Vive la Beaminster

Why spend hours driving to the Dordogne this summer when there’s a little piece of France right in the heart of Dorset? You can wave au revoir to the expensive, environmentally disastrous car and ferry journey, and say bonjour to la belle Beaminster.

A tiny medieval town just a few miles inland from the glorious Dorset coast, Beaminster may look typically English on the outside, but underneath its chocolate-box exterior beats a chic French heart.

So what is it that gives this sleepy Dorset town that certain, je ne sais quoi?

Maybe it’s the fabulous French food. Locals flock to the authentic French patisserie, le Vieux Fort, every morning, to pick up their baguettes and pain au chocolat before greeting friends and neighbours in the sun-drenched town square. All that’s missing is the pétanque.

And in the evening, the relaxed Beaminster Brasserie, part of the idyllic BridgeHouse hotel, offers moules, steak frites and French wines that transport the diner across the channel, without ever having to leave their seat.

It’s also to do with Beaminster’s style. The vintage French furniture shop, Wallace Ashley, sells authentic shabby-chic pieces, hand selected on regular trips across to France, taking the hard work out of effortless French chic.

And in the hush tranquility of the Secret Garden cottage, available to rent through Dorset Coastal Cottages, there’s a distinct air of the green and lush Dordogne on summer evenings. Lots of golden stone, swifts screaming through the air. Simply add vin rouge and relax.

Beaminster also has links to the authentic French spirit. The town is the birthplace of Thomas Hine, the man who created Hine Cognac, a brandy recognised all over the world as the conoisseur’s cognac, and his descendants still produce the fine tipple in the Charentes region to this day.

Under three hours from London by train, with plenty to see and do in West Dorset and Somerset, you can ditch the long, expensive journey, save valuable holiday time and sleep easy knowing you’ve reduced your holiday’s carbon footprint.

So if you want to be more green, but still need your fix of la vie en rose, why not try Beaminster? C’est jolie!

The Secret Garden in Beaminster sleeps three people in two bedrooms (one king size bed, one single) and costs from £475 for a week in July. For bookings and information go to Dorsetcoastalcottages.com.

Trains leave from London Waterloo to Crewkerne every hour, see nationalrail.com for times and fares.