Everdene Lodge

Our Favourite Places To Visit

Here’s a list of our personal favourites:

• Local Towns & Villages

  • Cerne Abbas (6.1 mi) - idyllic English village which, for its tiny size, seems to have more than its fair share of pubs, including one of our favourites, The New Inn. Also famous for its famous, but rather phallic, chalk hill sculpture The Cerne Giant - which you and your children can view from a safe distance at the viewing point’s car park. Our daughter, as a child, used to affectionately describe it as ‘the man with the big willy’!

  • Sherborne (6.2 mi) - an ancient and quintessentially English market town watched over by a stunning 8th century Abbey (with arguably the finest fan vaulted ceiling in Europe), a 12th century ‘old castle’ and a 16th century ‘new castle’, as well a cluster of famous public schools and full of quirky little shops and cafes

  • Beaminster (15.5 mi) - you pass through Beaminster en route to Bridport and it’s worth a short stop. Beaminster is known for its architectural heritage and being home to some wonderfully talented artists such as internationally acclaimed furniture designer John Makepeace - as you drive into Beaminster, see if you can spot his home by the yew hedge clipped into a table and chairs! A couple of our favourite restaurants are also in Beaminster - Brassica (on the square) and The Ollerod (by the bridge).

  • Castle Cary (18.3 mi) - a small, attractive country town with a handful of interesting shops, ambitious delis and cafes, hoping to turn it into the next Bruton!

  • Bridport (18.9 mi) - a vibrant historic market town built on a long history of rope-making, an impressive thatched brewery (Palmers) and a vast array of cafes (our favourites are the Soulshine Cafe, The Bull and Symondsbury Kitchen), bars, restaurants and boutique shops, including an antiques centre that’s a rabbit warren of interesting antiques concessions from early furniture to Asian sculpture, from early electronic instruments to hats!

  • Bruton (20.6 mi) - in the last few years, this tiny market town has become an unexpectedly cool place thanks to an influx of art galleries (see Hauser & Wirth below), fancy shops (our favourites are Caro for homewares, Godminster for cheese, Swan Vintage for, well, vintage stuff and Lunaria for all things plant), and hip places to eat (our favourites are Roth Bar & Grill and At The Chapel)

  • Shepton Mallet (29.6 mi) - a small market town dominated by its cider makers (Thatchers and Brothers) and a former leather goods factory - Mulberry. Whilst Mulberry retains a factory outlet store (but don’t expect a bargain - handbags start at around £1,000!), its former factory is now converted into a chic outlet village (Kilver Court) with lots of well-known and emerging designer labels

• Historic Houses & Gardens

  • Minterne House & Gardens (3.9 mi) - 20 acres of wild and romantic Himalayan woodland garden

  • Sherborne New Castle (5.8 mi) - completed by Sir Walter Raleigh in 1594 with Capability Brown grounds

  • Sherborne Old Castle (5.8 mi) - a romantic 12th century ruin set in beautiful grounds (English Heritage)

  • Montacute (15.1 mi) - a masterpiece of Elizabeth Renaissance architecture and design (National Trust)

  • Mapperton House & Gardens (15.8 mi) - home to the Earl and Countess of Sandwich, dating back to the 1540s

• Contemporary Gardens

  • The Newt in Somerset, nr Castle Cary (18.2 mi) - a brand new ‘destination’ with cafe, restaurant, cider press, deli, shop and gardens created in the grounds of the historic Hadspen House estate. An inspirational, ‘no expense spared’ venue (owned by a South African billionaire who also owns the world famous Babylonstoren in the Western Cape) - definitely worth a pilgrimage if you like gardens, great food or cider (they make their own wine-like ‘cyder’ and host daily tours of the cyder press). There is also a small but pretty impressive deli with a Himalayan salt meat cellar and a cheese room

  • Hauser & Wirth, nr Bruton (20.9 mi) - a pioneering world-class gallery and multi-purpose arts centre with regularly changing innovative exhibitions of contemporary art. Outside, there are courtyard and prairie gardens designed by internationally renowned landscape architect Piet Oudolf

  • Sculpture by the Lakes (21 mi) - 26 acres of contemporary sculpture gardens set around lakes and streams, created by renowned sculptor Simon Gudgeon and his wife, Monique Gudgeon. Please note, no children under 14 are allowed

Our Favourite Places To Eat and Drink

We enjoy very high quality local food and drink. Dorset is a bit of a foodie paradise, we are blessed with some amazing local growers and artisan producers, as well as super-fresh fish and seafood from the coast. As a result, there is plenty of choice in local area ranging from traditional pub grub and edgy modern British and vegan cafes, such as:

1. Very local (5-10 min drive)

• The Chetnole Inn (2.1 mi) - simple pub grub

• Yetminster Cafe & Art Gallery (3.1 mi) - nice little cafe in the next village

• The New Inn, Cerne Abbas (6.1 mi) - 14th Century (nothing ‘New’ about it) coaching inn gastropub

• Sherborne (6.2 mi)

  • Plume of Feathers - smart Italian tapas-style pub food with lovely little courtyard garden

  • The Digby Tap - spit & sawdust real ale pub that also serves simple pub grub.

