Have yourself a Dorset Christmas

Thinking of going away for Christmas but need some inspiration? Don’t want to travel too far or crunch your credit even more? Gather up your nearest and dearest, stick the presents in a sack and head to Dorset for an unforgettable Christmas break.

While its golden beaches, pretty fishing villages and rolling countryside are a total sunny delight, there’s also plenty of festive fun to be had in this nostalgic and naturally cosy county. Whether you’re with children and family or a group of mates and a case full of Christmas cheer, you’ll find lots to get you in the mood for Christmas.

Christmassy things to do in Dorset include:

• Have a Railway Children moment and tuck in to a festive lunch on the Wessex Belle, Dorset’s premier standard gauge preserved steam railway. Puffing its way through a six-mile stretch of idyllic Dorset countryside, the Wessex Belle serves a delicious Christmas lunch in its original carriages, every Saturday and Sunday in December.

• See the winding streets of Lyme Regis lit up with one of the most impressive displays of seasonal lights on the south coast. Watch the mayor switch them on and chew on roast chestnuts as you browse the curiosity shops and soak up the atmosphere. Beats Oxford Street any day.

• Have a Teddy Bear Christmas at the Dorset Teddy Bear Museum in Dorchester. A large family of human-size bears celebrate in their festively decorated period home, complete with a daily visit from Bearfather Christmas.

• Check out winter birds like kittiwakes and possibly spot a few bottle-nose dolphins from the splendidly wind-swept Southwest coast path. There are also guided walks on Dorset’s ship-wrecks and country estates running over the holidays. Visit Durlston.co.uk.

And if you don’t want to give up completely on the idea of a homely Christmas, booking a cosy self-catering cottage is the way to go. There’s a brilliant selection of character-packed cottages in gorgeous village locations at Dorset Coastal Cottages (dorsetcoastalcottages.com) and when the price is shared between a group of six or more, it’s really very festive indeed.

Woodside Cottage near Wareham gives two families the perfect set up for a festive getaway. The property offers two doubles, two bunk rooms, a huge garden for building snowmen, a log burner for warm and cosy evenings and costs £980 for seven nights from December 22nd.

Wayside House in the pretty village of Eype offers accommodation for six that’s a stone’s throw from the beach, with views to Golden Cap and costs £750 for the week of December 22. Or for smaller groups, Chough Cottage near Bridport is a gorgeous two bedroom beamy cottage sleeping four, complete with a wood burning stove in the open plan living area. Chough Cottage costs £535 for Christmas week.

For more Christmas cottages, bookings and special offers, visit Dorsetcoastalcottages.com.