Rumpus cottage is perfectly located to the centre of town and to the coastal path and beaches. There are also some charming, dog friendly restaurants, often tucked away in side streets, such as The Old Stables, alongside cafes serving homemade cakes and bread.
The cottage is quaintly furnished and accurately described by Vrbo ; the booking process is efficient and we always managed to park outside, on the private road. The owner provided her contact number so she would be available if needed, but otherwise gave us space to get on with our holiday. The only aspect that was slightly disappointing was the ‘outside area’. It is always in the shade and the old table and chairs are somewhat uninviting. Moreover, it is not fully enclosed, as we discovered within the first few minutes of arrival when the dog escaped at the back and turned up on the road in front of the garden. We managed to cobble together a makeshift fence, but a small gate of some kind would be perfect. All-in-all the cottage lived up to expectations and Swanage is an excellent place for visiting so many wonderful places, including Corfe Castle (by steam train); Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door; Thomas Hardy’s birthplace and his house, Max Gate. We didn’t have time to visit other National Trust places such as Brownsea Island or to try out the ferry to Poole, but we had a super week in Swanage, nonetheless.