Fern eco retreat in Melcombe Bingham | Apartment in Melcombe Bingham, Dorchester

Getting to the lodge was a little heart pounding, as it is down loads of very narrow single lane roads. So if you come across traffic it can be a tight squeeze into the bushes/passing points. The location is lovely with amazing views when you get there. I have 2 teenagers, so they got a room each. They loved having their own bathroom and chill out space. The beds were really comfy, with clean towels and bedding. The open plan kitchen/dinner/lounge are is a vast space. The kitchen is lovely with everything you need to get going. The oven was a challenge though to work out, even when we did find the guide book, but we got there in the end. The downside for us were mostly the sofas. You have one large marsh mallow feather soft one, where the cushions continually kept needing to be moved back or the 2 side small seats which were the most uncomfortable creations ever. I think wooden benches would have been more comfy. The other issue for us was the hot-tub I am afraid. We followed the instructions but only got it going one night to bath temperature. After that we just could not get it hot and my other half gave in, I felt bad as thought this would be a novel idea when booking. In all, a lovely break for a few days. It was very relaxing hearing the rain on the roof. However, we would not go back again.

Lovely lodge with excellent views. Lodge was spotless, well equipped and comfortable. The Fox is an easy walk and does great food. Weather wasn't great but the lodge didn't disappoint with huge patio doors which provided a great view of the rain rolling in

This is certainly a year round holiday destination. Beautiful views, cosy lodge. I only gave 3 for comfort because my old bones couldn’t get comfortable on the settees (assuming I could get to them, the children spent a lot of down time on them), a minor matter for the young! Lovely hosts who clearly adore the area and views despite having farmed there for a long time. It would be an amazing place to be snowed in! Great for family reunions if renting all three lodges together.

Amazing accommodation with a very well equipped kitchen. Hot tub was lovely but need to light early. Views were amazing and cows in the field was lovely, even saw a couple of hares and frogs

A well tended property with excellent facilities and comfort. The owners should and do deserve highest merit for their hard work. Thank you.

From the moment you walk in the door this place blows you away, from the amazing views to the very generous welcome pack of local groceries. We had a perfect Easter weekend, walked to the Fox Inn pub on the Saturday across fields, all really lovely. Barely any noise from the farm, we had a very peaceful time and will be back! Thank you so much!

Fern and it’s neighbouring eco-lodges have been beautifully designed by the owners – they are spacious, pretty, wonderfully clean and kitted out with the highest-quality fittings. The kitchen fittings in particular are great, as are the wood-burning stove and hot tub! Fern does need a couple of new frying pans – at present there is only one, the Teflon coating of which flakes off into your food. The pictures on the Dorset Hideaways website don’t do justice to the beauty of the views and the surrounding area. Both the garden and house have amazing, completely unobstructed views for miles and miles over the Blackmore Vale, and the garden faces west so the sunsets are just spectacular. The only real drawback is that because the property is on farm land, the house gets quite a lot of flies. The owners have provided a swat in the house, though this is still a fairly unpleasant solution.

We booked Fern for a family weekend celebration and were delighted with the accommodation. We were a party of 5. It was immaculate and very well furnished. The location was stunning and we had a mixture of rain, sun, and snow all in one weekend. The beds were very comfortable and it was lovely each bedroom having an en-suite bathroom. We didn't manage to try the hot tub unfortunately but we had enough logs to keep the wood burner going most of the weekend. We would definitely want to come back.

Fern cottage is in a stunning location with views across the Dorset countryside. A fantastic property providing all you need for a relaxing break.

Such a special place. It's calming, relaxing and a stunning location. I can't speak highly enough of it.