Self-Catering at The Old Barn | Holiday Cottages in Swanage

Holiday home
The Old Barn is an outstanding, stone-built barn conversion offering superb holiday accommodation near Swanage in Dorset. With three bedrooms including one ground floor double and two family rooms with one double and one single, this wonderful cottage sleeps eight people comfortably. There's also a ground floor wet room, a first floor bathroom, a spacious kitchen with dining area overlooked by a mezzanine landing, plus a sitting room with woodburner. Outside, there is a front gravelled area and use of the owner's field opposite the property. The Old Barn sits in a fantastic position, just 200 yards from passing steam trains, and just over 2 miles from the coast. With plenty of nearby activities, this is a superb holiday cottage for a family getaway.

Accomodation Details
Four bedrooms: 1 x ground floor double, 2 x family room with 1 double and 1 single. 1 double room. Ground floor wet room with shower, basin and WC. Bathroom with bath, basin and WC. Kitchen with dining area. Sitting room with wood burner.

Area
The small, family-friendly seaside resort of Swanage is situated at the eastern end of Dorset’s famous Jurassic Coast, on the celebrated Isle of Purbeck and is probably best known for its wonderful, gently shelving golden sands. The little town itself offers visitors a wealth of interesting shops and plenty of good pubs and restaurants, some of which specialise in locally-caught fish, and is also well known for its annual jazz festival, which takes place each July.

Region
Explore the fossils and stunning beaches of Dorset’s Jurassic Coast, visit historic Sherborne and Shaftesbury, or enjoy the footpaths, country lanes and thatched-roof pubs Dorset offers.

Amenities
Oil central heating with underfloor heating on ground floor and woodburner. Electric oven and hob, microwave, fridge/freezer, washing machine, tumble dryer, dishwasher, TV with Freeview, DVD, CD/radio, selection of books and games. Fuel, power and starter pack for woodburner inc. in rent. Bed linen and towels inc. in rent. Travel cot, highchair and stairgate on request. Bike storage available on request. Off road parking for 3 cars. Front gravelled area with furniture. One well-behaved dog welcome. Sorry, no smoking. Shop 10 mins walk, pub 1.5 miles. Note: Swanage Railway line is approx. 200 yards away. Note: There is an agricultural workshop at the rear. Note: There are some external steps to access the property, but level access is also available. There are no internal steps on the ground floor.

Mrs Donnelly

October 2020

What can I say.. Beautiful barn in a lovely area just down the road from Swanage and Corfe which was an ideal base. Everything was clean and there was attention paid to detail . Had everything we needed down to the extras such as loo rolls and fairy liquid! Even had a wonderful cake waiting for us, which was gorgeous. Will definitely be going back.

Mrs Donnelly, October 2020

July 2020

Lovely property, very spacious and excellent location..

Mr Axtmann, July 2020

December 2019

The accommodation was excellent and we felt at home as soon as we walked in the door.. It had been beautifully decorated for Christmas. It was very well equipped with everything we could have needed and we were even left a bottle of Prosecco and a box of chocolates. The Swanage steam railway line was very close and it was lovely to see the engines steaming past.

Ms Pooley, December 2019

This was a truly magnificent barn which exceeded our expectations.. It’s bigger than the pictures make out and the open plan was perfect for our Xmas break. Would love to return, but sadly it’s already booked for next year. We will keep trying again.

Mrs Doyle, December 2019

November 2019

A wonderful barn, very spacious.. Has the wow factor when you walk in. Plenty of room for a family weekend getaway. Everything we needed was there . Great base for exploring the area. Only slight downsides were the mattress in the ground floor room was lumpy and the games in the cupboard were half missing. We left 2 new complete ones for the next visitors.

Mr Gates, November 2019

Fantastic cottage with plenty of room.. Very clean and well equipped. Would not hesitate to stay here again. Really enjoyable. Thank You.

Mr Clark, November 2019

October 2019

Great accommodation and location.. Plenty of space for our party of seven adults and one dog. All that we needed for a friends get together. We had a lovely time.

Ms Maciver, October 2019

September 2019

We had a marvellous stay at the old barn so much space totally loved it plus .... We had a marvellous stay at the old barn so much space totally loved it plus only 5 mins from swanage and 10 mins from corfe castle with an added bonus of the steam trains visible from the kitchen window ,i would recommend the old barn and cant wait for next year

Mr Robinson, September 2019

August 2019

Fantastic accommodation, very spacious, has got everything what family need .... Fantastic accommodation, very spacious, has got everything what family need Is located 6 minutes from the Swanage beach via car Perfect for kids We will be definitely back - Thank you

Mrs Down, August 2019

Another excellent holiday at The Barn.. Exceptionally clean and family friendly. The owners have kept the place up to its standard and we would like to thank them very much. Our family will certainly return again for another year.

