South Lodge

We’ve just returned from our second wonderful stay at this superb holiday cottage.

The owners have literally thought of everything to make South Lodge the best holiday home we’ve stayed in. Once again everything was perfect from the moment we arrived, from the generous welcome gifts of food & drink, to the beautifully presented and furnished accommodation, the lovely homely touches and such a pretty, peaceful garden space to enjoy. The friendly owners are on hand should you need anything, but they’re respectful of your privacy and leave you to enjoy your holiday in peace. Such a brilliant base from which to explore this beautiful part of Dorset and beyond. Thanks again to Linda & Mark for what has been another truly memorable, wonderfully relaxing, happy week at South Lodge. We’ll definitely be back soon!

Excellent accommodation in a lovely quiet location.

The cottage was well equipped and very comfortable. The owners were very welcoming and helpful. We thoroughly enjoyed exploring parts of beautiful Dorset.

Beautiful cottage it is spotlessly clean everything is in the cottage you need my grandchildren loved it especially the owners lovely dog "Nellie"who would come to the window every day to say hello .

we will definitely be booking again .

This was our second visit to South Lodge and it was a pleasure to stay there.

It's a very comfortable and well maintained property, with quality furnishings and finishing touches. The owners are very friendly and have taken a pride in the presentation of the garden. It's a delightful place to relax and to enjoy Dorset.

It was a wonderful stay.

Cake baked for our arrival, fresh eggs and honey was a lovely touch. We were very comfortable. The stairs are steep ( the only negative ) but it was so well presented and comfortable we would really recommend a stay here. Millie the dog loves a welcome when we arrived back. Many thanks

South Lodge is one of the best holiday cottages we've ever stayed in.

It was immaculate, very comfortable and really well equipped. Linda and Mark are thoughtful and discreet hosts who provided a very generous welcome pack including amongst other things, eggs, home-made cake and honey from Mark's bees. The conservatory, patio area and small garden are peaceful and private and made more spacious by the views over the owners' lovely garden. There is a nice pub in the village but they don't do food as yet so we ate at the Green Man at Kings Stag. Hazelbury Bryan is a convenient central base for exploring North Dorset. We loved our week and thoroughly recommend South Lodge!

We enjoyed our stay at South Lodge.

It was very comfortable and very clean. Lovely welcome pack which was very appreciated. We would definitely recommend.

A wonderful cottage for 3 nights away.

Our hosts were lovely and very mindful of our privacy which was appreciated. They also welcomed us with a lovely home made cake, which was a bonus. All the facilities were very good. There is a small spiral staircase leading to the 2 single beds in the attic room, which may not be ideal for everyone but it was perfect for our teenagers. A very pleasant courtyard garden to the side of the house. We used it as a base to go on a nostalgic trip around Dorset. although the village is fairly remote, it was a good central location for us to reach Weymouth, Portland, Dorchester, Cerne Abbas, West Bay etc.

We love it here.

Have stayed several times. It’s a lovely location, very peaceful and comfortable and the lodge is so wonderfully thought out- everything you need is here. The conservatory overlooking the garden is a beautiful place to sit with a coffee and a book. So comfortable and clean and a home from home. Thank you for another lovely stay.

Excellent break as always this is our 4th visit to South Lodge and loved every minute in the wonderful Dorset countryside South Lodge is a wonderful base to exlore the area and a lovely warm and relaxing cottage to unwind Nellie welcome all visitors and checks on everyone daily

We had a wonderful week in Hazelbury Bryan and we were extremely grateful for the cake, homemade honey and breakfast sundries.

The cottage was cosy and charming in a very relaxing, quiet spot with loads of things to see and do in the vicinity. Would definitely recommend

South Lodge is a fantastic place to stay, with everything we needed (and more!

) provided. We particularly appreciated the home-made cake and honey from the owners’ hives, plus breakfast supplies provided. We had a lovely relaxing break.

The property was spotlessly clean and excellently equipped.

The book for visitors, with instructions and information, was the best we have come across. The cottage was well located for easy travel to all parts of Dorset. The narrow, spiral suitcase to the upstairs bedroom will not be suitable for everybody.

We had the most wonderful holiday at South Lodge in Hazelbury Bryan.

The cottage had everything we needed, and Linda also provided plenty of things we hadn't realised we might need, such as torches and high-visibility vests for walking down the dark lanes at night. We were grateful for the welcome pack, and we loved the delicious homemade honey. I would recommend this cottage wholeheartedly to anyone looking for a peaceful break in cosy surroundings in Dorset.

Excellent cottage for the two of us, in a nice village ideally situated for exploring Dorset.

Well-appointed with very efficient hot water and central heating, good shower and first-rate kitchen. Bed was extremely comfortable. The welcome pack was a most unexpected treat – home made Victoria sponge, eggs, bread and more, typical of the very friendly but unobtrusive owners. To complement an outstanding stay, the car parking was exceptionally convenient, all the gardens a joy to see, and the village shop extremely well stocked and reasonably priced.

I rented South Lodge as a brief getaway for my partners' birthday along with her daughter.

When we arrived there was a fresh cake, milk in the fridge and honey from the owners' beehives so we could have a cuppa after the drive, lovely! The cottage was very nicely presented and well appointed with very good quality items and appliances. Everything was squeaky clean too. My partners' daughter loved her room in the upstairs converted roof space with the spiral staircase, though be warned it's not suitable for people with mobility issues or drunks; getting stuck or having a fall is a possibility if you're not careful! All in all a lovely stay, marred only by unpredictable weather, but that's just the way it goes sometimes in England. We'd happily stay there again.

