BridgeHouse

A cosy, cottagey country hotel in rustic Beaminster, 6 miles inland from west Dorset’s Jurassic Coast

This is classic Thomas Hardy country (Beaminster was Emminster in Tess of the d’Urbervilles); a mini market town, with a perfect little square, tucked into a fold of the Brit Valley. BridgeHouse has the look of an old coaching inn, a hint of medieval manor, but the long, low building - weathered Dorset hamstone, mullioned windows draped in foliage – was founded as a medieval priests’ house.

After falling in love with the place, Mark and Joanna Donovan bought it in 2004, giving up their London jobs (she was a fashion buyer, he was a TV journalist) to make a new life as hoteliers. It was tired and outdated but they have upgraded the rooms, jazzed up the décor and beefed up the kitchen, without changing an inch of its warmth or character. Think ingle-nooks, flagstones, oak beams and Georgian panelling teamed up with cool wallpapers, Italian cotton linens and WiFi. In winter, snuggle up by a warm fire; in the summer, linger over supper in the garden. Or just get out the walking boots and enjoy this beautiful, unspoiled corner of rural Wessex.

Highs

• Bags of atmosphere – historic, traditional, without being stuffy
• Mark and Joanna are warm, genuine hosts with a passion for detail
• Relax in the hotel’s comfortable lounge - a real home from home, with an inviting array of sofas and easy chairs, local art and real log fires
• The food is fresh, local and mostly organic – Lyme Bay seafood, Dorset lamb and homemade everything including bread and biscuits

Lows

• The hotel is right on the road into Beaminster, though traffic slows to almost nothing at night – and even in the day it’s a pony-and-tractor kind of route
• Bathrooms are not the hotel’s strong point – they do the job but most are small and functional rather than a space to luxuriate; shower pressure isn't great
• Front rooms lack views, though they are among the best in the house