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2 minutes to the park & High Street! Family-sized thatched country cottage

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A cozy living room with a stone fireplace, a sofa set, and a large window with curtains.
A view through a window of a garden area with a pathway, a stone wall, and a building with a thatched roof.
A sunlit room with a sofa, two armchairs, a coffee table, and a patterned rug.
A round wooden table with a bowl of fruit, a magazine, and a vase of flowers.
A traditional stone house with a thatched roof, surrounded by a well-maintained garden and a gravel path leading to the entrance.

Reviews

9.6 out of 10
Exceptional

Highlights

  • The great outdoors
    Guests love the outdoor space here.
  • Centrally-located
    You're never far from where you need to be with this convenient location.
  • Discover nearby landmarks
    Walk to Gold Hill Museum
3 bedrooms2+ bathroomsSleeps 6

Popular amenities

  • Hot tub on site
  • Onsite parking available
  • Kitchen
  • Washing machine
  • Barbecue grill
  • Balcony or patio

Explore the area

View in a map
Shaftesbury, ENG
  • Place, Shaftesbury Abbey Museum and Garden
    ‪5 min walk‬
  • Place, Gold Hill Museum
    ‪6 min walk‬
  • Place, Shaftesbury Arts Centre
    ‪7 min walk‬

Rooms & beds

3 bedrooms (sleeps 6)

Bedroom 1

1 Double Bed

Bedroom 2

1 Double Bed

Bedroom 3

2 Single Beds

2 bathrooms, 1 half bathroom

Bathroom 1

Bathtub · Toilet

Bathroom 2

Toilet · Shower only

Bathroom 3

Toilet

Spaces

Deck or patio
Kitchen
Separate dining area
Garden
Dining area

About this property

2 minutes to the park & High Street! Family-sized thatched country cottage

A family home used by the owners, but also let out for the traveller wishing to enjoy the essence of Dorset and its surrounding area.
The stylishly designed conservatory at the back, is what makes this house so unique: flooded with light, it's the perfect second sitting room lending light to both dining and kitchen. The front sitting room on the other hand, gives the house its authentic 'cottage' feel - an instant invitation to comfort, luxury and warmth.
The newly fitted kitchen is super well-equipped with everything from Italian hand painted crockery, high standard cooking utensils, to comfortable bar stools.
Upstairs, the master bedroom is to die for. There are 2 further double bedrooms, comfortable and beautifully decorated. Colfax and Fowler, Osborne and Little adorn the windows and with the new and perfect ensuite bathroom, the whole house has the feel of the modern and traditional in perfect harmony.
While the garden with its grassy lawns lends itself to total relax, the patio is the perfect place for breakfast outside and balmy English evenings.

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House Rules

Check in after 5:30 PM
Check out before 10:00 AM
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Children

Children allowed: ages 0–17
Travel cot provided. no high chair, External pond.
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Events

No events allowed
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Pets

No pets allowed
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Smoking

Smoking is not permitted

Important information

You need to know

Property # 1869354
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
On-site parties or group events are strictly prohibited
Host has not indicated whether there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property; consider bringing a portable detector with you on the trip
Host has indicated that there is a smoke detector on the property
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher

About the area

Shaftesbury

Located in Shaftesbury, this cottage is in a rural area. Shaftesbury Abbey Museum and Garden and Gold Hill Museum are cultural highlights, and some of the area's activities can be experienced at Melbury Vale Winery and Rushmore Golf Club. Center Parcs Longleat Forest and Shaftesbury Arts Centre are also worth visiting. Relax and indulge in the area's winery tours and health/beauty spas, or seek out an adventure with hiking and horse riding nearby.
View more Cottages in ShaftesburyOpens in a new window
Map
Shaftesbury, ENG

What's nearby

  • Shaftesbury Abbey Museum and Garden - 5 min walk - 0.4 km
  • Gold Hill Museum - 6 min walk - 0.5 km
  • Castle Hill Viewpoint - 6 min walk - 0.6 km
  • Shaftesbury Arts Centre - 7 min walk - 0.7 km
  • Longleat Safari and Adventure Park - 37 min drive - 38.2 km

Getting around

  • Gillingham Dorset Station - 14 min drive
  • Bournemouth (BOH-Bournemouth Intl.) - 63 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪The John Peel - ‬8 min walk
  • ‪The Old Brewery - ‬11 min drive
  • ‪The Kaffee - ‬9 min drive
  • ‪The Udder Farm Shop - ‬7 min drive
  • ‪KFC - ‬16 min walk

Frequently asked questions

Is 2 minutes to the park & High Street! Family-sized thatched country cottage pet-friendly?

