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Dorset cottages - self catering cottage accommodation - Dorset |
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We have a selection of self catering holiday homes including farm houses, country houses, country cottages, town houses and apartments. We have a holiday cottage to suit every family and budget, located in the best areas of Dorset. | ||||
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Most of Dorset's landscape falls into two categories, determined by the underlying geology. There are a number of large ridges of limestone downland, much of which were cleared of the native forest hundreds or even thousands of years ago and are mostly grassland and some arable agriculture. These limestone areas include a band of chalk which crosses the county from south-west to north-east encorporating Cranborne Chase, the Dorset Downs and Purbeck Hills. Between the areas of downland are large, wide clay vales (primarily Oxford Clay with some Weald Clay and London Clay) with wide flood plains. These vales are primarily used for dairy agriculture, dotted with small villages, farms and coppices. They include the Blackmore Vale (Stour valley) and Frome valley.
South-east Dorset, around Poole and Bournemouth, lies on very unresistant Eocene clays (mainly London Clay and Gault Clay), sands and gravels. These thin soils support a heathland habitat which supports all seven native British reptile species. The River Frome estuary runs through this weak rock, and its many tributaries have carved out a very wide estuary. At the mouth of the estuary sand spits have been deposited turning the estuary into Poole Harbour, the second largest natural harbour in the world (after Sydney Harbour, though Sydney's claim is disputed). The harbour is very shallow in places and contains a number of islands, notably Brownsea Island, famous for its Red Squirrel sanctuary and as the birthplace of the Scouting movement. The harbour, and the chalk and limestone hills of the Purbecks to the south, lie atop Britain's largest onshore oil field. The field, operated by BP from Wytch Farm, produces a high-quality oil and boasts the world's oldest contiuously pumping well (Kimmeridge, since the early 1960s) and longest horizontal drill (5 miles, ending underneath Bournemouth pier). The clay pottery produced by Poole pottery from the local clays is famous for its quality. Dorset is largely rural with many small villages, few large towns, and no cities. The largest town is the south-east coastal conurbation consisting of the seaside resort of Bournemouth, the historic port of Poole and the town of Christchurch plus many villages. The conurbation is the only settlement in Dorset that could be described as a city (though it does not legally have city status), but in the mid-19th century there was little more than a small town on Poole quay. Bournemouth was created in the Victorian era when sea bathing became popular. As an example of how affluent the area has become, Sandbanks in Poole was worthless land unwanted by farmers in the 19th century, but is said to be amongst the highest land values by area in the world . Bournemouth and Christchurch were added to the county from Hampshire in the county boundary changes of 1974. The other two major settlements in the county are Dorchester, the county town, and Weymouth, one of the first tourist towns, frequented by George III, and still very popular today. Blandford Forum, Sherborne, Gillingham, Shaftesbury and Sturminster Newton are historical market towns which serve the farms and villages of the Blackmore Vale (Hardy's Vale of the Little Dairies). Blandford is home to the Badger brewery of Hall and Woodhouse. Bridport, Lyme Regis and Wareham are also market towns. Lyme Regis and Swanage are small coastal towns popular with tourists. Currently in construction on the western edge of Dorchester is the experimental new town of Poundbury, commissioned and co-designed by Prince Charles. The suburb is designed to integrate residential and retail buildings and counter the growth of dormitory towns and car-oriented development.
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If you're planning a holiday get-together with friends or family, you can search our site for larger holiday accommodation that can comfortably cater for parties of ten or more. Simply search by date Simply Cottage Holidays enables you to search for your holiday cottage by date, and can provide a choice of cottages that are available on your chosen dates; and you can reserve your idyllic holiday cottage all online. Once you have reserved your holiday, we will confirm everything for you, and you will be safe in the knowledge that your holiday cottage is booked and will be ready for your arrival. Simply search by location Whether your dream destination is Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, the Lake District or Yorkshire, you can search by region and we can provide holiday cottages in your chosen location throughout England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. We have a holiday cottage to suit every family and budget located in the best areas of The United Kingdom (UK). Simply search for your ideal cottage holiday availability and book online directly with the owner.
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