Spend half-term at Chesil Beach Lodge in Dorset

If you’re looking for somewhere to spend half-term with the children, Chesil Beach Lodge, with its self catering and bed and breakfast accommodation, is the perfect option. There’s lots going on in Dorset in October and of course we’re right by the beach where all children love to explore and run around, whatever the time of year.

From the 13th to 31st October you can visit the Enchanted Floodlit Gardens at Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens – twenty acres of fabulous gardens filled with rare and exotic plants from all over the world. From Friday 29th October to Sunday 31st October there will be Halloween Fun Evenings from 5 to 8pm, with free face painting and free prizes for children in fancy dress.

For older children; how about the Sherborne International Film Festival? This event takes place from Friday 22nd to Sunday 24th October. As always, the festival gives you the opportunity to watch films you wouldn’t normally be able to see – an eclectic mixture of the profound, funny, subtle, sad and captivating. Film Certificates range from PG, to 12, 15 and 18.

On the 23rd and 24th of October, the Lyme Regis Museum is open free of charge for Mary Anning Weekend – two days of activities, fascinating exhibitions, and entertaining talks about dinosaurs and fossils. You can also meet the museum’s fossil experts, find out all about local fossils and rocks, and bring your own fossils for identification. In the Family Fun Make and Take

activities you can make your own fossil plaster casts and then take them home.

On Saturday 30th October teenagers can meet Urban Fantasy author Suzanne McLeod at Bridport Arts Centre, as part of the Bridport Literary Festival. “With Halloween looming, come and meet the creator to chill your bones. Suzanne McLeod writes books, hugely popular with teenagers, about seductive vampires, dangerous faeries, eccentric goblins, magic mayhem and murder! Come along if you dare!”

As always, this is just a small selection of what’s on offer in Dorset for half-term, and there’s much more to choose from to keep adults and children of all ages active, entertained and happy over the half term break.

To book your eco friendly half-term holiday in Dorset, please contact us.

Autumn walks in West Dorset

Dorset is a beautiful county at any time of the year and if, like many of our visitors, you love walking on the beach by the sea or along the coastal paths, then autumn is a particularly wonderful time to visit.

Our unique sustainable holiday accommodation at Chesil Beach Lodge is only a four minute walk from the beach - and a bracing and invigorating autumn walk on Chesil Beach is just perfect for blowing away those cobwebs!

The South West Coast Path runs almost right by our door and its cliff walks offer spectacular views of the sea, beaches and coves and take you past the famous fossil cliffs; past Golden Cap, the highest cliff in southern England; and past the much photographed Durdle Door (a natural limestone arch on the Jurassic Coast).

Well behaved dogs are welcome at our bed and breakfast and self catering accommodation, and with its spectacular views and wide open spaces the surrounding area is perfect for walking your dog. Some local beaches are closed to dogs during the summer months but, as September arrives, most beaches in the area are open to dogs once again. Click here for information on dog-friendly beaches in West Dorset.

After a wild and windy walk on the stunning Chesil Beach or the coast path, there’s nothing quite like coming back to our cosy Chesil and Fossil self catering apartments; throwing off your coat and boots, and toasting your toes in front of a wonderfully warm log fire burner.

Whatever the weather, Chesil Beach Lodge is welcoming, and warm and cosy. All of our B&B rooms and self-catering apartments have sea views, so on stormy days, over breakfast, your evening meal, or even over a Dorset cream tea, you can relax and enjoy the sight of the wind whipping up the waves in Lyme Bay.Please contact us to book accommodation in Dorset for your autumn break.

What’s on in Dorset: September

Well, another summer seems to have whizzed by; the local children are back at school, and September has heralded its arrival with a bit of a nip in the air. We hope you enjoyed your summer.

Our thoughts are now turning to autumn and, while we might have seen the best of the summer weather, there are still plenty of fine autumn days to come, and plenty of things to do in Dorset in September. Here’s our pick of some of the many events and attractions for this month.

The 8th to 16th September sees the annual event, Dorset Architectural Heritage Week. Dorset has a rich architectural and cultural heritage and during Architectural Heritage Week the public have free access to many properties that are normally closed to the public or that charge for entry. Properties you’ll be able to explore include a Wesley Memorial Church, a rare example of a 17th century Quaker Meeting House, the magnificent Grade 1 Listed cliff-top Highcliffe Castle, a WWII Pillbox overlooking the River Stour, and the 300 year old Sturminster Newton Mill which is still in full working order.

The Lyme Regis Arts Fest starts on the 25th September and finishes on the 3rd October. A packed programme offers open studios where you can meet artists and find out about their work; art exhibitions; street theatre; busking; drama, film and dance. And if you fancy learning a new skill there are workshops where you can learn or develop skills in mixed media, stained glass, poetry, photography and painting. It promises to be a fantastic programme of events for all the family and well worth a visit.

This is just a small sample of what’s on offer and if you plan to visit Dorset in September for any of these events, don’t forget to book accommodation in Dorset as soon as possible.