We had a wonderful weeks holiday staying in South Lodge.

The owners had kindly left a few items as a welcome, including fresh eggs laid by their hens, tea, coffee, milk and a lovely cake. Much appreciated after a long journey. The accommodation was perfect and there were so many places to visit, we definitely will be making a return visit. Catherine & Graham

Comfortable and well equipped.

Generous Welcome Pack on arrival with comprehensive guide to house and local area.

Outstanding property, very thoughtful owners, extremely comfort stay surrounded by nature.

Definitely recommend it & will surely want to visit it again.Thank you for making our stay memorable.

Compact & quirky cottage full of character.

Very clean, comfortable and had everything we needed and more. Thorough information folder that was concise & full of relevant instructions & suggestions. One of the best cottages we've stayed in. Had a great holiday!

Excellent presentation- the spiral stair was more difficult than anticipated but the upstairs bedroom was comfortable with a bright outlook.

Pity the pub isn’t doing food.

Wonderful cottage our third stay in this brilliant accommodation in such a beautiful area Thank you Mark Linda and Nellie

We had a lovely stay at South Lodge.

Brilliant cottage - beautifully furnished, spotlessly clean and comfortable. Linda and Mark have obviously put a lot of thought into providing everything you could possibly need - right down to umbrella, binoculars, torch. A very generous welcome pack was provided on arrival, with delicious homemade cake. We loved the conservatory with views over pretty garden and beyond. Definitely among the very best places we’ve ever stayed. Thank you Linda and Mark - we would definitely come again and highly recommend. Clinton & Joy, May 2025

Our second stay here.

A lovely setting deep in the Dorset countryside. This is simply the best Sykes property I've stayed in. Extremely well appointed, very clean and you'll want for nothing. The care and attention put into South Lodge by the owners is plain to see and is reinforced by the fantastic information book provided. We'll definitely stay here again. Highly recommended!

Fabulous cottage and Linda has provided everything you could possibly need!

Our second visit but so lovely to come in spring and be able to enjoy sitting out on the patio in the evening sunshine with a glass of wine. Fantastic base for so many days out , we visited so many National trust and Historic house properties and saw some stunning flowers and views. Would love to stay again as felt like home.

Quite an excellent property all round, everything was provided and it was very well kept and most comfortable.

The owner was very friendly and it was a pleasure to meet her. We will certainly return again.

South Lodge is the cleanest self catering property we have stayed in.

It was beautifully furnished, with modern kitchen and comfortable central heating. Linda was lovely and not wanting to intrude on our privacy. Her instruction folder was extremely useful, and it was lovely that the owners were living next door and any problems we could call on them.

Beautiful cottage and garden, very well maintained.

Owners are very welcoming and helpful. Highly recommended.

South Lodge was beautifully furnished and very comfortable.

A lot of thought had gone into making sure the cottage was well equipped , we had a lovely welcome pack including home baked sponge cake and free range eggs. The bed was really comfortable and I particularly appreciated the grest quality cotton sheets and slept well.

Perfect holiday cottage.

We had a wonderful stay at South Lodge and everything we could wish for was provided for our comfort. We really appreciated the thoughtful food gifts we found on arrival. We have no hesitation in recommending South Lodge as a delightful place to stay. Thank you.

Lovely property, clean, comfortable and extremely well equipped.

Thank you for the welcoming extras, very much appreciated. We thought the shower flow was a little weak.

This was our third visit to this cottage which speaks for itself.

The property has everything you need for a good holiday. The owners supplied us with a excellent welcome package and went out of their way to make sure we were comfortable during a storm.Hope to return soon.

Fabulous accommodation, really warm and cosy so never even used the log burner .

Incredibly comfortable bed which is always a challenge as have a bad back and have had real issues with poor mattress in previous holidays which made the holiday miserable due to back pain. You have thought of everything we might need in the kitchen so could cook nice meals as well as eat out. Loved how quiet and peaceful it was too. Definitely will recommend to friends and hope to visit again next year

South Lodge is a hidden gem.

We loved everything about it. Tastefully decorated to a very high standard, warm, comfortable with generous provision including homemade cake & their own honey. Also, spotlessly clean. We are very fussy about where we stay & we would definitely stay again. The conservatory is a big bonus as is the garden & good parking area. The owners check you are OK then leave you alone to enjoy your holiday. All in all a perfect place to stay in beautiful Dorset.

Beautiful cottage in a great area second visit of the year and we still have plenty of places we want to visit so we will return 5* break thank you

The cottage was very cosy, clean and comfortable in beautiful surroundings.

The decor and equipment were of a very high standard, with a great deal of care and thought being given to extra items guests may find helpful. We were made to feel very welcome and appreciated the generous welcome pack, which we found very useful. We would highly recommend South Lodge. Angela & Chris Yeoman

Simply beautiful!

! If I could give 10 stars I would! Stunning property, comfortable, cosy and so quiet and relaxing. The garden is gorgeous. The best accommodation we have ever stayed in and we have stayed in lots over the years. If you are looking for a peaceful retreat away from the hustle and bustle do not hesitate to book, you won’t be disappointed. Extremely comfortable beds with excellent quality mattresses and bedding. Beautiful treats awaited us including a homemade cake, honey from their own hive and eggs from their chickens, just wow!!! Thank you to the owners Linda and Mark for allowing us to stay in their beautiful property. We would absolutely love to return as soon as we can.

We had a wonderful stay at South Lodge.

