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Raleighs

Cerne Abbas, near Dorchester, Dorset
Sleeps 6
Bedrooms 3
Bathrooms 2
Change Fri
Dogs welcome 2
4 star
Parking on site / nearby
Highchair available
Travel Cot available
Towels included
Quirky
Romantic
Fishing on site / nearby
Internet access
Open fire / wood burner
Enclosed garden / patio
Downstairs bathroom
Shop nearby
Pub nearby
Country houses
14 more

At a glance

  • Quintessential and enchanting, this historic home is in the heart of the beautiful village Cerne Abbas
  • Exposed stone walls, black wooden beams and a warming wood burner add cottage charm
  • Luxury traditional Italian pizza oven in the garden and dine alfresco
Overview
Property code: OC-WY490

Sitting at the heart of the medieval village of Cerne Abbas, this characterful property dates back to 1580 and has played host to Walter Raleigh. The cottage has been sympathetically updated to make a warm, cosy holiday home perfect for friends and families exploring the stunning coastline, beautiful beaches and quaint villages of a beautiful part of the Dorset countryside. Offering stylish accommodation for up to six guests and one pet dog, the property is bursting with quirky furnishings and tasteful decor, with charming extras including timber beams, a welcoming wood burner, wood panelling and impressive exposed stone walls.

The spacious lounge features an inglenook fireplace, wooden beams and oak window shutters, as well as plenty of seating and a dining table, providing a lovely space for everyone to relax in peace. The ground floor also has a farmhouse-style kitchen/diner and a handy shower room. Uneven stairs lead up to the characterful, panelled, first-floor landing which has a TV and seating, providing a quiet spot to get away and unwind. There’s a smart and refreshing family bathroom and three sweet bedrooms: a gorgeous king-size room and two beautiful doubles, one with leaded windows and a feature fireplace. Stepping outside, the charming enclosed courtyard garden has a BBQ/Italian pizza oven and outdoor furniture, providing a secluded haven for you and your pet to relax and enjoy the tranquillity.

Lying at the heart of the Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Cerne Abbas offers miles of wonderful rural walks for your dog to lead you along, including the Cerne Valley Way and the Frome Valley Trail. Other picturesque locations include Eggardon Hill, Powerstock Common and Kingcombe National Nature Reserve, all within 10 miles. The Dorset coast is less than 20 miles away, with some fabulous pet-friendly beaches to discover.

  • 3 bedrooms – 1 king-size, 2 doubles. Please request at booking if you would like 1 double converted into a twin
  • 2 bathrooms – 1 family bathroom with full bathroom suite and WC; 1 shower room with wet room shower space and WC
  • Electric AGA, additional induction hob and electric cooker, microwave, dishwasher, washing machine and fridge/freezer
  • Welcome pack
  • Wood burner – first basket of logs supplied
  • HD TV, Sonos sound system, radio and CD player
  • Please bring your own beach towels
  • Mobile signal is weak
  • Private courtyard garden with garden furniture and traditional Italian Valoriani pizza oven that doubles as a BBQ
  • Private parking for 2 small/1 medium-size car(s), additional on-street parking available
  • Shop and pub just over 150 metres, beach 16 miles
  • Please supervise children on the stairs
  • Please note, the stairs are uneven
  • Arrival: 16:00 onwards
  • Departure: before 10:00
  • 2 dogs allowed. Additional charges may apply

Samantha Banner

This property is personally managed by Samantha.

Reviews

From guests that have stayed at the property.

Based on 18 guest ratings

Overall cleanliness
Overall cleanliness 4.7 starsOverall cleanliness 4.7 starsOverall cleanliness 4.7 starsOverall cleanliness 4.7 starsOverall cleanliness 4.7 stars4.7
Overall equipment
Overall equipment 4.4 starsOverall equipment 4.4 starsOverall equipment 4.4 starsOverall equipment 4.4 starsOverall equipment 4.4 stars4.4
Overall comfort
Overall comfort 4.7 starsOverall comfort 4.7 starsOverall comfort 4.7 starsOverall comfort 4.7 starsOverall comfort 4.7 stars4.7
Overall location
Overall location 4.6 starsOverall location 4.6 starsOverall location 4.6 starsOverall location 4.6 starsOverall location 4.6 stars4.6

Reviewed by Fiona 27th May 2026

Guest rating 5 starsGuest rating 5 starsGuest rating 5 starsGuest rating 5 starsGuest rating 5 stars

A wonderful old house with great atmosphere. Well located for the village and never a problem to park. Quiet at night and friendly locals. Great communication from booking to leaving - drama free. The house was well stocked and a lovely welcome hamper was much appreciated. Thank you The local pubs opening times and choice of food were a bit hit Read moreand miss, so don't rely on them for main dinners. Great location to get out and about and beautiful scenery around. A thoroughly enjoyable stay. Hide

Reviewed by Robin 11th May 2026

Guest rating 4.2 starsGuest rating 4.2 starsGuest rating 4.2 starsGuest rating 4.2 starsGuest rating 4.2 stars

Raleighs is an exceptional historic house in an ideal village location .

