Keeper's Cottage

At a glance

Situated just six miles from Bridport, Keeper's Cottage is a charming single-storey barn conversion on a family-run smallholding. Thoughtfully resorted with stylish interiors, the cottage is ideal for a family or couple looking to explore Dorset’s stunning countryside and coast.

Outside, the cottage benefits from a private patio complete with a barbecue and wonderful views across Bride Valley towards the sea. The 20 acre farm has an excellent range of on site facilities including a games barn, soft play area, swings, sandpit, jungle gym, skittle alley, all weather tennis court, and five-a-side-football pitch.

The farm also has a beautiful lake in the grounds stocked with carp, rudd, tench, and perch that’s home to a few frogs and a raft of ducks, where guests can enjoy fishing, boating, or a relaxing picnic.

Guests are welcome to explore the farm and meet the animals including goats, sheep, chickens, geese, and bees. A way marked nature trail weaves through 17 acres of meadows and ancient woodland which in spring is carpeted with bluebells and wild garlic. Keep an eye out for otters, deer, swifts, swallows, kingfishers, buzzards, red kites, pheasants, butterflies, and other wildlife as you walk.

To help guests discover even more, Rudge Farm has created its own children’s activity booklet with treasure hunts and stories, and a guide covering the numerous bridleways and footpaths that begin right from the doorstep.

Keeper's Cottage is a perfect for base for exploring the Jurassic Coast. The iconic arch at Durdle Door can be reached in under an hour, while the sandstone cliffs at Golden Cap, a great site for fossil hunting, are just twenty minutes away. For a classic day at the seaside, Weymouth has a long, stretch of sand, clean, safe water, a busy working harbour, family-friendly attractions, and an elegant promenade lined with pastel-coloured Georgian townhouses. A little further down the coast is Portland Bill with its famous red and white lighthouse, dramatic scenery, and rugged coastal walks.

Other attractions within easy reach include Hardy’s House, the atmospheric Victorian home of Dorset’s most famous author; Abbotsbury Swannery, the only managed colony of nesting mute swans in the world; and The Osmington White Horse which depicts King George III who was a regular visitor to the area.

Bridport is a market town with a good range of independent retailers, high street brands, markets, a museum, galleries, theatres, and plenty of places to eat and drink. There is also a convenience store on the farm stocked with free range eggs from the hens, local produce, snacks, games, and gifts. A 16th century thatched pub with a beer garden that serves food is within walking distance.