No, pets are not allowed at this property.

How much is parking at 2 minutes to the park & High Street! Family-sized thatched country cottage?

On-site parking is available at the property.

What time is check-in at 2 minutes to the park & High Street! Family-sized thatched country cottage?

Check-in begins at 5:30 PM.

What time is check-out at 2 minutes to the park & High Street! Family-sized thatched country cottage?

Checkout is at 10:00 AM.

Where is 2 minutes to the park & High Street! Family-sized thatched country cottage located?

Situated in a rural location, this cottage is within a 10-minute walk of Gold Hill Museum, Shaftesbury Abbey Museum and Garden and Shaftesbury Arts Centre. Castle Hill Viewpoint and Cranborne Chase and the West Wiltshire Downs are also within 2 miles (3 km).

Reviews

9.6

Exceptional

Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
Learn moreOpens in a new window
Rating 10 - Excellent. 19 out of 24 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 5 out of 24 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 0 out of 24 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 24 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 24 reviews

9.6/10

Cleanliness

9.6/10

Check-in

10/10

Communication

9.8/10

Location

9.8/10

Listing accuracy

Reviews

Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Lionel B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great stay

Very cosy and charming cottage in a peaceful area.
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2023
Response from VrboOwner on 6 Aug, 2023
Thank you for your nice comment and being the perfect guests - leaving everything clean and tidy, being polite and appreciative, and I’m happy you liked our cottage.
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Bianca P.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

wonderful cottage

lovely stay in wonderful cottage
Stayed 14 nights in Aug 2024
Archival

10/10 Excellent

Jit K.

Lovely quaint country cottage.

Lovely cottage for a family to enjoy, in the lovely surroundings of Shaftsbury. A great location to explore Dorset and Wiltshire.
Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2017
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Jayne G.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

5 night break

The house was beautiful and the host was very helpful and easily contactable. The nearby pub just up the street served lovely food at a good price.
Stayed 5 nights in May 2023
Response from VrboOwner on 29 Jun, 2023
Thank you Jayne! I’m glad you had a nice stay.
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Martina M.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Wonderful cottage

We spend 5 days during our South England in Pump Cottage and just loved it! Very nice and well-equipped house, quiet neighbourhood and pubs around. Stonehenge, Salisbury, Bath, Durdle Door, New Forest National Park...all destinations were nearby and also Shaftesbury is a very nice little town with an abbey and little shops
Stayed 5 nights in Jul 2024
Response from VrboOwner on 30 Jul, 2024
Thank you Martina for your kind words and I’m glad you liked staying at Pump cottage and had a lovely time.
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Paul H.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
We spent a lovely week at Pump Cottage. The cottage is very homely and was perfect for our family of 6. There was enough room for us all to have space & yet still be together. The kitchen was well appointed, which worked well for us. The conservatory/sun room & garden were particular highlights. The location was also excellent, close to to a play park and local pub, with just a short walk into Shaftesbury. Thank you Catriona & Family
Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2025
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Minoli A.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Lovely thatched cottage in Dorset.

Wonderful cottage - extremely well appointed - cosy , comfortable - and a great place to relax each evening after exploring this very historic and beautiful part of the country. Catriona was an exceptional hostess- and accessible - everything was clean, functional and aesthetically pleasing. Gardens- birds- flowers - all added to the experience. Many thanks - a memorable stay.
Stayed 4 nights in May 2022
Response from VrboOwner on 28 May, 2022
Thank you for your lovely review Minoli - it means a lot. And moreover I’m so pleased you had a such a great stay all round. Enjoy your travels.
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

julia f.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

So beautiful

What a wonderful cottage! Our family of four, with two children, spent a beautiful week in Catriona's and Lorenzo's listed house. It was tastefully, warmly and cozily furnished, with a lovely garden filled with birdsong for dining and relaxing, and a kitchen that left nothing to be desired—especially after discovering your fantastic wine. It was delightful to enjoy the peace and quiet, but also to be able to walk to the picturesque town of Shaftesbury. We are grateful for our discovery and hope to return someday.
Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2024
Verified review

8/10 Good

theo v.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
What a lovely cottage in a little toen with interesting history! We found all we needed and the host was very thoughtfull. A very good place to start trips to Avebury, Stonehenge, Salisbury and Winchester.
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2026
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Jill A.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Lovely Cottage!