Reviewed by Clare 25th April 2026

Guest rating 5 starsGuest rating 5 starsGuest rating 5 starsGuest rating 5 starsGuest rating 5 stars

This was the most beautiful property with high quality utilities, and beautiful ornaments and paintings. We wanted for nothing! As it is a listed property be aware of steep, narrow stairs. The enclosed garden was just perfect. The village itself is lovely and people very friendly. Lots of dog walking routes.

Reviewed by Julie 6th April 2026

Guest rating 4 starsGuest rating 4 starsGuest rating 4 starsGuest rating 4 starsGuest rating 4 stars

A beautiful and comfortable, historic cottage which is full of character with extremely comfortable beds. The kitchen was well equipped and the aga was very efficient and heated up quickly. A good location from which to explore.

Reviewed by Francesca 23rd February 2026

Guest rating 5 starsGuest rating 5 starsGuest rating 5 starsGuest rating 5 starsGuest rating 5 stars

Raleighs is a wonderful, hidden gem. Beautiful from the outside, yes, but it does not prepare you for how lovely, welcoming, well appointed and tastefully decorated it is inside. It is a home that is clearly much loved by its family and could not have been more comfortable.

Reviewed by David 29th January 2026

Guest rating 3.8 starsGuest rating 3.8 starsGuest rating 3.8 starsGuest rating 3.8 starsGuest rating 3.8 stars

Lovely old house in a good position with a lot of character. The town is delightful with plenty of good walking around Limited nose to tail parking in the space down the side of the house.

Reviewed by Barbara 13th November 2025

Guest rating 4 starsGuest rating 4 starsGuest rating 4 starsGuest rating 4 starsGuest rating 4 stars

Reviewed by Rachael 14th October 2025

Guest rating 5 starsGuest rating 5 starsGuest rating 5 starsGuest rating 5 starsGuest rating 5 stars

Such a beautiful cottage with lots and lots of character. Exceptionally clean, very cosy and warm. It is one of the best places we have ever stayed in.

Reviewed by Catherine 2nd September 2025

Guest rating 5 starsGuest rating 5 starsGuest rating 5 starsGuest rating 5 starsGuest rating 5 stars

This was our second stay here and we rebooked because of the village which offers great places to eat. The property is comfortable and the garden was a real suntrap.

Reviewed by M 23rd July 2025

Guest rating 4.4 starsGuest rating 4.4 starsGuest rating 4.4 starsGuest rating 4.4 starsGuest rating 4.4 stars

Lovely big living room, well equipped kitchen, beautiful village.

Reviewed by Carolyn 16th June 2025

Guest rating 4.8 starsGuest rating 4.8 starsGuest rating 4.8 starsGuest rating 4.8 starsGuest rating 4.8 stars

A lovely cottage with spacious accommodation & layout. Great location in the centre of town - 3 pubs within walking distance. We visited the local brewery & it had live music. We drove to Weymouth on a sunny day 30 mins. Easy to park & a section on the beach was dog friendly too!

Reviewed by Stephen 3rd March 2025

Guest rating 5 starsGuest rating 5 starsGuest rating 5 starsGuest rating 5 starsGuest rating 5 stars

A beautiful, well equipped cottage. Ideally situated in the centre of the hamlet and close to shops, pubs and walks. Will be going back.

Reviewed by John 1st January 2025

Guest rating 5 starsGuest rating 5 starsGuest rating 5 starsGuest rating 5 starsGuest rating 5 stars

A first class cottage and an ideal property in which to spend Christmas. Fantastic location, beautifully decorated, well equipped and very comfortable. Cerne Abbas is a lovely village, fantastic pubs, great village stores and very welcoming. All in all, we had a wonderful stay.

Reviewed by David 6th November 2024

Guest rating 5 starsGuest rating 5 starsGuest rating 5 starsGuest rating 5 starsGuest rating 5 stars

Lovely historic cottage in a beautiful historic village.Spotlessly clean and situated perfectly in the High street. Parking good. Lovely walks and pubs nearby.

Reviewed by Michael 7th October 2024

Guest rating 4.6 starsGuest rating 4.6 starsGuest rating 4.6 starsGuest rating 4.6 starsGuest rating 4.6 stars

It was a very warm cosy cottage with lovely comfortable beds and we had a pleasant stay. We had our last holiday in Purbeck which had much of interest. Sadly nothing much seems to have happened at Cerne, so it was a journey to the south most days.

