Holiday Cottages
General Information
West Bexington is a small coastal village between Burton Bradstock and Abbotsbury , thirteen miles west of Dorchester and Weymouth and six miles south east of Bridport and West Bay. It slopes down to the unspoilt Chesil Beach. On a clear day views extend from Portland Bill in the east, around Lyme Bay including Golden Cap (the highest cliff in the south of England), past the red cliffs of Devon, across to Dartmoor and right round to Start Point in the west. The views are magnificent. The area is designated as 'an area of outstanding natural beauty ', and is part of the Dorset Heritage Coast scheme. The National Trust owns a few acres of our main farm, Cogden Farm to the west and Labour -in-vain F arm to the east, and we are their tenants. On our home farm there is a Nature Reserve with a reed bed and a rich population of birds. It is designated an SSSI - a Site of Special Scientific Interest - and is managed by the Dorset Wildlife Trust. Indeed, the whole of the Chesil Beach has recently become a European SSSI. There are excellent local walks along the beach, east to Abbotsbury Castle or west to Burton Bradstock and inland through the lovely villages of the Bride Valley. The Dorset coastal Footpath runs behind the beach and up though the village.
The Chesil beach runs for fourteen miles from Portland in the east, (where the pebbles are large and were once used for slings in Arthurian times)to Burton Bradstock. At Bexington the pebbles are thumbnail size. Bathing is good for confident swimmers because the sea is deep and there are no currents, but it is very dangerous when stormy. The finest sandy beach is at Weymouth. There may be coarse sand at Burton Bradstock, West Bay , Charmouth and Lyme Regis. The Dorset coast, particularly around Charmouth, has an international reputation for fossils of the Jurassic age and anyone might find anything from a tiny ammonite to an icthyosaurus!
Chesil Beach is an excellent and well known fishing beach, with mainly mackerel in the summer. Autumn is the richest time with bass, cod, plaice, dabs, flounders, pouting, bream, whiting, dogfish, skate, gurnard, monkfish and sprats. There is a good local shop for bait at West Bay.
West Bexington is a convenient centre for trips by car westward to Burton Bradstock, Bridport, Charmouth, Lyme Regis and the Devon coast; and eastwards to Abbotsbury with its Swannery and sub-tropical gardens, Weymouth, Portland, Lulworth Cove and Purbeck. Inland we have many prehistoric remains, famous hill forts such as Eggardon and Maiden Castle and Roman remains in Dorchester. There are several excellent local museums and other specialist museums such as Bovington Tank Museum, and the Tutankhamen and the Dinosaur Museums in Dorchester. There are several stately homes in the area and a butterfly farm. There are all sorts of entertainments for children in Weymouth and elsewhere, including Cricket St. Thomas Wild Life Park. There is a golf course near Bridport, and pony trekking from Portesham (Tel:01305 871011)and Freshwater (Tel:01308 898010).
Pet Policy
Pets are welcome! Dogs can be quite free around your cottage and on the public footpaths, and after discussion, on many parts of the farm. Seasonal circumstances such as lambs or growing crops can dictate where you can go and thus when your dogs must be on a lead. Please ensure that you have treated your dogs for fleas and worms recently, bring their own bedding and take them with you when you go out. Please get rid of all dog hairs on the carpets when you prepare to leave. You'll find Henry Hoover a good help!
The nearest supermarkets are in Bridport six miles away. At Burton Bradstock, three miles away, there is a post office and an excellent general grocery and provision shop. Bridport, Dorchester and Weymouth are good shopping centres and boast interesting markets: Bridport on Wednesdays and Saturdays, Dorchester on Wednesdays and Weymouth on Thursdays. Nearly every village has a pub with good food and Bexington has its own Manor Hotel with a bar and restaurant of high reputation.
Be prepared for anything: crystal clear skies, sunbathing at Easter, rain, sea mist, the occasional storm in August, or possibly golden autumns when the sun is at its warmest! So please remember to bring clothing which will allow you to enjoy all weathers - Wellingtons, warm sweaters and rain gear may be essential at any time.
We farm organically five hundred acres with sheep and lambs, North Devon Ruby Red beef cattle and calves, Shire mares and foals, and Welsh ponies. We also grow six acres of fruit and vegetables and thirty five acres of arable crops. We provide hampers of vegetables in season on request and we mill our own wheat, producing wholemeal, stoneground flour. On our farm you can feel relaxed with your children and your pets. We and our helpers are usually in the market garden busy cultivating, planting, weeding or picking, and would probably welcome a break chatting with you about methods and extending our ideas! Or you may come here for a very quiet time -in that case we will say hello when you come, and goodbye when you leave!
Josephine and Arthur Pearse
Copyright © 2001 Josephine Pearse.
All rights reserved.
This page was created 15 March 2001.
Web site created by Samuel Simon