  • The George - the oldest pub (15th century) in Sherborne, good atmosphere, real ale and pub food

  • The Green - very nice bistro formerly of Michelin-starred Charlton House in Shepton Mallet

  • Tamburino’s - ever popular Italian restaurant on Digby Road

  • D’Urbervilles - quirky cafe next to the ‘Conduit’ at the bottom of Cheap Street

  • Ingredients - smart new deli towards the bottom of Cheap Street

  • Royal Thai Orchid - based at The Carpenters Arms, just off Bristol Road

  • Rajpoot - Indian restaurant on Half Moon Street

2. A little further afield (15-30 min drive)

• The Clockspire, Milborne Port (7.9 mi) - newly opened bar & restaurant aiming for a Michelin star or two

• The Greyhound Inn, Sydling St Nicholas (8.1 mi) - very nice gastropub in idyllic Dorset village

• The Rose & Crown, Trent (9.6 mi) - smart pub food, almost always busy

• The Queen’s Arms, Corton Denham (10.1 mi) - smart pub food with open fire in bar, covered beer garden.

• The Newt in Somerset, nr Castle Cary (18.2 mi) - a contemporary garden cafe/restaurant overlooking the walled garden.

• Da Costa @ Hauser & Wirth, Bruton (20.9 mi) - excellent restaurant located within a modern art gallery

• At The Chapel, Bruton (21.0 mi) - wood-fired pizza oven and grill set in a huge converted chapel

• The Three Horseshoes, Batcombe (20 mi) - very smart pub with excellent food by Margot Henderson

• Osip, Bruton (18 mi) - acclaimed one star Michelin restaurant in a beautiful location.

3. Towards the Coast (30-45 min drive)

• Brassica Restaurant, Beaminster (15.5 mi) - Danish inspired plant-based menu, serving quality local fish and meat

• The Soulshine Cafe, Bridport (20.6 mi) - super fresh, funky vegan/veggie cafe

• Hive Beach Cafe, Burton Bradstock (22 mi) - renowned for its fresh fish & seafood, but great coffee too

• The Seaside Boarding House, Burton Bradstock (22 mi) - from the creators of Groucho Club

• The Watch House Cafe, West Bay (20.4 mi) - sister cafe to Hive Beach Cafe. Wood-fired pizza oven on the beach

• Rise, West Bay (20.4 mi) - relaxed casual dining restaurant overlooking the water

• Hix Oyster & Fish House, Lyme Regis (31.2 mi) - cedar clad ‘Hansel & Gretel’ cabin restaurant owned by Mark Hix.

• The Crab House Cafe, Portland (25.9 mi) - inside and outside dining next door to the oyster farm.

• Symondsbury Kitchen, nr Bridport (20.5 mi) - lovely cafe/restaurant based on the ancient Symondsbury Estate 

Our Favourite Beach

We are spoilt with good beaches within 30-40 mins drive of Everdene House. The Jurassic Coast is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, famous for its dinosaur fossils and unique geological features. It stretches for miles from Lyme Regis in the west to Swanage in the east. Our favourite beaches along the Jurassic Coast include:

• West Bay - great beach cafe, shingle beach and bracing cliff edge walk

• Lyme Regis - lovely sandy beach, iconic ‘cobb’ that featured in the film ‘The French Lieutenant’s Woman’.

• Ringstead Bay - quiet, shingly beach with easy parking and beach shop

• Burton Bradstock - great beach cafe, shingle beach and NT car park

• Seatown - shingly beach, The Anchor Inn (great for whitebait and chips, and local ales).

• Studland Bay - National Trust-owned beach, like the Caribbean on a hot day, stunning sandy beach.

• The Pig on the Beach (close to Middle Beach) and Shell Bay Seafood Restaurant (on the north side of Ferry Road )

Our Favourite Walk

There is a simple circuit (20-30 mins) straight out of the front door, which tends to be our default daily walk.

1. Turn left out of the main entrance gate

2. Walk 300m down the road towards Totnell corner

3. Turn right after the last cottage on the right into a young copse of trees

4. Walk 50m through the wood then over another stile into a field.

5. Follow the footpath down the field (approx 2 o’clock out of the stile), then down into the next field

6. Go over the stile at the bottom of the field and into a farmyard

7. Turn left in front of the farm buildings and through the 5 bar gate at the end of the track.

8. Turn left again and walk up their drive back onto the road from Totnell Corner into Leigh.

9. Turn left again onto the road and up the hill, left again at the Totnell Corner at the top of the hill (signed to Sherborne)

10. Walk back along the road to Everdene on your right.

Of course, you will undoubtedly find your own favourites!

Phew! We think that just about covers it. If you need us for anything during your stay just call us – Tim 07831 683140 or Juliet 07818 065397.

We wish you a wonderful time at Everdene Lodge. We love it. You hope you will too!

Enjoy Your Stay!