Sandy beaches & Dorset coast walks – perfect for family get-togethers in Purbeck

The Mount is a warm and welcoming Edwardian seaside villa. It sleeps 7 to 14 adults plus children (maximum 16 in total) with ample space to spread out and relax. Its elevated position gives sea views to Old Harry Rocks or Durlston Bay from many rooms, and the enclosed sunny gardens are a great spot to relax and enjoy a barbecue or a game of croquet. There are three large reception rooms – a dining hall, a sunny lounge and a music/TV room. The kitchen and utility are fully equipped. Upstairs are seven bedrooms and five bathrooms. On the first floor there is a master bedroom with ensuite, two further very large rooms and two normal-sized rooms (originally for servants), plus two family bathrooms. On the second floor there are two good-sized superking rooms with ensuite bathrooms.
The house is well equipped, with lots of books, games and toys, as well as a full-size pool table. There's a piano, guitars and ukuleles and Sonos speakers for you to play your music.
The town centre, with its sandy beaches, cafes, restaurants and galleries, is a 10-minute walk downhill. The Jurassic Coast and Southwest Coast Path are on the doorstep and there are great walks from the door to Durlston National Nature Reserve, Anvil Point lighthouse and beyond to Dancing Ledge, Winspit and the famous Square & Compass pub at Worth Matravers. There is off-road parking for two or three cars plus plenty of on-street parking on two sides of the house. Up to two well-behaved dogs are welcome by arrangement.
We love – ambling to Durlston Castle from the door. It's a 20-30-minute stroll along the wooded, cliff-top path of the Durlston Pleasure Grounds. The route reveals some beautiful viewpoints out to the Isle of Wight, each with its own unique wooden bench designed by Dorset maker. There is a woodland play trail running parallel for a stretch and the reward of lunch or coffee at the Seventh Wave cafe. The cafe terrace is tucked in to the castle ramparts overlooking the sea with plenty of tables. It's dog friendly too.
We love – swimming in Swanage Bay. We swim most mornings all year round in the sheltered bay. It's a beautiful downhill walk across The Downs to Swanage Beach – then a warming hike back up to the house afterwards.
If you like sea swimming, The Mount is a great base for numerous beautiful dips nearby including the famous arch of Durdle Door and the pool dynamited out of the rocks at Dancing Ledge. We would be delighted to share more of our favourite locations with you.
We love – hiking from the door along the coast to the Square & Compass pub at Worth Matravers for a pint of real ale and a pasty. Easily the best pub in the world in our opinion! It's a two- to three-hour ramble depending on which route you take – from the challenging ups and downs of the coast path to the much easier, flatter and wider Priest's Way. Sometimes we walk home and sometimes, if we end up staying until closing, we call a cab to whisk us back to Swanage.
We love – rambling over Ballard Down past Old Harry Rocks for a pizza in the gardens of The Pig on the Beach hotel at Studland. It's a good two- to three-hour walk with some steep sections. There are plenty of refreshment stops along the route – with Joe's Cafe and the Bankes Arms at South Beach, the Salty Pig cafe at Middle Beach or the National Trust cafe at Knoll Beach. Children like to run through the WWII bunker above Middle Beach visited by Churchill during rehearsals for the D-Day landings. If we are out of puff we catch the open-top 50 Purbeck Breezer bus home to Swanage.
We love – walking the chalk ridge all the way to Corfe Castle and catching the steam train home to Swanage. It's a two-to-three-hour walk with some steep parts initially. There are incredible views over Purbeck and across to Poole Harbour – the second biggest natural harbour in the world after Sydney. There are lots of places to grab lunch in Corfe including the Bankes Arms, The Greyhound Pub, The Fox Pub, The Pink Goat Cafe, The National Trust cafe and takeaway from the Dragon Bakery.