It's the best self catering cottage we have ever stayed in. Definitely 5 star ! Everything you could ever need is provided for and much more. Comfy, cosy, extremely clean and very tastefully furnished. We definitely will be coming back. The owners Mark and Linda live next door and are extremely friendly and the welcome pack (especially the handmade cake was a bonus). We were also blessed with lovely weather. What more could you ask for.

We spent a very pleasant week at South Lodge which is very well situated for trips around Dorset, as long as you don’t mind a 45-minute drive to the coast down windy country lanes!

Visits to Shaftesbury, Kingston Lacy, Corfe Castle, The Blue Pool, Lulworth Cove, Durdle Door, Sherborne Abbey and Sturminster Newton Mill made for a busy and enjoyable week and South Lodge was a welcome retreat being very comfortable and extremely well equipped. We especially appreciated the welcome cake and bantam eggs! Highly recommended.

Lovely well appointed, clean and comfortable place to stay, friendly owners next door and we were greeted by a lovely welcome pack of all the essentials including eggs and a jar of honey from the owners chickens and bees also a delicious homemade jam sponge cake a real delight.

Most enjoyable place to stay. The only thing we missed was the Kitchen was shut (so no food) at the local pub, so I would check if it is cooking if you are thinking of using the pub for food but plenty of other places to eat in other villages locally

Well appointed and comfortable cottage with delightful surroundings.

South Lodge is simply perfect!

Every detail is taken care of to make your stay very comfortable.

A very well equipped and comfortable place to stay, especially after a day out when a cup of tea and a relax in the lovely conservatory is needed!

All the essentials are provided, and the “starter pack” of tea, coffee, sugar, milk, a loaf of bread, carton of orange juice, eight eggs, a jar of honey (from the owners bee hives) and, not forgetting the very tasty homemade jam sponge cake was most welcome. Thank you Linda and Mark.

Beautifully equipped cottage so comfy excellent standards well situated for the beautiful Dorset Countryside Very relaxing and peaceful stay 5* accommodation perfect break and we will always remember Nellie the dog and the Bees

South Lodge is a fantastic property and the owners have clearly put a lot of thought into it.

We were particularly impressed by book of instructions/recommendations/advice - it contained absolutely everything we needed to know, and more! We greatly appreciated the welcome gift of fresh bread, milk, eggs (from the owners' chickens), honey (from their beehives) and homemade cake, and the daily visits from the Guest Relations Officer (their dog, Nellie). We have already recommended this property to others and will continue to do so.

The cottage was first rate.

It is obvious that the owners have put alot of thought and effort into the property and the needs of their guests. Having hired holiday accommodation for over 40 years this is the first time an owner has asked if we would prefer a lower tog duvet the absence of which has been a major source of annoyance in the past. Kudos to Linda and Mark.

The property was beautiful, as was the garden.

South Lodge contained everything a traveller could want and more. It was one of the nicest places I have ever stayed in. The owner left us many goodies, as well as basics: eggs from their hens; honey from their bees and a delicious cake, which we enjoyed each teatime.

A lovely little property in a quiet Dorset village.

The property was as described but exceeded expectations. It's finished and maintained to an extremely high standard. It was spotlessly clean and equipped with everything you'll require for your stay. Eggs, bread, milk and a lovely Victoria sponge were also provided. I'd definitely use South Lodge again. Highly recommended!

It's just like other reviews say quiet,peaceful, clean and everything you need plus more we had a lovely stay and thanks for the extras

A very well presented, clean and equipped property.

Bread, milk,honey and homemade cake was a great touch. Highly recommended.

Great little cottage with everything we needed ,our hosts Linda and Mark surprised us with a lovely welcome which was greatly appreciated, We visited the local pub on our first evening hoping to get some food but unfortunately they no longer serve food but we did go to other local pub come restaurants and were particularly taken with The Halsey Arms which served great food other than that we had a great chill out week and would definitely visit again thanks again to our hosts

We had a wonderful stay at South Lodge, the pictures do not give it justice!

We ate in mostly as the kitchen facilities were excellent, everything we needed and so clean. Homemade cake on arrival, milk, bread, own honey and eggs. I would say this was the best Sykes cottage we have stayed in. A base to discover Dorset, Somerset and Devon. Being more inland we enjoyed travelling to more distant areas. Wonderful night sky and owls communicating with each other across the fields. For a holiday in February it was a perfect relaxing recharge.

This is an outstanding rental property.

South Lodge has every possible comfort, is beautifully furnished, has lots of special little touches and was immaculately clean. The generous food "starter" pack was greatly appreciated....especially the home-made cake! Thank you so much Linda and Mark for all the thought given and effort made to offer such a very wonderful holiday home. We had an absolutely fantastic stay with you.

Our third stay here- a home from home.

Cosy, comfortable, clean. Well equipped kitchen and comfortable beds. Lovely quiet area and Linda leaves bread, eggs and homemade cake, which is a lovely touch.

A very well appointed cottage immaculately presented with the best visitor instructions we have seen.

A warm property with off-road parking and only a short walk to pub and shop Lovely cake, eggs, milk, bread and honey made by owners on our arrival. Highly recommended.

We have stayed in lots of good places but this was one of the best.

It is a beautifully furnished, comfy and warm cottage located in a lovely peaceful village. The cottage is extremely well equipped down to such detail as emergency torches and Hi-Vis jackets for walking during darkness. There was lots of information on local amenities and places to go. Absolutely spotless too. On arrival we were greeted by a lovely cake, the best we’ve had! Lots of provisions including milk, eggs and honey (thanks Linda, and to the bees and chickens that live in the garden), much appreciated! Owners Linda, Mark and Nellie the dog were extremely friendly and welcoming. All in all a wonderful holiday, thank you! Ps the bees do not go anywhere near the cottage and its garden so don’t worry about them at all.

