cottages4you blog: inspiration for your cottage or villa holiday in UK, Ireland and Europe

Locally-sourced produce has helped the wife of one Dorset cheesemaker produce some chocolates with a difference.

Tanys Pullin of Ford Farm in Litton Cheney has been using milk sourced from the farm to produce wedding cakes made from cheese that are decorated with chocolate-covered miniature cheeses, the BBC reports.

"We had lots of different flavours of cheese and my husband thought it would be really nice to put chocolate around them," Ms Pullin explained to the news source.

The cakes are supplied exclusively to people in the Dorset area, so hunting some down while enjoying a Dorset holiday may be the only chance you get to try out the unique taste.

"We’re all for sourcing food locally. It’s all about traceability," Ms Pullin remarked, adding that those who are unsure of the chocolate and cheese combination should try drizzling some meted chocolate on top the next time they make cheese on toast.

Ford Farm claims to make more variety of cheeses than any of its competitors, with its range including Dorset Red and Coastal mature cheddar.

Posted by Toby Lawrence

Budding historians planning a Dorset holiday might want to look into signing up to a new initiative being offered by the Natural History Museum.

Taking place in Lyme Regis, the Jurassic Coast Studies Centre gives people the chance to learn more about a 95-mile stretch of coastline running through Devon and Dorset that makes up the Jurassic Coast, the Guardian reports.

One couple, Hilary and John Penrose, signed up to the course so that they could improve their work.

They earn their living as an artist and sculptor respectively and Ms Penrose told the news source that it is "great to be learning about such as dynamic landscape".

Professor Andy Fleet, who leads the scheme, said that the aim is to bring the Natural History Museum to "wonderful" places like Dorset.

"The Jurassic Coast is an obvious place for us to come when we’re talking about geology," he added.

Dorset is a key area for research at the moment as, according to the BBC, volunteer divers have recently compiled a series of underwater photographs detailing the marine wildlife living off the county’s coastline.

Posted by Ben Webster

New photographs have helped reveal the marine wildlife people can expect to see if they go diving while enjoying a Dorset holiday.

Volunteer divers have taken a series of underwater snaps capturing the various different species that live below the waves of the county’s coastline, the BBC reports.

The images were produced for the Dorset Seasearch Underwater Photography Competition, which was organised by the Dorset Wildlife Trust, the county’s largest conservation charity with over 25,000 members.

Nick Owen, who regularly takes part in the Seasearch project – which aims to catalogue underwater wildlife with photos and notes – won the competition with his picture of a solitary hydrois – or a polyp on a tall stem.

Kathryn Dawson of the Dorset Wildlife Trust was quoted by the news source as saying that the pictures have helped reveal the “beauty” that can be found just off Dorset’s coast.

“You don’t have to go abroad to see great marine wildlife, it’s right here in Dorset,” she remarked.

Posted by David Sollberger

The attractions of Dorset holiday cottages are among the revelations in a new Rough Guide to Dorset.

One of the suggestions made in the guide that the region is ideal for anyone from city-dwellers looking to escape their urban playground to travellers going on a trip for the day or for a weekend.

Fears that Dorset might be suited only to the older generation are also dismissed, which could encourage young people planning a trip away to consider Dorset holiday cottages.

A stay in the region’’s holiday accommodation could then serve as the basis for an itinerary of festivals and club nights, all in the picturesque surroundings of an area famed for its natural beauty and in growing demand for its surfing.

This year, wildlife is also likely to be abundant thanks to the wet weather, which has helped insects to thrive and in turn led to a boost in populations of insect-feeding animals such as birds, according to the National Trust.

Posted by Andrew Hill

Friendly Fires fans could find that this summer’’s Camp Bestival is the ideal time to book Dorset holiday cottages and see their favourite act in person.

The group has just been named as the Sunday headline act for the festival, which is due to take place on July 30th and 31st and August 1st.

Organisers say: "Already nominated for two Brit awards in 2010, the much-lauded three-piece will put the icing on the cake at Camp Bestival."

They promise a "sublime set of anthemic, disco-flecked dream-pop" from the performers.

People hoping to attend the event should book Dorset holiday cottages in the region nearby to Lulworth Castle.