Mr Newman, August 2019

An ideal holiday base for exploring this lovely part of Dorset.. The Old Barn is charming, clean, comfortable, convenient, and very spacious. Plenty of car-parking space too. We look forward to a return visit.

Mr Coley, August 2019

The general waste bin was almost full on arrival and had trouble putting in our waste as we cooked at barn.. Had no hand towels just bath. Fridge a little small for cooking at home with large family. The property was spacious and will maintained would come again .

jayne1988j

The old barn was just outstanding! I don’t even know where to start. Location is perfect! It’s only a 5 minute drive into Swanage town and about £7 taxi ride. Not to far from lovely town wareham too. The barn is so spacious and big we just were so overwhelmed at it. We had a lovely cake made ready for when we arrived. We were just 2 couples holidaying for a week. The kitchen is bigger than it even looks ok the photos . Everything there we needed to cook with. A fully working dishwasher and washing machine ( no washing to do when we got home yey) The beds were soo comfortable. I slept great. all bedrooms had lots of wardrobe space and drawers. My only 1 thing I would suggest would be to put a proper shower in the upstairs bathroom as we all had to use the downstairs walk in shower. We felt very safe staying here . The neighbours next door were friendly. Also the price was very good. I could go on and on praising the barn. Massive well done to the owners you have done a fantastic job. We will DEFINITELY be back!!

Mrs Moir, July 2019

June 2019

We had a lovely week t the Old Barn.. It is so spacious especially as there were only two of us plus Willow the spaniel. A nice touch was the dog water bowl which Willow made use of immediate ly on arrival. And the cake of course which was delicious. We met Julie the owner at Manor Farm tea rooms for tea and more cake. We also bought some goose eggs from birds over the road from the barn. The only suggestion I would have would be to have an enclosed garden with a lawn as there is plenty of space. As it is I had to take Willow out on the lead every morning and night especially as there were chickens roaming free which she would have chased. The Barn is ideally located halfway between Swanage and Corfe Castle.

Ms Lewis, June 2019

May 2019

The property was great spacious and very quiet loved it would go back

Mr Kitching

April 2019

This was our second visit to The Old Barn and a few niggles from last year has been fixed such as damaged sofa and leaking sink.. The kitchen seemed less well equipped than last year and we needed to purchase items such as a dishwasher salt, grater, baking dish, sharp knives so we could prepare family meals. The other niggle was the dustbins were full/overflowing when we arrived. The recycling bin was emptied during our stay but the general rubbish was still full of the previous guests rubbish when we left and it was lucky we didn’t create much rubbish when we stayed. Overall the barn is a great property, well maintained and in a fabulous location. We enjoyed our stay enormously.

Mr Mcewen

March 2019

Great to see a new sofa as some of the previous comments indicated it was tired and broken..

Mr Kitching, April 2019

It’s a lovely barn in a beautiful setting, it’s peaceful and near to Swanage and beach.. There is everything you want at the barn such thought put into it. It’s our second time there and hope to go again. Mollie Mike and family.

Mr Horseman

October 2018

Comfortable converted Barn, lovely and spacious.. Very central to many places of interest. Just a couple of things could do with updating at the accommodation: Very leaky kettle when pouring and very furred up, could do with a new one. Lounge corner settee is very damaged and coming away at the corners, a new one is probably needed. Fridge freezer is very small. Overall a lovely place to stay, lovely wood burning stove, beautifully warm.

Mrs Shipman

August 2018

This is a very spacious barn conversion not far from Swanage and ideal for families.. The location of the property to the Swanage railway with the steam trains were a real delight and grandpa and grandson especially enjoyed watching them pass close to the property. A car is essential for getting out and about - Studland, Corfe etc. tho walkers would enjoy exploring the footpath opposite.