South Lodge was a delight.

Very comfortable and cosy. Kitchen well equipped, good sized mugs (always a plus for us). Everything we needed for our stay. Little extras - tea and coffee, home made cake, eggs, juice, milk, bread and honey, USB sockets and a hairdryer made it especially nice. The local pub is at the end of the lane, sadly they only do food at the weekend, so didn’t get to sample it, but a very friendly welcome from all including the various dogs with their owners and happy hour 5-7pm nightly. Would definitely stay again.

Just perfect, very comfy, beautifully clean, lots of hot water all you can ask for plus a good position to explore Dorset a beautiful county, A visit to the Sculptures by the lakes is a must for all, a really good day out.

Our hosts were lovely and very welcoming plus the fresh eggs, bread, milk and a home made cake ! Not forgetting the lovely honey.

Lin & mark were such a lovely friendly couple and most attentive to all our needs.

It was a beautiful place to stay. We would definitely love to go back to south lodge. The local Antelope pub was an ideal place to walk to in the evening & they made us feel very welcome.

We had a wonderful short break in South Lodge.

The owners had left home made cake, eggs from their chickens, milk, juice, bread and even honey from their bees - so very thoughtful. The garden was amazing, the photo in the details really doesn't do it justice. Just wish we could have stayed longer. For another time though!

This cottage was fantastic.

Very clean (and I am really fussy about cleanliness) very comfortable and it was so nice to have a little private yard with a table and chairs there to eat outside. I would definitely recommend staying here if you are traveling in the area. We were so happy that we chose this property, we were in the area to attend a wedding and it was a great find.

The accommodation known as South Lodge exceeded our expectations.

Although there were just the two of us our comments relate to the downstairs as the upstairs area was not used at all. The place itself was spotless and so well thought out. It had everything we needed and the owners had thought of everything from a torch to blankets and everything else. The little touches on arrival like the baked cake, honey and juice, plus the fresh eggs from their own chickens were a delight. Linda and Mark were there if needed but otherwise did not interfere. This was one of the nicest places we had visited as a couple and we have been to a few now. It is so well located for visiting places of interest in Dorset. We would like to recommend the “Sculptures by the Lake” as a special place to visit and is well worth a mention. There is only one thing that would help and that is a mirror opposite for exiting the property as the lane and shrubbery makes it difficult to see traffic on the lane, otherwise perfection!

We greatly enjoyed our stay.

The cottage is situated in a most beautiful area of Dorset and is very comfortable, clean and well equipped. There is a conservatory and garden in which you can relax. The welcome-pack we were given was exceptionally generous. Although the owners live next door and called to check that all was well, they did not otherwise bother us. Overall, a very good place to stay and we certainly hope to go again.

Lovely stay.

Everything you need is in the cottage. Lovely cake and provisions left to welcome you. Nellie the pup was lovely. Lovely weather too. Nothing to dislike. Thankyou.

A very quiet, comfortable & well-equipped cottage.

Thoroughly enjoyed just relaxing in the lovely cottage garden and sitting in the conservatory in the evening. Numerous walks around the village and further afield if you feel energetic! Thank you Mark & Linda for the delicious honey, cake and eggs.

If you're torn between here, and staying closer to the coast, stay here!

It's a really beautiful property, clean and comfortable and very well appointed. The owner was lovely, and provided delicious cake, and honey and eggs from their own property. I would highly recommend staying here. Just for practical info for anyone who books here, things provided over and above the usual include dishwasher tablets, kitchen roll, salt, pepper and oil, ketchup and brown sauce, cling film and foil (and the sharp knives are actually good).

Great hosts who provided so many little extras.

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay in this pretty location. The accommodation is outstanding throughout with so much attention to detail. Would definitely stay again.

This well appointed holiday let was an ideal base from which to explore the Dorset countryside and visit interesting local towns such as Sturminster Newton, Shaftsbury and Sherbourne.

Having the helpful owners next door was a big plus, as was the local produce, which was awaiting our arrival. We would have no hesitation in recommending the cottage to others, or returning in the future.

South Lodge is such a beautiful, clean, well equipped, excellently located cottage run by the lovely Linda and Mark and we could not recommend it highly enough.

The welcome gifts were above and beyond what we’ve ever had before and included fresh eggs from their hens, honey from Mark’s bees and Linda’s AMAZING home-made cake. The sunsets from the conservatory were glorious, the garden so pretty in Spring - and there was a wine cooler! We loved our 4 nights here and wished we’d stayed longer. We would not hesitate to stay here again and I couldn’t imagine a lovelier Dorset home from home. And special mention to gorgeous Nellie-dog who we got to meet and loves tickles and fuss. Recommended! A perfect stay. Thank you!

This was our first time staying at South Lodge and it was worth every penny.

We had a lovely stay and the owner Linda's extra hospitality touches made all the difference. We highly recommend this property and a huge thank you for a wonderful stay. We will be back.

This property was excellent, cosy warm and the owners were lovely people.

There was home made cake left milk orange and bread tea coffee and sugar very welcomed. I would definitely recommend this property, nothing was too much trouble for them.

A beautiful cottage in a lovely location and one of the nicest we have ever stayed in.

The bed was extremely comfortable, it was really clean, it had nice quality fittings and a generous welcome pack. What’s not to like! I would concur with all the previous reviews and I’d have no hesitation in recommending the house to friends. We hope to return next year.

