Overlooking the sea between Lulworth Cove and Weymouth is a house called Marren. Surrounded by National Trust land, Marren is set in a large garden on a steep slope with spectacular views of Portland and Weymouth Bay. The only sounds are of waves breaking and the cries of buzzards. We are seven minutes from a secluded beach to the east of Ringstead and five minutes from the Dorset Coastal Path which leads to Bats Head, Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove. It is the perfect place for walking, seeing wildlife and breathtaking views of sea and cliffs. We have two en-suite double bedrooms. The larger one has its own entrance from the garden and a super kingsize bed; the smaller one has a spectacular view of Portland and Weymouth Bay through french windows from the bed. We can recommend a selection of excellent restaurants and pubs for eating out, plus help with local maps and directions for walks.
A weekend away at Marren was my birthday treat and everything about it felt like an indulgent treat! I felt so relaxed there that a few weeks later, I returned to enjoy yet another weekend of walking with my sister, who lives in London.
Marren house is tucked away in the most beautiful landscape with a lovely, interesting interior. French windows in our bedroom made the most of the open views to the sea over Wendy’s beautifully landscaped garden.
Breakfast was delicious - homemade jams with toast, fresh fruit salad, full English breakfast and cereals were all on offer.
Thank you Wendy and Peter for being such welcoming and helpful hosts, for giving us advice on varied coastal and country walks as well as the best eateries in the area. We will definitely be back!
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Date of stay: May 2022Trip type: Traveled as a couple
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Had the most wonderful stay at Marren celebrating our anniversary. We stayed in the cosiest of rooms with a sea view which was absolutely magical to wake up to, everything was well kept& spotless. Peter& Wendy were incredibly attentive, giving us lots of information on nearby walks, food, pubs etc.. Not to mention the garden which felt like a sort of fairyland especially during spring!
We will definitely be staying again! Do not hesitate in booking a stay at this fabulous b&b
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Date of stay: April 2024
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Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip: It’s a bumpy ride up so a well suited car is necessary
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A beautiful (if slightly remote) location but so worth it when you get there. Peter and Wendy are wonderfully hospitable with a superb breakfast. Bed was supremely comfortable and a lovely bathroom. The garden is beautiful and you are able to walk the couth west coast path directly so it is a great location for anyone wanting to walk the jurassic coast. Weymouth is close too. We have already booked to return later in the summer.
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Date of stay: July 2023
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Trip type: Traveled as a couple
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Couple of days away on the stunning Dorset coast. Marren is simply idyllic, a little adventure to locate but the clear instructions were spot on. The house is set in beautiful gardens with stunning views across Weymouth bay to Portland. Our hosts were welcoming and attentive. The breakfasts very tasty with homemade bread and jams. Our garden room had a door straight out onto the garden and we spent a good hour or so exploring the grounds, listening to the birds, the waves and admiring the views. We walked and walked, up hills , down hills to Lulworth and the other way to Ringstead. Several great pubs nearby. Go! You will not be disappointed.
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Date of stay: May 2022Trip type: Traveled as a couple
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We had a truly great time at the cottage. The best views, access to the beach via shady little road and yummy breakfast!
Our hosts were very helpful and patient, helped us immensely with the directions. Thank you so much!!!
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Date of stay: May 2021Trip type: Traveled on business
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Even after a nine hour trip - we were relaxed and blissfully happy within moments of arriving - enjoying the stunning view from the south facing room, (and a gin from the nearby co-op).
The Marren is like a scaled down version of Ruskin's Brantwood. Lovely gardens, good breakfasts and whilst we were there, very pleasant fellow guests. It's all rather splendid.
Excellent hosts with an eye for detail - things you might need seem to appear before you've thought to ask - a very nice touch indeed.
The access is tricky - you need to be confident driving a quarter-mile on farm tracks and possibly moving cows on, as you open gates etc. Arrive before dark(!) if you can, at least for the first night.
Watch out for Dorset's extremely sneaky unmarked speed camera vans/variable speed limits on the nearby A roads. I've got the "option" of a 650-mile round trip for a speed awareness course or 3 points on my spotless licence as a souvenir...