Mrs Ashcroft

The barn was lovely so spacious everyone enjoyed it,there where a few things .... The barn was lovely so spacious everyone enjoyed it,there where a few things missing though Like barbecue and washing line Also it wasn’t really pet friendly we had to buy some mesh for the gate at the back so our small dog could go out but not get on the road There was a field were you could walk your dog (take wellies ) Other than that it was very nice

mummyhustle

July 2018

My dad booked the Old Barn for 7 of us to spend a week together in Dorset in July. The space was incredible and the layout worked really well for us as my parents took the downstairs bedroom whilst me, my husband and our 3 kids had the upstairs to ourselves. The outside space was also great with plenty of parking and tables for alfresco dining. We loved the peaceful location and our 4 year old boy enjoyed visiting the chickens and cows and of course waving to the steam trains! We had a problem starting the oven on the first day and someone came to assist us really quickly which was really helpful. The only problem we encountered was the low window in the bedroom upstairs where our son wanted to sleep which had no safety gate and he could very easily open it himself and potentially fall out, it was a worry for us especially with 1 year old twins crawling all over the place. My dad managed to create a makeshift safety gate using one of the stair gates and some toy building blocks, it kind of worked but not ideal! There had also been some damage to the leather sofa previous to our visit; the owners had added throws in an attempt to cover the damage but the leather continued to flake off all week and we were constantly having to vacuum the living area and pull pieces of leather from our twins' mouths!! I think these couple of issues should be addressed promptly especially since the property will most likely be used by families. We otherwise had a lovely stay here and if those problems get addressed, we would thoroughly recommend the property, especially for families or large groups.

On the whole we had an enjoyable stay at the Old Barn much helped by sunshine all week.. There are a few issues which you should take up with the owners: a) It is not clear from your photographs that the balustrade (fencing) along the front entrance and terrace of the property is NOT actually fitted with glass panels as we expected. It was very difficult to stop our five year grandson from running through the front door every time a train came along and worrying that he would continue straight off the terrace. b) The stonework on the steps to the front door is crumbling away in several places presenting quite a trip hazard with suitcases etc. c) The floor level window in bedroom two needs looking at. Our grandson was stationed in here and it too easy for him to open, leading to a potential 1st floor drop to concrete below. We had to improvise a gate to prevent this. I understand that there may be a fire exit issue with this window but there are models available on the market that can satisfy both criteria, that is say can be a fire exit with child access prevention. d) The corner sofa in the living area has obviously been savaged by a dog and blanket throws are being used to cover this up. A new sofa should have been sourced immediately. Every day we needed to vacuum the carpet to remove tiny pieces leather from the carpet that our twin granddaughters kept trying to eat. (NB. The vacuum cleaner needs replacement bags on site, I had to manually empty it as it would not suck up anything, ugh)

Mrs Ayres

June 2018

A fabulous home from home venue.. The owners have thought of everything at The Old Barn. However I would warn families with very young children that it was a challenge without a proper cot. Other than that, I would definitely recommend it as a super base for a Dorset holiday.

Mrs Earle

May 2018

Lovely comfy spacious converted barn.. Everything we needed on hand. Owner on the end of the phone for any queries, answered immediately. Gorgeous area of Dorset, central to the Purbeck Hills, perfect for dog walks, sight seeing and eating out. Highly recommend this holiday home.

March 2018

We had an excellent week with Sykes Cottages.. The added benefit of the cottage that was not on the details was its central location next to all the major walking trails on the Isle of Purbeck whether you wanted a short or long walk.

Mr Linton

January 2018

Hot water was sometimes cold in kitchen ! The property and facilities were faultless

Mrs Wren

September 2017

The photos and description of The Old Barn do not do it justice! It was a WOW place to stay...and perfect for our multi generational family with lots of room and farm animals and steam trains on our doorstep!

mooring30

August 2017

A fantastic holiday rental with plenty of room for a large family. Very clean and exceptional converted barn within easy access to Swanage. Would highly recommend this lovely holiday cottage.

Mr Newman

Fantastic holiday cottage and very well placed.. Very impressed with the size of the converted barn and an ideal place for a family.

This was our second stay at the property which says it all.. It's a fantastic place to stay with lovely countryside right on your door step.

Mrs Wallen

July 2017

We had a very good week and all our adventures were close by.. One of the great things, if you like steam trains, the Swanage Steam railway ran past our cottage, 200 yards away. Fantastic!!!

Mr Laws

March 2017

Large well equipped cottage in a great location.. Ideal for walkers or sightseeing in Dorset.

Mr Laws, March 2017

August 2016

The Old Barn far exceeded our expectations.. It was so spacious and comfortable. The owner had left everything we could have needed, including a delicious home made cake! The location is fantastic for a base for walking or a short drive to the beach. We enjoyed every minute our stay and felt so relaxed. The owners have a lovely tearoom in Studland where we enjoyed a delicious ploughmans lunch during one of our walks. I would, and have, recommended The Old Barn to friends and family. We also found Sykes very helpful from day one of our booking - keeping us uptodate with regular emails and always being there on the phone if I had a query. Thank you!