We had a lovely time at South Lodge.

The property is do comfertable with everything you could need. Even though we were not lucky with the weather we enjoyed our 4 nights. The kitchen was lovely and well kitted . The fire i enjoyed using and everything felt so comfy and homely. The area was quiet and we liked the short drive to Sturminster Newton. Overall a lovely stay and will be back to enjoy Linda's delicious home made cake .

We had a wonderful week’s stay at South Lodge.

It really was a home away from home. The owners have thought of everything to make your stay extra special - we particularly enjoyed the welcome pack which included delicious freshly laid eggs and a homemade cake - thank you! The bed and pillows/duvet were really comfortable, the cotton bedding very welcome, and the peace and quiet ensures a good night’s sleep. We enjoyed sitting in the conservatory reading a book and in the evenings snuggling down in front of the log burner. The cottage is in a great central location close to reach many places of interest. We are already looking at booking again for next year!

Lovely stay at a vey special little property.

Lovely walks in the area, many across fields! Enjoyed a couple of meals at the Antelope Inn. Very good with friendly staff. Loved special touches with sponge cake and eggs,along with bread and milk, very much appreciated. Many thanks to Linda and Mark, hope to visit again.

We booked a last minute stay to this amazing cottage and so glad we did.

The house was perfect for us and our 2 boys (11 and 15). The rooms are just lovely, immaculately clean and very well equipped. The garden was also a great space. Only 30 mins to tank museum and monkey world, both worth a visit. We had such a great weekend and would not hesitate to recommend. Thank you for a wonderful weekend.

We have just had a lovely week at South Lodge.

The cottage is extremely well kitted out, as no expense has been spared. It was spotlessly clean and very comfortable. We were greeted with a supply of milk, honey, eggs, bread and a tasty homemade Victoria sponge - this was such a welcoming touch and much appreciated after a long drive. We even had the opportunity of feeding Linda and Mark's beautiful chickens - my daughters thoroughly enjoyed this experience. We would not hesitate to recommend this place (in fact, we have done already!) Thank you Linda and Mark - your hosting skills are second to none.

We had a wonderful stay in Linda's beautiful cottage.

The cottage was immaculately decorated with lovely little touches. It was extremely well equipped- there was a clotheshorse, pegs, iron and washing basket. There was nothing missing. We loved the freshly laid eggs and delicious homemade cake which Linda left for us. We would not hesitate to return.

Linda and Msrk, own South Lodge and it is.

amazing, cleanliness and so much more are perfect. The welcoming pack was so helpful, John loved the homemake cake too!

Enjoyed our stay in a lovely part of Dorset.

The cottage is on a quiet lane, with easy local walks and village facilities. We especially appreciated the light conservatory, the secluded patio, and the homemade cake and eggs as part of the arrival provisions. Linda was a welcoming and considerate host.

South Lodge is fantastic, just a great place to stay for a holiday.

It is beautifully presented and is equipped with everything you could want, and more. The listing doesn’t do it justice. The owners are very friendly and the touches such as having bread, milk, fresh eggs and a homemade cake on arrival were hugely appreciated. The location is good too. If you want to experience the best of Dorset, look no further. We cannot recommend it highly enough !

Well appointed property, nicely presented, very welcoming hosts and incredibly clean.

Perfect property, very accommodating, outstanding stay here and would highly recommend.

We felt at home here and the small attention to details went far. We appreciated the information given in our pack of the property and location, the owners providing toiletries and cleaning products. We really appreciated the items in the fridge, eggs, bread and the baked cake which was delicious! Thank you. The area itself is picturesque, relaxing and quiet. We enjoyed day trips to the surrounding areas such as Somerset, Bournemouth and Weymouth which were all pretty straight forward to travel to using our satnav. Many thanks to the owners for a lovely relaxing stay which was a welcomed break from our busy lifestyle at home.

This was our second stay at South Lodge and everything was as clean and perfect as before.

Thank you for the lovely gifts of cake, eggs, milk, juice and bread! This house is very comfortable, with a really well equipped kitchen, and super bed linen. The outside area would be wonderful in warmer weather too, but we were there in February. There's a modern log burning fire, but the heating works well. One does need a car, but we knew that. Super place for visiting Sherborne, Dorchester,, Bournemouth or Swanage, along with many other towns and National Trust properties.

We had a fabulous stay in this lovely Lodge.

It was spotlessly clean, very well equipped and very warm and cosy (despite the cold weather). My husband had fun creating a real fire every day. The owners cater for your every requirement with information, books, games and wifi. Very quiet area and we loved to sit in the conservatory, when the sun was out, and watch the birds feeding. Delightful private outside seating area too. Kitchen very well equipped. We had a great stay and can't wait to return.

We stayed at South Lodge for a short break, the property was very well equipped, the accommodation was great, clean and spotless.

Some nice touches eggs, bread and milk provided, overall we had a fantastic time and we will return later this year for a much longer stay.

Visited as a couple with with two more adult family members joining us for the majority of the week.

We have all stayed in many cottages over the years but South Lodge rates with the very best of them in terms of facilities, comfort and the quality of fixtures and fittings, attention to detail from the owners was very impressive with comprehensive printed details, not to mention the beautiful cake provided when we arrived, together with milk, eggs, orange juice and tea and coffee ect, very impressive. The spiral stairs to the first floor bedroom proved a little tight for the largest member of our party but it made a great use of the space available. Although it's a bit of a drive from any main town the scenery makes up for this, we had done our homework first so issues. Hard to find any fault with it at all, to many lovely features to mention, I would not hesitate to recommend and would certainly return. Thanks for a great stay.