Reviewed by Catherine 29th September 2024

Guest rating 4.4 starsGuest rating 4.4 starsGuest rating 4.4 starsGuest rating 4.4 starsGuest rating 4.4 stars

Raleighs is a very comfortable and warm house with many interesting features, not least it's age and origin. The bed was very comfortable, the shower was good if a little tricky to use with my broken arm, the kitchen well stocked and the lovely welcome gifts very much appreciated. The secure back courtyard was great for peace of mind with the whiRead moreppets but the weather took a turn for the colder so we didn't manage to sit out with a drink and food, which is a shame. Parking was easy on Long Street if you don't fancy backing into the narrow drive. The further we ended up was less than 20 seconds walk away when parking. Very hand. This was in September so not fully peak time but CA seems to be visited by a fairy constant but not overwhelming stream of interesting visitors for the local attractions. Cerne Abbass is an interesting village, for obvious reasons, and the shops and pubs were all very friendly, useful and accommodating. We found a good place to let the dogs off for a run at the back of the church cemetery with paths round to the Giant and also for a circuit around the giant Hill. Stunning countryside views all around make this a real pleasure. The story of the Well is interesting and worth looking around what's left of the Abbey if the owners have left the open sign up. The village store is a great place to shop with lots of lovely treats, practical provisions including the extremely local unhomogneised, free range whole milk from a mile or so down the road, delivered by a handy machine into your own bottle (or you can buy one with the Giant on which is an entertaining souvenir). Also the pasties were delicious and people there were friendly and helpful. The Giant seems to be the locals pub, and very friendly, so a good place to go for a beer or two. We didn't have food there but it looked good, tasty, and seemed to be well appreciated. The Royal Oak is a classic, old pub; pleasantly unspoilt, with lots of character but perhaps needing a good clean and more careful management of the pipes and the drinks that they are supplying, but that didn't stop us from eating a very hearty game pie and vegan shepherds pie (yes catering for all tastes), with good, non-fussy cooked vegetables. The New Inn was very comfortable both in the beer garden in the sun, when warm, and also in the evening inside when cooler. Very friendly staff and very popular for groups staying in CA. A bit more upmarket for food and surroundings but none the worse for it in terms of the welcome and atmosphere. Book ahead for food though; we didn't, and ended up missing out on a meal there. The Greyhound at Sydling was great for lunch on a gradually wording weather day, on the way back from a walk round the amazing Maiden Castle. Weighmouth was characterful and interesting and that includes the weather. Studland was gorgeous as ever, even on a colder day and the Bankes Arms fish and chips were welcome. Beaminster, the cafe at the fancy gift shop was lovely for sandwiches and coffee in the sunny back court yard. Also the The Greyhound food was homemade, hearty and filling on a wet day. ALL of the above mentioned, it goes without saying, we're very welcoming of our two whippets. All in all a great week in a lovely old house in and interesting village in Dorset with some interesting weather to contend with and our two whippets with us. Hide

Reviewed by Andrew 22nd September 2024

Guest rating 4 starsGuest rating 4 starsGuest rating 4 starsGuest rating 4 starsGuest rating 4 stars

Reviewed by Markus 29th July 2024

Guest rating 4.2 starsGuest rating 4.2 starsGuest rating 4.2 starsGuest rating 4.2 starsGuest rating 4.2 stars

Raleigh's is a charming 16th century half-timbered house with a very tasteful interior with lots of old furniture and decorative items. The kitchen and lounge are very spacious, as are the bedrooms. The kitchen is well equipped with lots of cooking utensils, crockery and glasses. There is a modern hob next to the Aga. The kitchen opens onto the smaRead morell courtyard, which is beautifully planted and sheltered from view. You can feel that Raleigh's is also used by the owners themselves, many photographs show the family's life. The hot water supply works very well, although a hand shower would be desirable in one of the two bathrooms. Raleigh's is located in a picture-perfect village of Cerne Abbas with three pubs, a church and an excellent village shop, which is small but has pretty much everything, including many local products. We would highly recommend the house to all holidaymakers who appreciate a combination of old-fashioned charm and modern amenities. Hide

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Location

Map
Note: As the postcode is used to identify the general area of the property, it may not always reflect its precise location, therefore please only use this map as a guide.
Canine Cottages is a trading name of The Travel Chapter Limited | The Travel Chapter Limited is registered in England and Wales. | Registered office Travel Chapter House, Gammaton Road, Bideford, EX39 4DF. Company No. 02431506 | VAT reg: 143053210.