That is where the festival is due to be staged – with 15,000 tickets available across the full itinerary of performers.

Calling this an "intimate" issue of entry tickets, the organisers suggest that it means Camp Bestival retains the same intimate feel that it had the first time it was staged.

Posted by David Sollberger

Animal lovers staying in Dorset holiday cottages this summer can get involved in a project being run by the RSPB in the region to help track the bird population in the area.

The Bournemouth Echo reports that the bird welfare charity wants to break the 10,000 mark in terms of the number of people joining in across Dorset.

Last year, 9,185 people in the area took part in the survey – meaning people staying in Dorset holiday cottages this summer could tip the balance and take the participation into five figures.

The Big Garden Birdwatch scheme calls on people in the region to report any sightings of rare birds in their gardens.

With the recent cold weather, this year’’s report could be more important than ever in order to assess how the birds have coped with the winter.

The Bournemouth Daily Echo recently reported that the heavy weather had actually caused more rare species to appear – albeit in the sea, rather than the sky.

Rare species of crab and barnacle were washed up in heavy seas, according to the publication.

Posted by Andrew Hill

A cycling event could attract fans of two-wheel transport to stay in Dorset holiday cottages this month.

The Party on the Path ride, organised by environmental charity SusTrans, will celebrate the opening of a new ten-mile traffic-free cycle path from Maiden Newton to Bridport on Saturday (January 30th).

Flag-making, wheel-weaving and musical entertainment will also be provided on the day, while holidaymakers can take part in a raffle to be in with the chance of winning a £2,000 hand-built bike.

Peter Henshaw, spokesperson for Sustrans, said: "Party on the Path will be an exciting event for people of all ages to get together and celebrate the fantastic progress [that] has been made towards the trailway development."

The BBC recently reported that Dorset County Council is to ask local residents where new cycle paths would be best placed, which could be good news for those looking to head out on their bike while holidaying in the area.

Posted by Andrew Hill

Those who discovered a new favourite food or drink during their stay in a Dorset holiday cottage can now pick up a new supply from the comfort of their own home.

According to the Dorset Echo, food producers in the county have launched what they claim is the world’’s first virtual 3D farmers” market.

It is designed to let shoppers pick up their favourites 24 hours a day, offering video clips that let buyers ”meet” the farmers, who reveal the methods behind making their local produce.

"If you love the idea of being able to visit a farmers” market each week but just don”t have the time or the means, then the market offers the next best thing," a spokesman for the online portal was quoted as saying.

And Dorset is certainly not short of good quality local food, according to one chef.

Speaking to the Times last year, Paul Merrett described the seafood on offer at local markets as "great", noting that he always tries to pick up crabs or mussels when he is in the area.

Posted by Ben Webster

Those who stay in Dorset holiday cottages who enjoy heading out on two wheels during their time in the county may soon find they have more paths to explore.

Dorset County Council is currently seeking the opinions of local residents, asking them where they want new cycle routes built, the BBC reports.

The feedback scheme is open until February 26th, after which the council will collect all the views and take them into consideration when designing the network.

A spokesperson was quoted by the news source as saying that the aim of the initiative is to encourage more people to get around Dorset by bike.

“Bournemouth and Poole have already defined a cycle network, but Dorset’’s routes have yet to be joined up,” the representative remarked.

Dorset is an ideal destination for active types, as Bournemouth is home to Europe’’s first artificial surf reef, which opened in November after a number of delays.

Posted by Ben Webster

Poole is an ideal destination for those wanting a seaside break that does not involve traditional holiday activities.

This is the suggestion of British Resorts & Destinations Association director Peter Hampson, who explained that although the area "has many resort attributes", it is "more like [a] historic port".

"It also has a more rural feel to the beaches that surround the largest natural harbour area in the UK," he remarked, something that might seal the deal for people that are considering Dorset holiday cottages in a number of locations.

Like neighbouring Bournemouth, Poole has the advantage of being very easy to get to, Mr Hamspon observed, as it is accessible from much of central-southern England and also benefits from "very good" transport links to and from London.

He was commenting following the launch of Coast with the Most, a new campaign aimed at attracting tourists to Dorset

It says that the shallow waters of Poole harbour make it ideal for windsurfing or sailing beginners.

Posted by Ben Webster