We stayed for the weekend in this lovely little cottage with our two friends.

We took the upstairs room. We loved it! It’s so cosy. Had everything you need and more! Very clean. Lovely fire for the winter. So peaceful. Nice garden, considering coming back in summer to enjoy more! Very quaint little village with lovely people. The pub down the road is really nice. All the attention to detail made it a perfect little getaway for us. Comfy beds and linen. Lovely soft towels. Milk, eggs and bread for our stay. Logs for the fire. Lovely decor. Yes we couldn’t fault it! The owners are very lovely people and nothing was too much trouble. We will be back!

I cannot express how perfect our stay was, everything you could need and more for a little break.

Every small detail thought of and more. Thank you for having us!

We had a lovely stay at South Lodge exploring all the picturesque towns and villages and visiting the Christmas markets.

The property was beautiful with everything you could possibly need. Truly worthy of the 5 tick rating. Thank you

We have stayed in several cottages over the years and this has to be the best.

Very clean with every thing you need this was our second stay and hopefully not the last.

South Lodge is a 5 star + cottage in every aspect.

We would definitely recommend it. The location was excellent for exploring Dorset.

We had a wonderful week at South Lodge.

It had everything we needed for a great stay and the accommodation was perfect, and a lovely place to return to after a day out exploring the local area. We enjoyed seeing the chickens each day and appreciated the eggs waiting for us when we arrived, along with the home made cake. Thank you Mark and Linda for all your efforts to create such a perfect holiday home.

A fantastic family holiday.

The cottage was beautiful and very well equipped. The beds were very comfortable, which is a rare find!! The local pub was lovely and welcoming. We had great fun exploring Dorset and visiting the sites, with favourites being shell beach and Brownsea Island x

Marc and Linda's cottage is delightful in every way: it is very well maintained, extremely clean, and skilfully decorated with a lovely conservatory and even a wood burner.

Home baked cake and eggs from the owner's hens welcomed us upon arrival. We highly recommend South Lodge

Lovely comfortable cottage in excellent location for local walking and for visiting many attractive Dorset villages.

Excellent property would stay again if in area .

We had a fantastic holiday at South Lodge.

The cottage exceeded our expectations. It was spotless, the kitchen had everything in it you could think of, there was a lovely welcome pack and the owners were extremely helpful. The pub in the village was friendly and the food was excellent. Couldn’t fault the property or the location.

Amazing Cottage in Hazelbury Bryan.

My favourite place was the beautiful Conservatory, a fabulous place to sit and relax, read and enjoy the delightful Bantam Chickens. The decor throughout was stylish and classy and the property spotlessly clean. The sofas are extremely comfortable for a relaxing evening in front of the TV and wood burning stove. The kitchen is fully equipped and designed to a very high specification, just loved the sliding oven door. The bedroom is luxurious and the bed linen of a very high quality and the bed was the most comfortable I have sept in. Having everything on one level was a real bonus, we didn't need to use the twin room on the first floor. We had a lovely meal on the patio, in the sunshine for my husband’s birthday. Linda's homemade sponge, marmalade and fresh eggs were a delight and the welcome information pack extremely helpful. The Antelope Inn, just a short walk away is defiantly worth a visit, hope to be able to go inside on our next visit. Linda and Mark really have thought of everything, thank you. Everything about South Lodge was fantastic, would highly recommend you visit, we hope to visit again soon.

The cottage was superb.

Clean and very well equipped and furnished. Very comfortable.

Fantastic cottage in a lovely quiet rural location close to a traditional village pub.

Cottage was furnished to a very high standard & really well equipped, the owners had thought of everything. Some very special touches were the delicious home made cake, fresh eggs laid by the owners hens, bread, milk & marmalade. Highly recommended.

The cottage when we arrived was exactly as described.

It was extremely clean and tidy, everything you could think of was provided for and as an extra nice touch Linda & Mark, the owners, had baked us a lovely homemade cake and provided a pot of homemade Jam, Wholemeal Cob and a basket of free range eggs. The Conservatory was our favourite place where we spent every morning having a coffee and relaxing. In the evenings we spent many a cosy night snuggling up on the comfortable sofa warmed by the Log burner which came with unlimited logs, Kindling and firelighters which was another lovely touch from the owners. As a holiday cottage we cannot recommend the South Lodge enough, it was fantastic and we shall be recommending it to our friends and family thats for sure.

The cottage was in immaculate condition and is decked out with lovely furniture.

It was a lovely welcome surprise to have a beautiful cake and a basket of fresh hens eggs on arrival! The owners were very strictly observing social distancing when needed and there were clear measures for cleaning so that guests felt secure about COVID controls. The wonders were very friendly and helpful. We had a lovely two weeks.

Fabulous place to stay, property furnished beautifully, lovely gardens to enjoy.

We had such a lovely week at South Lodge.

Linda and Mark have thought of everything for their guests' comfort and needs. The cottage is beautiful, extremely clean and very well equipped including very thoughtful extras such as bread, milk, eggs and very yummy cake! We would definitely recommend a stay at this lovely cottage, you will not be disappointed.

We had a wonderful week at south lodge.

