Welcome to our August 2025 newsletter Week 5 !
Late summer in Dorset has been dazzling, with honey-coloured fields, long evenings, and guests making memories to last a lifetime. As we head towards September, this week’s newsletter is packed with inspiration, celebrations, and fascinating stories.
We’re starting with a celebration of our latest luxury picnic basket winner. One lucky subscriber will soon be unpacking a handcrafted hamper filled with countryside charm. Could it be you? Read on to find out!
There is also a final chance to enjoy Dorset this autumn at 30% off. Whether you gather loved ones for an exclusive whole-cottage stay or join new friends on a shared itinerary, it is one week of golden light, fireside evenings, and Laura’s gourmet creations you will never forget.
We are also sharing Tony and Donna’s heartfelt review of their 50th wedding anniversary at Well Cottage, a week they describe as “beyond our wildest dreams.” Add in Portland’s award-winning D-Day Centre and a moving look at Mary Shelley’s final resting place in Dorset, and you have plenty to enjoy this week.
Let’s go!
Hurry! Enjoy 30% off this fabulous Fall 2025 escape
27 October – 3 November (7 nights)
The lake at Stourhead House & Gardens
There is no season quite like Autumn in England.
Dorset’s rolling hills transform into a painter’s palette of burnished gold, fiery copper, and deep crimson. Mornings carry a crisp brightness that makes countryside walks feel fresh and invigorating. Afternoons are perfect for exploring historic sites and hidden gems in the cool, atmospheric light. And evenings invite you back to Well Cottage for glowing firesides, fine wines, and Laura’s piping-hot gourmet creations.
It’s the very essence of a cosy English countryside escape – and if you’re quick enough to snap this up, it could be yours at an incredible 30% discount.
Make this Fall unforgettable for all the right reasons! You’ve got options:
Whole Cottage – Flagship Tailor-Made or Set Itinerary
Book the cottage exclusively for you and your family or friends (up to 6 guests). Choose either a fully tailor-made itinerary, personalised to your pace and passions…
LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR FLAGSHIP EXPERIENCE
… or select from one of our seven beautifully curated 7-night itineraries…
EXPLORE ALL OF OUR SET ITINERARY OPTIONS
From stately homes to secret gardens, from the Jurassic Coast to picturesque villages, every day becomes your own private adventure – complete with Nathan’s chauffeur service and Laura’s round-the-clock culinary magic.
Shared Cottage – 7-Night Sightseeing (Set Itinerary 2)
Prefer to share the experience? Join like-minded travellers for our 7-night Shared Cottage Hidden England Sightseeing Adventure, where up to six guests enjoy the cottage together. With three double bedrooms (each with private bathrooms), you’ll have the perfect balance of privacy and camaraderie. Expect a full, hosted itinerary of expertly handpicked excursions, 24/7 VIP service, and evenings swapping stories over gourmet dinners by the fire. It’s everything you dream of in an English escape, without the planning or stress.
EXPLORE OUR AMAZING HIDDEN ENGLAND ITINERARY
Spaces are limited – and if even one of our three gorgeous rooms is booked for the Shared Cottage Experience, the Whole Cottage offer obviously falls away!
This is your final chance to enjoy Dorset in all its Autumn glory with our award-winning service this year. Whether you gather loved ones for a private retreat or join new friends for a shared adventure, this is one week you’ll remember forever.
DON’T MISS THIS CHANCE – REACH OUT NOW
“Beyond our wildest dreams…”
(and more kind words from our recent guests)
Few things give us more joy than knowing Well Cottage has played a part in life’s most cherished milestones. For Tony and Donna, who joined us to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary, it was a week filled with laughter, discovery, and moments they’ll carry forever. Their kind words touched us deeply, and we’re so delighted to share a glimpse of their experience with you from their 5-star review here:
“A Vacation Beyond our Wildest Dreams!
We are so blessed to have celebrated our 50th Wedding Anniversary by experiencing the ultimate English Cottage Vacation of a lifetime and stay at the home of this lovely couple, our hosts, Nathan and Laura! We knew this would be a special holiday, but it far exceeded our expectations!
We recognized the genuineness of Nathan and Laura that came across immediately when we first met them.