We had a wonderful stay at Pump Cottage. It is right in the heart of Shaftesbury and a sort walk to awesome coffees shops and fun shopping. We were there for a wedding so didn’t spend a great deal of time at the cottage but we enjoyed the time we were there. It is cozy and comfortable .
Stayed 7 nights in Sep 2021
Response from VrboOwner on 23 Oct, 2021
Thank you Jill for your nice words. I’m glad you had a good stay and I hope you’ll be back one day!
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Alan M.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Pretty cottage

Lovely well equipped cottage in Shaftsbury, only downsides were that I kept bumping my head on the low beams (I'm 6ft 3in) and parking was an issue at times. Otherwise we really enjoyed our stay here.
Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2021
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Roy S.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Idyllic and very comfortable thatched cottage in Dorset

Just back from a lovely week spent in Pump Cottage. We found it to be just as good as it looks in the profile pictures! Charming, warm, comfortable and welcoming, whilst also functioning very effectively as a holiday home - plenty of space for the five of us, bathrooms with plenty of hot water, a modern kitchen, and good WiFi. All this and ideally located in the peaceful but well-appointed town of Shaftesbury. Owners very easy to deal with, and quick to reply to queries.
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2021
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Paul S.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Beautiful peaceful cottage

From the access email right to the end of are stay this cottage and owner will not disappoint.in a beautiful location and the cottage is just stunning plenty of clean towels and hot water a lovely outside area with really friendly neighbors.
Stayed 6 nights in Aug 2019
Response from VrboOwner on 26 Mar, 2020
I’m so glad you liked it Paul! Thank you, Catriona
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Thale Tobias B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Ein richtig englisches Cottage!

Pump Cottage hat uns sehr gefallen. Als Familie mit 3 Söhnen zwischen 13 und 17 fand hier jeder seinen Rückzugsort, es war sehr gemütlich und die Ausstattung war großzügig. Einzig die niedrigen Decken war für den ein oder anderen etwas schwierig. In der Umgebung gibt es so viel zu sehen, dass wir gerne wiederkommen!
Verified review

8/10 Good

Marika S.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Beautiful cottage

Very beautiful stone cottage in a nice village/town. World famous village- and countryside views just around the corner!
Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2019
Response from VrboOwner on 26 Mar, 2020
I'm glad you liked it Marika. Thank you!
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Sparky H.

Wonderful Cottage

What a beautiful place to spend a few days, a perfect base for us to visit family and enjoy Shaftesbury.
Stayed 6 nights in Mar 2019
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Mary B.

The cottage is beautiful, while being comfortable and cosy.

This is a great place to stay in the historic part of Shaftesbury. The hosts are great at communicating and are very flexible and thoughtful. The chianti and the honesty box was a great feature.
Stayed 7 nights in Mar 2018
Archival

10/10 Excellent

Hannah s.

Beautiful setting and lovely home

This was our first trip to England and we were so lucky to have stayed in this wonderful home. The home itself was beautifully decorated, well maintained and very clean. The walls of the house are at least two feet deep at places, making it very quiet and solid. We were walking distance to the small town and a block from what I thought was the best pub in town, yet we were still in a neighborhood! I'm not used to that where I live. I could actually enjoy dinner with a pint and walk home. When we walked to the town, the view was unbelievable and there were walking trails all around. My daughter and I ran all of them; it was fantastic. We did the tour of the Shaftsbury Abbey and although I wasn't that thrilled about it doing it, I was surprised that it was so enjoyable. You really do go back in time. Catronia was so great. I felt like we were staying at a friend's home. She really took care of us and I'm grateful for everything she did for us. I would recommend this home to anyone. We really enjoyed our time in england, a large part due to Catronia's home and her hospitality.
Archival

10/10 Excellent

Chad E.

Very nice cottage. Would stay again

This is a very nice cottage, with enough room for 5 with three bedrooms. It's easy to find, convenient to food, and easy walking distance to the town of Shaftsbury.
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2017
Archival

10/10 Excellent

Pauline T.

