The Old Post Office

Lower Bockhampton sits deep in rural Dorset, the hamlet where Thomas Hardy set Under the Greenwood Tree. The Old Post Office is a Grade II listed cottage from the 1700s, thatched and full of original character, standing on the edge of this literary landscape. The River Frome runs through the village, and from the front door you can walk along the water path towards Dorchester, or head through woodland to Hardy's own cottage at Higher Bockhampton. Kingston Maurward's lake and grounds are nearby, and a car opens up the Jurassic Coast—Durdle Door, Lulworth Cove and the clifftop South Coast path are all within reach, as is Weymouth's sandy beach and Georgian seafront seven miles away.

Inside are two bedrooms (one double, one twin), a bathroom with bath and shower, and a sitting room lined with books and a 32-inch TV. The kitchen-breakfast room overlooks the rear garden and comes equipped for proper cooking—electric cooker, dishwasher, microwave—with a washer-dryer tucked in too. A summerhouse sits in the garden alongside a patio with furniture; there is space to park one car. Wi-Fi, electricity and bed linen are included. The cottage does not permit smoking. One well-behaved dog is welcome.