Our first impression was the charm and welcoming smile of Nathan when he arrived in London to collect us at the hotel. Nathan immediately went into tour advisor mode and narrated the points of interest that London is known for. We loved hearing Nathan’s depiction of the beautiful countryside, and his excitement to show us a new area to explore each day, from the quaint hamlet he and Laura live in, to the villages, towns and cities that have their own charm and uniqueness. When Nathan isn’t driving, he puts on a few more hats – waiter, bartender, gardener, etc., and occasionally shows his skills at unique napkin folding designs.
When we reached the cottage, Laura was outside greeting us with her warm and inviting smile and exuberant charm! Laura’s mouthwatering meals were not only incredibly savory, but exquisitely presented with imaginative plating and description. Her personality continued to shine through with her decorative skills that makes Well Cottage so warm and inviting. Laura is always on cue video taping by descriptively narrating her guests daily happenings, showing the gardens, the cottage, gardening tips, and if that isn’t enough, she recently published her own online recipe book!
Nathan and Laura’s effortless attention to detail is spot on as shown by the passion and devotion they put into making sure we were always comfortable. It truly shows that they genuinely enjoy what they do, and they both complement each other so well.
The stunning gardens surrounding the cottage with the most spectacular palette of colors are not only attributed to Laura and Nathan’s hard work, but also to Laura’s Mum’s personal attention. You can tell they all put a lot of love into making Well Cottage an enchanted, fairytale-like setting.
Thank you Nathan and Laura for creating this wonderful experience, that was beyond our wildest dreams, to ensure our 50th Anniversary would be so very special and unforgettable!
Love and Cheers!❤️” – Tony and Donna N., TripAdvisor, July 2025
Have you been a guest of ours? We’d be so grateful if you can share your experiences on TripAdvisor and Google Reviews too! Also be sure to check out the testimonials featured on our website!
The week in Dorset: Portland’s
D-Day story shines again
History has been brought vividly to life once more on Portland, where the Castletown D-Day Centre has just scooped a prestigious Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice Award for the third year running. That puts this immersive wartime museum in the top 10% of attractions worldwide – a remarkable feat, and one that speaks to its powerful way of sharing Dorset’s role in World War II.
Step inside and you don’t just look at history – you touch it. From climbing aboard an original Sherman tank to handling genuine weapons and equipment, the centre invites visitors to experience the realities of 1944 in an unforgettable way. Authentic military vehicles, rare artefacts, and even the chance to explore the docks where troops once embarked for Normandy make it an extraordinary day out. With its 4.9-star rating and glowing reviews, it’s no wonder it stands as Portland’s number-one attraction.
This living history ties directly into one of our most exciting upcoming offerings: our English History / WWI, WWII & D-Day Heritage itinerary. It’s a chance to step into the drama of the past while indulging in the luxury and comfort of your Dorset escape.
Of course, the D-Day Centre is just the beginning. Our itineraries can take you deeper into Britain’s wartime story: explore the extraordinary Tank Museum at Bovington, uncover moving personal stories at The D-Day Story in Portsmouth, or walk the historic decks of HMS Victory and HMS Warrior at the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. Aviation enthusiasts will love the Fleet Air Arm Museum at Yeovilton, while the haunting ghost village of Tyneham and the atmospheric streets of Bath on a Blitz tour offer poignant reminders of sacrifice and resilience.
Whether you’re tracing troop embarkations on the Jurassic Coast or standing in the very rooms of Southwick House where D-Day was planned, Dorset and its neighbours offer a world-class journey into 20th-century history. And with Nathan chauffeuring you in comfort and Laura’s gourmet provisions waiting, these excursions are as indulgent as they are unforgettable.
EXPLORE OUR EXTRAORDINARY EXCURSIONS
Did You Know..? Mary Shelley rests in Dorset
Most people meet Mary Shelley on the page – fever-bright nights at Lake Geneva, a lightning-flash of an idea, and Frankenstein roaring to life in 1818. Fewer know that the author’s story ends quietly by the sea in Dorset. Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley is buried at St Peter’s Church, Bournemouth, a Gothic landmark in the town centre whose churchyard has become a place of pilgrimage for readers from all over the world.
