Lovely place, lovely setting, although quite tragic that this place was blown up in the first place…read more- and it wasn't even during a war! Well, not a real one anyway. We went to something that was rather grandly called a 'food festival' in the grounds - 10 'tents' selling jams, preserves, beer and sausages, but it was really cool and didn't really need to be bigger than this for a country 'festival'. The National Trust have done a great job in maintaining the area and keeping the history of the castle alive, it looks so great just sat on the top of the hill and the surrounding town/village is beautiful too.

last visited sept 2010. This bed & Breakfast establishment…read moreis situated on the corner of the Main Road at the west end of the village of Brighstone that's about 2k from the south coast of West Wight. I've stayed here at least 6 times in the last 15 years & the standard of accommodation is 1st rate as are the cooked breakfasts - just the job to set up a day's walking, cycling or driving around this delightful island! Carol & Paul Hallums run The Lodge & go beyond the call of duty to make guests feel welcome & help advise on local events or attractions. Well worth a visit! There's a bus stop close by - Vectis Buses run a reliable service across the island & a week's pass that includes the open-top tour buses costs £20 each with family tickets also available.

My wife and I spent three nights and four days here in August 2010. It has to be one of the best…read moreB&B's we have ever found. It deserves all five stars as Yvonne and Ray, the owners, have accommodation to offer that is as good, if not better, than any 5* hotel. The rooms are very spacious, are full en-suite and spotless. Parking is safe and free and there is a free wifi internet service available. Situated in an exclusive avenue that leads to a cul de sac ensured that our sleep was undisturbed and as for the breakfasts - they exceeded all expectations in both choice and quality. This would be a good base to explore the Jurassic coast from, whether by bus or car. There is a steam railway to Swannage from where you can take an open topped bus tour to Bournemouth. There is excellent walking in all directions from the castle and there is good eating in the village. We will certainly return.

Beautiful meal in here tonight would recommendread more

My husband and I stayed here a few years ago and loved it! I'm sorry I didn't leave a review…read moreearlier. We were very comfortable and we loved the full English breakfast offered. They were also very accommodating with us arriving in the evening. I highly recommend Holbrook B&B!

What a great Bed & Breakfast!! Wonderful English country side charm set wonderfully in the rolling…read morehills of Dorset. Our room was extremely cozy and beautiful. Breakfast was outstanding as well as a proper English Tea Time. Our hosts were gracious and very friendly and knowledgeable about the area. They can recommend sites to see, places to eat, and things to do. A great place to stay. Very affordable. If we get a chance to visit England again I would definitely stay here.

What a lovely place. When my usual place was booked up, this was one of the few available a I…read morelucked out. The place overall is very nice and private. The bedroom is modest but well card for with comfortable bed and feather pillows. A generous selection to teas and drinks in your room. But the private bath is top notch. Nearly as big as the bedroom and nicely remodeled with high quality appointments- watch out Hilton. With nice tile work, modern shower, heated town rack, new sink and faucet. You can't go wrong. The lady is so nice and accommodating. The breakfast is lovely. It starts as you would expect with choices of traditional English breakfast, but then goes far above with crepes, kipper, poached eggs. A fine selection of berries topped off with homemade granola and homemade yogurt. I truly lucked out with this place. Best wishes to the nice owner. Thanks for the lovely stay.

Now I have to admit to a certain amount of bias here as they are one of my customers…read more That aside, Suzanne and Peter have won customer service awards in the Business of the Year Awards in Salisbury, and this year were runners up. This is a very well kept house as you can see from the photographs, but you have to see it in real life to really appreciate the time and effort that they have put into making their guest feel welcome. The atmosphere is both friendly and helpful to both foreign guests and local business customers alike. This is what I would call a guest house and a bit more on top. Absolutely everything has been thought of!

I'm pretty happy about being the first person to review this lovely B&B, as I hope someone else…read morestumbles across this amazing find and looks for reviews. I'd highly recommend anyone heading to Swanage to stay in this cute building. Located being the town hall, which is a gorgeous building itself, is a lovely lodge with a handful of neatly presented rooms. We stayed for a couple of nights and the hosts were extremely accommodating, even leaving their Friday night plans to come and meet us on our late arrival. The double room was a decent size, hand a huge comfy bed, a lovely tray of teas and coffees etc, and a neat, compact ensuite that looked brand new and squeaky clean and was full of lots of nice toiletries. The lodge is located on the high street, so very close to restaurants and the seashore. When we arrived late in the evening the host kindly informed us that most of the pubs had closed their kitchens but recommended a couple of nearby places that stay open later. We had a delicious meal in an Italian place he suggested we try - it was lovely. Breakfast was cooked and served in a gorgeous room. The options were great - full English, smoked salmon and eggs or kippers (whole or filler) and eggs. There was also a huge range of nuts, seeds, dried fruit and grains to make your own bespoke muesli as well as a variety of stewed fruits and yoghurts too. It was brilliant! Staying there for two nights meant we got to indulge in both the full English and fish breakfasts. To our delight, they also left a Kilner hat outside our room with freshly made cookies at mid morning too. It was such a nice touch! Everyone staying there was happy and the hosts made an effort to chat to us all and talk about different walks and places we could visit. They really went out of their way to make our stay brilliant. Definitely a rare gem in a crowded B&B market!

From the owner: 4* Hotel Quality guest accomodation in a small comfortable lodge.read more

If you are looking for a idyllic and peaceful hideaway in the New Forrest, Defoe House could be for…read moreyou! Defoe House offers just one room in a converted garage in the tiny village of Norleywood. However, as well as the sleeping area (ideal for couples but with a sofa bed if you have kids in tow!) there is a small kitchen, bathroom and dining area. The room has recently been converted, the decor is simple and tasteful and it really does have all the facilities you could require. However, it's the homely touches and special attention paid by owner Vanessa that really makes this place stand out. Freshly picked daffodils on the table, home baked cake on arrival (the most amazing lemon cake, I should add), a selection of DVDs to watch, and the offer of help and guidance when you need it. We were loaned maps for walking, plus offered the use of wellies! Vanessa recommended walking routes and places to visit, local pubs to eat and drink, and even made the reservations on our behalf. Breakfast is served in the room. The full English is great, utilising good quality meat and eggs. Cereals are available, and home made jams to slather on toast. However, if you can't manage the whole caboodle, Vanessa will happily accommodate your desires! At £40pppn, Defoe House is good value. We really had an amazing time here, the only things that may disturb the peace and quiet are the cockerels in the morning and the Needles Lighthouse from the nearby Isle of White when the weather is bad! We will definitely be back on our next visit to the New Forrest.