In light of the current circumstances with coronavirus we were a little concerned about being away from home. The cottage was spotless and our minds were put at ease straight away. The owners had left a detailed welcome pack outlining all the cleaning that had happened and what precautions had been taken to make the house safe for us plus information about where to find things etc. We were also welcomed with a homemade cake, fresh eggs, milk and bread - all very much appreciated. We arrived late on the first night but the owner Julie did pop round on the Sunday evening to make sure all was ok. She maintained socially distant for the chat and it was lovely to meet her. We thoroughly enjoyed seeing the chickens in the garden everyday although if you don’t like chickens don’t let that put you off as they can be blocked from entering the garden if you wish. The cottage is beautiful and true to the photos. I would thoroughly recommend South Lodge to anyone looking for a quiet break away from normal busy day to day life.

What a little gem.

Absolute credit to the owners. It certainly exceeded our expectations from the minute we arrived to walking through the door. Everything oozed quality, comfort & cleanliness. Quality kitchen with granite worktops and stocked with everything you would need. Loved the swivel log burner, so much so we are thinking of getting one. A big thank you to Linda & Mark for making our week perfect. We will definitely be returning. And thank you for the cake and the added extras. You will not be disappointed if you book 'South Lodge'. 10/10 from us!

The cottage is extrememly cosy, tastefully furnished to a very high standard and very comfortable.

It was lovely to see the pretty chickens pecking about free-range in the garden.

An excellent high quality cottage providing a very comfortable place to relax and unwind from routine.

A lovely cottage which is immaculately maintained.

Friendly and professional owners make this an exceptional place.

Excellent cottage with every comfort.

Very clean and tidy, lovely garden. Probably most suited to a couple or 2 adults plus 2 children. The upper twin room is served by a narrow spiral staircase and there is only one shower/bath. Perfect for us though, and good off-road parking.

A wonderful cottage set in a quiet Dorset village.

Thoroughly enjoyed my stay at South Lodge, everything inside the accommodation is of an exceptionally high standard and beautifully decorated. A lovely garden to sit in as well as outdoor furniture to relax on after a day out exploring. Met the Bantam Hens, who all have their own individual characters. I was left some freshly laid eggs, as well as a home made cake and a selection of other tasty treats, so thank you to Linda and Mark the owners of the cottage for those, a very kind thought. As a keen photographer, I would definitely highly recommend this cottage to anyone looking to stay in and around the spectacular Jurassic Coastal region, an ideal location to visit the outstanding beaches in the area as well as peaceful countryside walks and beautiful gardens to enjoy. South Lodge is somewhere you won't want to leave at the end of your holiday as you reluctantly hand back the keys.....

Booking with Sykes was done with ease and the information about the area in the run up to our holiday was helpful.

South Lodge was perfect! Cosy, but enough space for our family, with a lovely outside area. The property was immaculately presented, comfortable and wonderfully clean. The owners had kindly left us some essentials to start us off (including the delicious cake!). We met them and their chickens during our stay and they were all so friendly and welcoming. The property was a drive away from many of the places we wanted to visit during our stay, but a wonderful haven to return to at the end of each day. We would highly recommend South Lodge!

The cottage was of a very high standard - the attention to detail was notable and the extra touches such as the eggs from the hens and the delicious home made cake made this the best cottage we have stayed in.

Very hard to leave!

Firstly, Sykes holidays have been very helpful and I would use again!

Having just returned from"South Lodge" I can honestly say we had absolutely nothing to complain about. Everything was PERFECT! Linda and Mark. The lovely hosts were friendly and helpful. The bread and eggs that Linda left perfect, And the homemade victoria sponge was delicious. The property is very high spec" Even down to the linen and crockery. Beds very comfortable, Peaceful and relaxing. My favourite place was the conservatory. (Which is bigger than the pics) And the cute little Pekin/Bantam chickens that visit are adorable. This place is highly recommended. 5* All round. I would return. Thankyou Linda and Mark..

Cottage was lovely and very well equipped.

We looked forward to returning there after a day out and it had everything we needed for a very comfortable and enjoyable stay. Linda and Mark were very thoughtful and helpful and were available if their assistance was needed. We enjoyed the food items kindly provided for us, especially the eggs and the cake! Would definitely like to return in the future.

Beautiful, immaculate holiday cottage with everything you could wish for.

Friendly but non-intrusive owners. When we arrived it was really nice to find a home made cake, milk, bread, marmalade and eggs from the chickens who visited us every day. We loved sitting in the conservatory watching the birds feeding when we were in the cottage. The conservatory overlooked a private sectioned off garden with a lovely patio area and you could see the owner's lovely, huge garden over the small picket fence. All in all we had the most enjoyable week and would not hesitate to recommend.

A brilliant little property, suitable for two couples, or perhaps a small family.

Very well appointed property with ever helpful owners just next door. Ideally located for lots of National Trust properties, useful if the weather is not perfect, and quite close, of course, to the beautiful scenery of the south coast. Plenty of public footpath type walks criss-crossing the area very good indeed if the weather is on your side. PS, if you are into astronomy, this is the place for you, very dark skies and few streetlamps. And the chickens are adorable!

My son and I enjoyed South Lodge very much and we already had stayed there 3 times, the owner Mrs.

Linda Taylor is very kind and friendly. I think we will be back there for holiday in the future.

Probably the nicest place we have rented for a short holiday in England.

Loved the conservatory and outside seating and the visits from the bantam hens. Very well equipped cottage with a like-new kitchen (check out all of the photos). We appreciated the comfy beds and welcoming chocs and home made Victoria sponge, etc. We’d hope to stay here again if we revisit this area. Lovely quiet surroundings. Useful Spar shop just a few hundred metres past the nearby pub. The Wednesday Fish and Chip van was very good too!

