Things to do

A. The beauty of your English Cottage Vacation is that activities and excursions included depend on which itinerary option you choose.

Set Itineraries:
Set Itineraries follow a pre-planned, fixed program of carefully selected experiences designed to showcase the best of England. There is a set list of activities for each Set Itinerary, and these cannot be changed. The schedule is predetermined and confirmed on booking. This is why Set Itineraries are priced more accessibly—you know exactly what you’re getting from the moment you book.

Tailor-Made Itineraries:
Activities are NOT limited to a specific list. Your Tailor-Made itinerary is fully customizable and based entirely around your interests. After booking (i.e., paying the deposit), we begin the discovery process and the planning of your itinerary, which is then confirmed prior to your arrival.

You might enjoy:
∙ Historic sites (e.g., castles, abbeys, Roman ruins, stately homes)
∙ Outdoor adventures (e.g., coastal walks, countryside hikes, nature reserves)
∙ Gardens and estates (e.g., formal gardens, botanical gardens, private estates)
∙ Food and drink experiences (e.g., local markets, artisan producers, traditional pubs)
∙ Arts and culture (e.g., museums, galleries, theatres, literary sites)
∙ Unique experiences (e.g., clay pigeon shooting, horseback riding, fossil hunting, special events)

The beauty of a Tailor-Made itinerary is that activities aren’t limited to a specific list—they’re based entirely on what you want to do. This complete flexibility is reflected in the pricing.

Itinerary Flexibility During Your Stay:

For Tailor-Made itineraries, small changes can be made at your request and at the discretion of Nathan and Laura during your stay. This flexibility is particularly valuable when working around weather conditions or if you discover something you’d prefer to experience instead.

Understanding Our All-Inclusive Philosophy:
While we pride ourselves on being all-inclusive with no limits, there is, of course, always a limit in life. We want to be transparent about the rare occasions when additional costs may apply:

When Surcharges May Apply (Tailor-Made Itineraries Only):

1. Exceptionally Expensive Requests:
In the very rare occasion that a particularly expensive activity or excursion is requested—at any time during the discovery process, planning process, or during your actual stay—we will be open with you about whether it can be included within your all-inclusive package. Each request is judged on an individual basis, taking into account the overall balance and cost of your entire week’s itinerary. What might require a surcharge in one context could be perfectly included in another, depending on what else you’re doing throughout the week. If a surcharge is necessary, this will always be communicated very openly and clearly before any booking or confirmation, so you can decide whether to proceed.

2. Swapping Pre-Booked Excursions During Your Stay:
If, during your stay, you request to swap an already pre-booked excursion with a similar or substantially more expensive excursion or activity, there may be a surcharge to cover the additional cost.

We believe in complete transparency—if there’s an additional cost for any reason, you’ll know about it upfront, and the choice will always be yours.

What’s Always Included:
Regardless of which itinerary type you choose, all planned excursions include Nathan’s expert guiding, entrance tickets, transportation, and any meals during the day.

Absolutely! England’s countryside is crisscrossed with beautiful walking paths, and Well Cottage’s location in Dorset provides access to some of the most scenic walking in all of England.

Walking Options:
Casual Walks: Gentle strolls through charming villages, garden walks at stately homes, coastal promenades, or peaceful rambles through the countryside surrounding Well Cottage—perfect for all fitness levels.

Moderate Hikes: Explore sections of England’s famous walking trails, discover hidden valleys, follow ancient footpaths through rolling hills, or walk portions of the stunning Jurassic Coast with its dramatic cliffs and fossil beaches.

Serious Hiking: For keen hikers, we can incorporate more challenging routes with elevation gains, longer distances, and more remote terrain—all showcasing England’s most beautiful landscapes.

For Really Keen Hikers: If walking and hiking are your primary passion, consider booking our Curated Walking and Hiking Set Itinerary—a specially designed week focused entirely on exploring England’s best trails and footpaths.

Integrated into Your Itinerary: Walking can be woven into your daily excursions—perhaps a scenic walk to reach a historic site, a coastal path to a traditional pub lunch, or a countryside ramble before returning to the cottage. Nathan tailors the amount and intensity of walking to match your preferences and abilities.