A great weekend in Shaftesbury

We had a wonderful 4 days inPump Cottage. It had everything we needed and was close enough that we could walk up to the high street even if it meant climbing Gold Hill. It was a great place to start our extended holiday and close enough to meet with relatives staying in the hotel
Archival

8/10 Good

anthony r.

Cute and Quaint

Rustic charm, very good location in a really lovely town. Excellent pub down the road and all the shops in Shaftsbury were really good, great service and the whole town had a lovely feel. The cottage had everything you need although a bit tired. When we were there it was cold and the cottage heating does warm it up fully and was made worse by the fact it had obviously not been occupied for a few days and the whole structure took a couple of days to warm up. In summer this would not be a problem. Overall we enjoyed our stay even if a bit chilly. Tony n Val
Stayed 4 nights in Apr 2017
Archival

10/10 Excellent

Clive D.

Well appointed, spacious traditional cottage.

My family (four children between the ages of eight and fifteen and my wife) stayed at the cottage for five nights. Shaftesbury is one of most interesting of the smaller towns in the county. Fantastic panaramic views across the surrounding coutryside from the numberous pathways around the town.. Lots of interesting shops, cafes and restaurants. The cottage is situated in a courtyard, well back from the road. A quiet location with parking along the street. Low beams and doorways resulted in a few bumped heads (two members of the party being over six foot tall) - but all part of the charm of a old property.
Archival

8/10 Good

Christopher L.

Lovely cottage, ideal for a family getaway in a beautiful part of England.

We enjoyed a lovely family holiday in Pump Cottage. The property had real character but had also been sympathetically updated. It easily accommodated the four adults and one child across the three bedrooms/two bathrooms/three toilets. As with most cottages the ceilings were low but I am over 6ft. The small town centre of Shaftesbury is a short walk away, all be it up hill. The town is not very big but has a number of good pubs and restaurants. It is an ideal base to explore north Dorset, Somerset and Wiltshire. All in all a great property for a quiet family holiday, away from the hustle and bustle of modern life.
Archival

8/10 Good

Michael W.

Lovely cottage

We had a wonderful vacation at the cottage. Everything in present atmosphere is great. A real english feeling you get there. We enjoyed. Mike and Sharon

About the host

Hosted by Catriona Miceli

Host profile image
Catriona was a primary school teacher in London, before moving to Italy in 1992 on a whim to learn Italian. She met Lorenzo, who was a student cultivating olive trees and producing olive oil. She decided to stay in Italy permanently because of Lorenzo, and never returned to live in England again. After marrying in 1996, Lorenzo and Catriona were given the opportunity to take a farm in Tuscany, which they have now been running for 24 years. Catriona lets out the holiday apartments, and Lorenzo cultivates vineyards and makes delicious organic Chianti Classico red wine. Catriona has written a book about it: "Just Call Her Jane" takes you on a journey to Italy, and, being adopted, another parallel journey about finding her birth-mother.
Along the way they have had three children - now grown up - who enjoy the english side of their heritage and they come to stay at Pump Cottage when they can. This property is near to where Catriona grew up and went to school, and is available here to rent. They have a housekeeper who takes care of it and sees to their guests' needs.

Why they chose this property

Pump Cottage feels just as it looks. Catriona and Lorenzo fell in love with the cottage as soon as they saw it. Not only was the cottage itself utterly charming, but an attraction was being able to walk to the town. Set in a quiet street, and of course within the attractive confines of the grassy 'Pump Yard', you can walk just 5 minutes, and you are up on the High Street. There's also the park, even closer, and the local Pub - always nice to be in walking distance of both!

What makes this property unique

The house and the grassy pretty Pump Yard have a unique country feel, and then once inside, you are met with a series of mini surprises - every corner, every turn, something new, something extra you didn't expect.
The master bedroom is to die for and the extra space with a second sitting room (sunroom), patio and garden make staying there such a joy - you won't want to leave! The location is indeed such a bonus for this unique cottage. You are in a village yet you are in a town. You don't need a car to go to the shops, supermarket or cafés. You even feel as if you were in a village - charming neighbours and quietness with the lovely private garden to enjoy at the back.

Languages:

Italian
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