This is a very high quality holiday let.

Our second visit because of this. Very nice extra touches by the friendly owners too.

The perfect place to be South Lodge is wonderful.

It's not very usual to arrive to the cottage you have rented and find out that it's much better than what you thought and that you don't want to leave at all. Everything you may need. Romantic and lovely. The place is so beautiful. And the hosts are absolutely great and respectful of your privacy. Such a great experience. I would recommend it to anyone.

This is the best holiday let we have experienced.

High standard of comfort, style and facilities.

This property is one of the best that we have stayed in would recommend to any one.

We were extremely comfortable in this cottage, after flying from Australia it was so nice to be able to relax and enjoy our holiday, Linda and Mark were very helpful but not intrusive.

We would certainly recommend this cottage (already have) and would book it again if in the area in the future. Having the fire was lovely and everything was very high quality, the area was beautiful. Will definitely use Sykes in the future.

As soon as I stepped into the front door of South Lodge I felt at home.

It was beautifully decorated and so tastefully furnished. A lovely welcome of gifts including eggs which had been laid by the chickens. And the chickens did visit everyday. A lovely conservatory and garden to sit out in. Nice walks near-by and on a Thursday night its not too far to walk to the Village Hall for delicious Fish and Chips from the van that parks in the car park. A good base to travel around Dorset. Nice friendly pub and village store near-by. I can not forget to mention Linda and Mark, the owners who live next door. They did visit us to make sure we had settled in for our wonderful weeks holiday. I would definitely come back again and again.

On opening the front door, it was a case of 'WOW', greeting us was a spotlessly clean, beautifully furnished, well laid out, & equipped to the highest standard property.

The owners had carefully thought about & provided everything needed to make our stay thoroughly enjoyable, comfortable & peaceful. High quality fixtures & fittings throughout, a generous welcome pack incl. eggs from their chickens, plenty of interesting books, magazines & games incl. a Nintendo Wii, comprehensive detailed information on all aspects of our stay, local area information. Even down to the names of their individual chickens, which the owner was kind enough to introduce to my daughter. In my humble opinion, the benchmark for a holiday cottage. Thank you Mark & Linda. Highly recommended.

My son ( over from Tasmania ) and I thoroughly enjoyed our stay in South lodge .

It was extremely well equipped and in an excellent location for the local attractions. My neighbours are considering coming to Dorset so I will recommend this property to them. Norman Thompson . Skipton.

South Lodge did really exceed our expactations.

Very clean everywhere and a kitchen which was really full equipped. A lovely lodge, beautiful furnished. It was a pleasure to rent South Lodge for two weeks. Thank You very much Linda!

No complaints at all.

Lovely well equipped cottage. Would certainly recommend .

The attention to detail at this property was second to none.

From the comfort of the bed to the range of kitchen equipment and utensils, not to mention the lovely garden/patio area, we couldn't fault this place. It made our stay a memorable one.

south lodge was a wonderful cottage to stay in, every amenity,comfortable and relaxing.

lovely patio and garden. owners very helpful and friendly. the bantam chickens were lovely too. the village shop was so well stocked,very convenient. altogether couldnt be bettered.

The cottage was beautifully set up, it had everything we could need, and everything was excellent quality.

The hosts were friendly and responded very quickly to any needs we had.

South lodge has everything a family needs.

From the moment we stepped inside we were totally relaxed. The wii kept us entertained in the evenings and the log burner made a romantic setting. It’s well situated within the Dorset countryside. Everyone in the area are friendly and helpful. We can’t wait to go back.

We stayed at South Lodge beginning March.

It was superb. The accomodation was excellent, and had been fitted out to the highest standard. Ideally located. Would be happy to re-book in the future. John Sue,and Fiona

Might be a bit crowded for four people.

Lovely conservatory and secluded outside table and chairs. The free ranging bantams were a delight!

If you want a restful holiday, then South Lodge is for you.

The cottage is lovely with everything you need and more. We arrived on the Friday and on Saturday and Sunday we had snow 4inches, but we were fine as we had everything we needed. Lovely wood stove very modern , a beautiful kitchen and a cosy lounge. And on the Monday we came back to the cottage after a day out , and sat in the beautiful sun room looking out onto the lovely garden, the warmth of the sun was wonderful. What a lovely find, we will go back again.Tony and Jan.

Lovely location.

Very friendly and helpful owners. Cottage very well appointed.

This property was everything we wanted it to be, and more.

It has been created and finished to a very high standard, to ensure a comfortable and luxurious stay. The garden view is beautiful, peaceful and rural, with both outside and inside seating facilities from the patio furniture or conservatory - depending on the weather. Inside, the décor is simply lovely, with very comfortable furnishings and beds, and good quality bedlinen. The extra upstairs washing/toilet facility was a real plus for us. The log fire worked very well indeed, and was easy to light and look after. We particularly enjoyed the peaceful location, yet within reasonable car journeys to a host of lovely towns and locations, such as Sherborne, Kingston Lacy, Blandford Forum and Weymouth. One certainly needs a car. The owners of the property live next door, and are very helpful and kind - providing a welcome pack of biscuits, tea, milk and so on. There is a shop in the village for other necessities, and we also used Sturminster Newton 5 miles away, for shopping and cafes. The TV worked well, including BBC iplayer and so on which was always reliable. The wifi also worked very well. We weren't able to get a mobile phone signal for making or receiving calls from the house, but this wasn't a problem for us. All together a super cottage and we would love to return soon. This was one of the very best self-catering accommodation we have stayed in, out of tens of cottages!