Equipment & Support: Nathan provides guidance on appropriate footwear and clothing for English weather. We also provide wellies (wellington boots) if it’s a bit wet underfoot, raincoats, fleeces, backpacks, and walking sticks—everything you need for comfortable walking in any conditions. If you’re interested in serious hiking, let us know during the planning process so we can ensure your itinerary includes the routes you’ll love most.

Whether you want a gentle afternoon stroll or a full day’s hike through the countryside, we’ll make it happen.

The physical demands of your excursions are entirely tailored to your abilities and preferences—this is one of the key advantages of having Nathan as your personal guide and driver.

For Set Itineraries: If you’ve booked a Set Itinerary—whether that’s a Whole Cottage booking or a Shared Cottage booking—the itineraries have been created with the ability to be flexible for different levels of activity and ability. While you’re adhering to a specific itinerary, each excursion has its own variations of ability levels, allowing Nathan to adjust the experience to suit your fitness and comfort.

Flexible Activity Levels:
Low Physical Demand: Many excursions involve minimal walking—perhaps strolling through a historic home, browsing a quaint village, or enjoying scenic drives with short walks from the car park to attractions. These are suitable for all fitness levels, including guests with limited mobility (who can navigate stairs at the cottage).

Moderate Activity: Some excursions may include more walking—exploring larger estates, wandering through markets, or coastal walks. Nathan adjusts the pace and distance to suit your comfort level, and there’s always the option to rest, sit, or return to the vehicle.

Higher Activity: For those who enjoy more active experiences, we can incorporate challenging hikes, longer walking trails, cycling, horseback riding, or other vigorous activities. These are only included if you specifically request them.

Customized to Your Group: During your Discovery and Preference Forms, you’ll have the opportunity to indicate your fitness level and activity preferences. Nathan uses this information to design excursions that match your capabilities. If you have mixed fitness levels within your group, we can often find options that accommodate everyone—perhaps a shorter walking route with a meeting point, or activities where some can participate more actively while others enjoy a leisurely pace.

Rest and Flexibility: You’re never locked into a schedule that’s too demanding. If you find yourself tired or wanting a slower pace, simply let Nathan know—plans can be adjusted on the fly. The goal is for you to enjoy every moment, not to push yourself beyond comfort.

Your vacation should invigorate, not exhaust you. We ensure every excursion is perfectly calibrated to your personal abilities and desires.

Yes, absolutely! We accommodate and provide activities that are inclusive for children. There are many activities that can be tailored to children or are more suitable for families with children, and a nice balance can be created on a Tailor-Made itinerary for families.

Tailor-Made Family Experiences: Nathan carefully selects attractions and activities that captivate children while remaining enjoyable for adults. This might include:

Interactive castle tours where history comes alive
Beaches and coastal areas for exploring rock pools and fossil hunting
Hands-on museums with child-friendly exhibits
Gardens with adventure playgrounds or mazes
Wildlife parks and safari experiences
Steam railway journeys
Historic sites with engaging storytelling

Our Family Set Itinerary: We also offer a dedicated Family Set Itinerary that provides a perfect blend of activities specifically designed for families with young children. This thoughtfully curated week balances fun and discovery with comfort and ease, featuring destinations like:
Seaside adventures along the Jurassic Coast
Longleat Safari Park with animal encounters
The Roman city of Bath with parks and exploration
Wookey Hole Caves with circus shows and mazes
Corfe Castle and steam train rides
Beach days and countryside exploration

Age-Appropriate Adjustments: Nathan tailors the pace and content of excursions to suit your children’s ages and attention spans. Younger children might need shorter visits with more breaks, while teenagers might appreciate deeper historical context or more adventurous activities.

Beyond Excursions: Children can participate in cooking with Laura at the cottage, play traditional garden games, help with harvesting vegetables and fruit, and explore the grounds. Well Cottage sits in an area where children can explore nature in the surrounding fields and meadows. We also have a local play area with tennis courts, and a local wood with a stream—really fun for kids to explore, build dams, and build shelters in the woods.

Family vacations should be enjoyable for everyone, and we ensure children have just as memorable an experience as their parents—creating lifelong memories of the English countryside.

You can find our in depth FAQ’s page here.