Why Bournemouth? In the late 1840s Mary’s only surviving child, Sir Percy Florence Shelley, and his wife Jane (Lady Shelley) established a home at Boscombe – the coastal air was thought to be restorative – and Mary spent time here near the end of her life. When she died in 1851, Sir Percy arranged for her interment at St Peter’s. Crucially, he also honoured his mother’s wish to lie with her own parents: the pioneering feminist Mary Wollstonecraft and the radical philosopher William Godwin. Their remains were carefully exhumed from St Pancras Old Church in London and reburied with Mary in Bournemouth, creating a single Shelley-Godwin-Wollstonecraft family tomb.
There is a poignant postscript to the grave. When the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley drowned off the Italian coast in 1822, his body was cremated; his ashes rest in Rome’s Protestant Cemetery. But a relic of his heart – salvaged from the pyre and long kept by Mary – was later interred in the Bournemouth vault. It was placed there in 1889 when Sir Percy was buried, bringing husband and wife together in memory if not in full bodily remains. The tomb you see today therefore gathers six intertwined lives: Mary Shelley; her parents Wollstonecraft and Godwin; Sir Percy Florence Shelley; and Jane, Lady Shelley – with the poet’s heart among them.
Visit the churchyard and you’ll find the Shelley family tomb a short climb from the rear steps, its inscriptions weathered but legible, and often adorned with tokens left by admirers. St Peter’s marks the spot on local heritage trails, and the wider Bournemouth area still bears traces of the family’s presence – not least Boscombe Manor (now Shelley Manor), the house tied to the Shelleys’ final years in the town. For many visitors, it is quietly moving to stand here and read Mary’s name in stone; to think of the young woman who once imagined a modern Prometheus, and the older one who outlived so many she loved.
For Dorset, the grave is more than a curiosity; it anchors a web of literary connections that stretch from revolutionary London to Romantic Italy, and from a Swiss summer of ghost stories to an English seaside churchyard. If you’re tracing Britain’s great literary lives, Bournemouth’s St Peter’s offers a rare, intimate encounter with a writer whose creation has never truly slept.
We can get you there – with private chauffeured transport, expert guidance, and plenty of time to explore at your own pace!
FOR WORLD CLASS EXPERIENCES – REACH OUT NOW!
Cook the Well Cottage Way:
80+ Recipes from Laura’s Kitchen
Discover the heart of English Cottage Vacation from your own home with Laura’s instantly downloadable recipe book, filled with over 80 cherished recipes inspired by life at Well Cottage.
From beautifully baked treats and seasonal lunches to comforting mains and traditional puddings, each recipe is easy to follow and full of Dorset flavour. These are the dishes that define the rhythm of cottage life – simple, elegant, and cooked with care.
Whether you’re planning your visit or simply craving a taste of the English countryside, this thoughtfully curated collection is yours to enjoy for just £30.
Bring the beauty of cottage living to your kitchen – or gift it to someone who appreciates food that feels like a warm welcome.
Celebrating our luxury picnic basket winner!
It’s that time again! We’re thrilled to announce this month’s luxury countryside picnic basket! A beautifully handcrafted willow hamper filled with all the essentials for a dreamy alfresco outing is on its way to one lucky subscriber…
Steve Vassallo
Congratulations – your prize is packed and ready to bring a little English countryside charm to your next outdoor adventure!
Your basket includes:
- Fine china plates and real glassware
- Stainless steel cutlery and linen napkins
- A tartan picnic blanket
Didn’t win this time? No worries – we’re giving away another one next month! Simply stay subscribed to our weekly newsletter and you’re automatically in the draw.
And if you know someone who would love a touch of English charm in their inbox, feel free to forward this email or share the SIGN-UP LINK . They could also be in to win!
*Disclaimer: The basket we deliver is subject to availability but we will always strive to ensure comparable quality!
Essential info: Everything you need to know, all in one place
From your first enquiry to your farewell at Heathrow, we’ve designed every step of your English Cottage Vacation to be smooth, simple and beautifully stress-free.
Whether you’re curious about availability, wondering how payments work, or ready to shape your tailor-made itinerary, the links below will guide you through it all – clearly, quickly, and with complete confidence.
Your Tailor-Made Itinerary, Discovery Process
Step inside the cottage community!
Join our Facebook group for a peek behind the scenes, seasonal updates from Well Cottage, and a friendly space to connect with fellow Anglophiles. We’d love to welcome you in!
