush green valleys are thick with woods and hedgerows. There are six cottages available on the estate. One, Downhouse Farm Cottage, stands on a hillside next to a farm. The four St. Gabriel’s Cottages – Ash, Elm, Oak and Beech – are part of a large detached former farmhouse standing in a remote position in a secluded valley. Shedbush Farm House, is about half a mile away from St. Gabriel’s Cottages.

National Trust places nearby: Hardy's Monument, Hardy's Cottage, Max Gate. Shop and pub: Lyme Regis, Bridport. Pub in Chideok and Eype. Tea-room/café/restaurant: Lyme Regis, Bridport. Beach: Jurassic coast ½ mile, Charminster and Lyme Regis. Other attractions: the iconic Cobb made famous in the film The French Lieutenant's Woman, Abbotsbury swannery and sub tropical gardens. Activities: walking, fishing, watersports, boat trips, horse riding, fossil hunting.

Ordnance Survey Landranger Map 193