Mr Wild

July 2016

The Old Barn was very clean in a tranquil setting. It was like home form home. The barn is situated in a good place with beautiful places easy to reach.

Mrs Hendy

The house was brilliant. The situation was marvellous with the steam strain at the bottom of the garden and beautiful fields behind.

Mrs Williams

This cottage was well equipped for both the children and for us.

Mrs Frampton, August 2016

This cottage was well equipped for both the children and for us..

Mrs Williams, July 2016

The house was brilliant.. The situation was marvellous with the steam strain at the bottom of the garden and beautiful fields behind.

Steve G

June 2016

me and the whole family were thrilled when we walked in to the barn conversion, the space is fantastic, kitchen is massive, washing machine, dishwasher etc, bedrooms are big as well, parking for two cars at the rear. there was eight of us, would like to go again soon.

Mrs Hendy, July 2016

The Old Barn was very clean in a tranquil setting.. It was like home form home. The barn is situated in a good place with beautiful places easy to reach.

Mrs Ray

April 2016

Absolutely fantastic, couldn't fault a thing. It was a perfect base for exploring the area.

Mrs Smart

Staying at the Barn was different from any other holiday let. It was more like being in someone else's house. Everything was of a high standard - the decor, the good quality oak furniture and the innovative barn conversion. It was spacious but with the underfloor heating, warm and cosy at the same time. We called to see the owner, at her nearby tearooms and she was really friendly and helpful. The whole holiday was an absolute delight.

Mr Wild, June 2016

Absolutely fantastic, couldn't fault a thing.. It was a perfect base for exploring the area.

Mrs Ray, April 2016

Staying at the Barn was different from any other holiday let.. It was more like being in someone else's house. Everything was of a high standard - the decor, the good quality oak furniture and the innovative barn conversion. It was spacious but with the underfloor heating, warm and cosy at the same time. We called to see the owner, at her nearby tearooms and she was really friendly and helpful. The whole holiday was an absolute delight.

Mrs Lanham

March 2016

We enjoyed the space and comfort and having all the family together. There were lots of provided toys and DVD's. The men particularly liked the wood burner.

Mrs Smart, April 2016

We enjoyed the space and comfort and having all the family together.. There were lots of provided toys and DVD's. The men particularly liked the wood burner.

Mrs Morant

February 2016

We particularly liked the comfort of The Old Barn, with space within to enjoy quiet when needed. Home from home facilities. Snug area around the wood burner for relaxation. Quality beds.

Mrs Platt

January 2016

Very comfortable converted barn, well equipped, excellently furnished. We were all very very comfortable. This barn should be held as the standard other self catering accommodations should be like.

Mrs Lanham, March 2016

Very comfortable converted barn, well equipped, excellently furnished.. We were all very very comfortable. This barn should be held as the standard other self catering accommodations should be like.

Mrs Cooke

December 2015

The Old Barn had a lovely layout, friendly owner and is a well equipped house.

Mrs Platt, January 2016

The Old Barn had a lovely layout, friendly owner and is a well equipped house..

Mrs Bonser

October 2015

The Old Barn was really lovely and an excellent base. Well presented with good quality furnishings and a high standard of cleanliness. Lots of space and although only 4 of us would easily accommodate double that. Everyone really loved the recliners on the sofa.

Mrs Carter

Amazing barn conversion. I would definitely go again. I love this area anyway and I have decided that the view from the toll ferry at Studland would be my desired last view I ever see...if at all possible. Swanage is lovely, Lulworth Cove Durdle Door are well worth seeing with the sun out. The sea is an amazing turquoise colour.

Mrs Cooke, December 2015

The Old Barn was really lovely and an excellent base.. Well presented with good quality furnishings and a high standard of cleanliness. Lots of space and although only 4 of us would easily accommodate double that. Everyone really loved the recliners on the sofa.

Bonser, October 2015

Amazing barn conversion.. I would definitely go again. I love this area anyway and I have decided that the view from the toll ferry at Studland would be my desired last view I ever see...if at all possible. Swanage is lovely, Lulworth Cove & Durdle Door are well worth seeing with the sun out. The sea is an amazing turquoise colour.

Mrs Balding

September 2015

Until we went to the old barn we had a favourite holiday let but this one was excellent in every way and so huge so now this is our favourite. We loved having no neighbours and our dog had a good run in the fields every day so everybody was happy and all boxes ticked.

Mrs Carter, October 2015

Until we went to the old barn we had a favourite holiday let but this one was excellent in every way and so huge so now this is our favourite.. We loved having no neighbours and our dog had a good run in the fields every day so everybody was happy and all boxes ticked.

