Self Catering in Dorset - Portland Bill

Enjoyed the views
We stayed here around bonfire night. The design of the cottage meant we could see signs of fireworks displays in many places, which really have an appreciation of how much coast we could see. The heaters worked well in the cottage, so we were able to earn up after a cold walk. There is some information hidden away about the geology in the area, and a good selection of books to read.
Sally B
2018-11-14

Lovely spot
We stayed for a few days at the old lighthouse in May. Great cottage with everything we needed. Fantastic solar heated pool which we had use of, the kids swam every day! We loved being able to look around the old lighthouse and see the lovely views.
HD22
2018-08-13

A little disappointing....
Having read all the details carefully and inspected photos thoroughly we thought we had found a real gem for what was for us, an expensive holiday rental at over ?900 for a week. The apparent views, history and ?romance? convinced us it was something to look forward to. However a few more realistic words of caution.... on arrival, we were met by Les who gave us brisk , business like guided tour. We found the cottage scrupulously clean but cold. We turned all the radiators up and by bedtime, it had all warmed up fairly satisfactorily. The heating is on a timer controlled by Les and Fran who will alter the times if asked. The cottage was adequately and basically equipped though no hairdryer and if you like big towels take your own. Tea, coffee, sugar, small packet of biscuits and a small jug of milk was supplied but no salt, pepper, oil or foil etc . A scourer for the pans would have been useful. The beds are firm but fairly comfortable. The bathroom needs updating especially the shower which operated erratically. There was always plenty of hot water though the pump for the shower was very noisy! The most disappointing factor was the view.... from the lighthouse it was as expected and enjoyed occasionally but access is tricky as the second flight of steps to the lamp is more like a ladder needing both hands to support your climb. This means it is difficult to take a cup of tea and book up there without a second person to help! The glass lamp as one might expect is hot in the sun and cold when that disappears! The views from the single storey cottage windows were really non existent as a shabby mizzen type hut ( bunkhouse) surrounded by a high fence with concrete posts lies between the cottage and the cliff edge. Views from the other windows look at the garden wall and the other two storey rental which lies between Stopes cottage and the sea. The garden is pretty and pleasant to sit in though no views because of the garden wall. We couldn?t use the pool as it is not open until May. The cottage does give a good base for pleasant walks round and over the Bill (weather permitting) where military sites surrounded by high fences and disused Portland stone quarries are still in evidence. The Lobster Pot eatery down by the working lighthouse has excellent views and food with pleasant helpful staff .
HappyGranny62
2018-04-19

Good but spoilt by our rude host!
Branscombe Cottage The positive side. A great location. Quiet and with everything you needed there . The decor downstairs is rather tired and the carpets dingy but actually everything was scrupulously clean. The whole house really needs a bit of modernising .The pillows were rather hard and the mattresses quite hard too. Lovely quiet spot. Great bird watching. Lovely walks The negative. Our host Les seriously need to learn to read his audience better. Having arrived after 3 hours drive. We wanted to settle in, have a pee, get some tea, unpack. Les arrived after 2 minutes and we are subjected to an unnecessarily long " tour" having the key to our rental deliberately "with held" until he had finished. This was accompanied by some aggressive and completely unprofessional comments such as " Come back here, I haven't told you you can go yet" and "stay here I haven't finished speaking to you". Quite frankly you should never talk to anyone like that. It is patronising, and offensive and made me and my daughter feel very uncomfortable. If we had been two men I wonder if he would have spoken to us like that. IF it was meant as a joke- it failed!!. I regret however much I liked the house, I wont be back for that reason alone.
kootenaylass
2017-10-15

Truly magical place!
My family and I have just returned from a weeks stay in the quaint and quirky Stopes cottage. When we arrived after a 6 hour journey we were greeted by Les who showed us round the property and filled us in on the history of the lighthouse. The cottage was incredibly clean and very well maintained. It had everything we needed including the little things that sometimes get forgotten by self catering owners...from dish cloths, salt and pepper, tea bags and milk (for that long awaited cuppa!) to blankets for those cold nights (not that we needed them!). The views were beautiful, i was able to sit in the kitchen with my morning cuppa and watch the boats go by! Bliss! The views from the lighthouse were absolutely stunning. We loved it up there. We can't wait to return. Thanks Fran and Les for a memorable holiday and for being wonderful hosts.
Kath P
2017-06-02