Easy to visit RSPB Arne, Old Harry Rock at Studland, Seatown's Anchor Inn, Charmouth for fossils, Durdle Door beach, Corfe Castle, Monkey World and Lulworth Cove from here - Peter can recommend all sorts of routes and places.
There's some ropey pubs and restaurants around living on passing day trade that'll never return - it's well worth researching/reserving in advance.
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Date of stay: July 2017
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Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip:Â The sea view room every time.
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Marren is located on the south coastal path and you can leave your car and roam. It has all the charm and elegance of a country house hotel - it even has a library. Peter and Wendy have developed the property overtime, blending styles seamlessly to create their charming and unusual home and garden. We stayed in the larger room which is very comfortable with a great bathroom. You will be well fed - coffee is excellent ( and I am very fussy about coffee) and they provide well informed and sensible recommendations about where to eat out. The garden is huge and amazing- it looks wild and rambling but its creation is the result of careful management, hours of time and utter devotion. We loved the 'stairway to heaven' - 64 steps to another stunning view of the sea. There is a wendy house just below and a grassy terrace. A nice spot for a picnic. It would be even better if the outdoor furniture was renewed to encourage guests to enjoy the garden and wildlife in all its glory. You can walk to the beach for an evening stroll and enjoy the sun setting over Portland Bill.
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Date of stay: July 2017
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Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip:Â The room at the back is bigger but does not have a sea view from the window.
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We stayed at Marren B&B for two nights at the end of July with our two children. We cannot recommend it highly enough. It's important to note that the house itself is hidden away- follow the directions provided by Wendy and Peter, and fight every instinct to ignore what your GPS is telling you to do! Our stay could not have been better- the house is large and lovely, fancy but not in a way that makes you feel uncomfortable, the rooms are spacious and beautifully decorated, and morning breakfast is delicious and cooked to order by Peter. The garden is an absolute delight and a treasure in every sense of the word- make sure you set aside time to explore it! Marren is well suited to walks along the coast (Wendy will tell you how to get down to the beach- it's about a 10 minute walk and kids are able to do it too), as well as extremely quick trips to Weymouth Beach, Durdle Door, Lulworth Cove and the Lulworth Estate. We recommend the Sailors Return pub in Chaldon Herring for dinner- be sure to make a reservation as it's tiny and seems to be fully booked most nights. It's walkable from Marren, but also a 10 minute drive away. Thank you again Wendy and Peter, we were charmed by your home and hospitality and we will be back!
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Date of stay: July 2017
Rooms
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Service
Trip type: Traveled with family
Room Tip:Â we stayed in a room which opened directly on to the garden which was lovely
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We have just returned from a 2 night stay in Marren. This beautiful B and B is a real gem with great character and is home to the most welcoming hosts you could ask for. Set in a quiet and peaceful location it is the perfect getaway. We arrived quite late at night yet nothing seemed too much trouble. The local knowledge that Wendy and Peter have of the area was also of great help as they provided great recommendations of places to see and eat at during our stay! Do not be put off with the rural location, we had absolutely no problem finding Marren using the directions kindly sent to us. If anything the location adds to the property's charm! The breakfast consisted of a lovely fruit salad, full English and all the cereals and toast you could possibly eat with lots of locally made jams! The B & B is a real home from home with beautiful grounds and gardens. We thoroughly recommend Marren as a great base to explore Dorsets charms and look forward to staying again the future.
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Date of stay: June 2017Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We stayed for a weekend at Marren. It was a littel hard to find and the track was pretty rough but we had been warned. The house and gardens are lovely and our room was cozy and a had a great view right from the bed. The B&B is well located for walking the Coast Path. The hosts and other guests were friendly and the breakfast fine. My only complaint is that there was no lock on our room. Never mind security but what about privacy?
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Date of stay: March 2015
Rooms
Cleanliness
Service
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
There are more places to choose from in the Dorchester area.
LOCATION
United KingdomEnglandDorsetDorchester
NUMBER OF ROOMS
2
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Nearby attractions include Xtreme Falconry at Dorset Falconry Park (4.1 miles), The Tank Museum (4.8 miles), and Warmwell Holiday Park Ski Slope (2.4 miles).