June 2015

An excellent property which was secluded well maintained. Exceptional level of decoration furnishing.

Mrs Menet

A very welcoming house in an excellent location!

Mrs Balding, September 2015

An excellent property which was secluded & well maintained.. Exceptional level of decoration & furnishing.

Mr Prior

April 2015

Very spacious accommodation with good quality furniture. The log fire was excellent. The barn renovation photos were very interesting.

Mrs Menet, May 2015

Very spacious accommodation with good quality furniture.. The log fire was excellent. The barn renovation photos were very interesting.

Mrs Powell

March 2015

We were delighted with the size of the property as we weren't falling over each other. A beautiful warm and cosy Barn in a lovely location with lovely views. I felt the pictures on the website did not do it justice and it is even better than it looks. A real home from home with lots of space and a well equipped kitchen. A lovely experience for my family. Would definitely return.

Mr Prior, April 2015

We were delighted with the size of the property as we weren't falling over each other.. A beautiful warm and cosy Barn in a lovely location with lovely views. I felt the pictures on the website did not do it justice and it is even better than it looks. A real home from home with lots of space and a well equipped kitchen. A lovely experience for my family. Would definitely return.

Mrs Moulinet

January 2015

Great location in the countryside and 10mins away from a lovely sand beach. There were cows, sheep and hens to see for the children. A spacious and warm cottage, many thanks!

Mrs Powell, March 2015

Great location in the countryside and 10mins away from a lovely sand beach.. There were cows, sheep and hens to see for the children. A spacious and warm cottage, many thanks!

Mrs Knox

November 2014

The Old Barn has been converted to a high standard and was a welcoming, cosy place to return to after a day's walking in the Purbeck Hills.

Karen48606

Just back from a weeks stay in this beautiful barn. The barn is amazing and within easy reach of lots of interesting places to visit. The Steam Train at the bottom of the garden was a real treat. Can't wait to visit again

Mrs Moulinet, January 2015

The Old Barn has been converted to a high standard and was a welcoming, cosy place to return to after a day's walking in the Purbeck Hills..

Mr Sallis

October 2014

The Old Barn is an excellent holiday home, with plenty of usable space even for a full group of 8 people. It is well kitted out and a great location for checking out the surrounding area. We were particularly happy to see the steam trains passing by every hour or so during the day. We would definitely consider staying there again and recommending it to friends family.

Mrs Knox, November 2014

The Old Barn is an excellent holiday home, with plenty of usable space even for a full group of 8 people.. It is well kitted out and a great location for checking out the surrounding area. We were particularly happy to see the steam trains passing by every hour or so during the day. We would definitely consider staying there again and recommending it to friends & family.

Mrs Godfrey

September 2014

Being a new conversion it was great to have everything new and modern. The Barn is very spacious and definitely had the wow factor when we entered. In a lovely location, loved the steam train going by.

Mrs Lever

A big 'yes' from us! Best accommodation we have rented as a holiday home - ideal for mixed aged family groups having a ground floor bedroom, wet room and spacious living room/dining/kitchen. No complaints whatsoever! Our family ages were from a 10 month crawler to 67 year old plodder!

Mr Sallis, October 2014

Being a new conversion it was great to have everything new and modern.. The Barn is very spacious and definitely had the "wow" factor when we entered. In a lovely location, loved the steam train going by.

Mrs Carden

August 2014

The standard of the property was exceptionally high. The quality of beds excellent and the kitchen was enormous, with every modern convenience. The sitting area was big enough for all 7 of us with huge reclining sofas.An extra attraction was watching steam trains from one of the windows.

Mrs Cole

Certainly had the wow factor when we first entered the property, it remained that way all though the holiday. Everything was perfect.

Guest

great place to stay, very well equipped, convenient for corfe castle and swanage, great position of barn, spacious bedrooms and living room area

Mrs Godfrey, September 2014

Certainly had the wow factor when we first entered the property, it remained that way all though the holiday.. Everything was perfect.

The standard of the property was exceptionally high.. The quality of beds excellent and the kitchen was enormous, with every modern convenience. The sitting area was big enough for all 7 of us with huge reclining sofas.An extra attraction was watching steam trains from one of the windows.

Mrs Robinson

May 2014

Excellent place to stay - really well equipped and very comfortable beds.Without doubt the best self catering house we have ever stayed in. We would not hesitate to recommend it to our friends

Mrs Lever, August 2014

Excellent place to stay - really well equipped and very comfortable beds.. Without doubt the best self catering house we have ever stayed in. We would not hesitate to recommend it to our friends

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The Old Barn in Swanage, Dorset