Holmegate House and Wing - kate & tom's Large Holiday Homes Holmegate House and Wing - kate & tom's Large Holiday Homes Holmegate House and Wing - kate & tom's Large Holiday Homes

Dive in, cosy up, be a family again

Plucked from more innocent times, restored and reinvigorated, Dorset’s Holmegate sits close to the rocky romantic wash of Dorset’s Jurassic coast. Beyond the crunch of the gravel, adventures await. Dive into the pool in summer, cosy up by the fire in winter. Invade the games room, fire up the Aga, be a family once more.

Famous adventures by the coast

Where is Holmegate? It’s just ten minutes from the romantic wash of the waves at Lulworth Cove, 20 minutes from the fine sands and watersports of Studland Bay and close to the rocks and fossils of Kimmeridge Bay. In reality, though, you’ll find it in an age of innocence that seems to belong to the pages of Enid Blyton’s Famous Five .

The landscape gently undulates as you draw near along the winding lanes. Beyond the crunch of the gravel, the imposing frontage tells of a grand past and an exciting immediate future for the children. Battle over the eight comfortable bedrooms, unwind in front of a cosy fire, children can swarm over the adventure playground and get giddy over the heated pool.

Inside, among the restored period detail, you’ll chill as you warm your toes in front of blazing fires, fire up a film or just curl up and be cosy with the book you never got round to. The real luxury here is time. Cook on the Aga, dine en masse with the sun flooding in through the French windows, gaze at the garden from the conservatory.

Kids can invade the games room for table tennis and toys, or the conservatory for air hockey and table football. Wake up in deep, soft linen, slide up the sash and stare out over the nature reserve that runs all the way to Wareham Channel, with its boats and islands. Take the kids. Bring the dogs. It’s all family to us.

 Holmegate House and Wing - kate & tom's Large Holiday Homes

Pool, gardens and grounds

Dorset is the ultimate garden. The fields wend their way through sleepy thatched villages to bustling seaside towns and the rocky, romantic Jurassic beaches. But there’s a slice of that English dreamscape right out of the French windows, with the promise of serene seclusion and cricket and croquet on the lawn.

The sun’s out, so let’s celebrate. And where better than in the heated outdoor pool? Dive in with the kids. This is where memories are made. Towel off and explore the nooks and crannies of the garden trails beneath the big skies and the swooping skylarks.

Work up an appetite with pre-prandial strolls or football on the lawn, then light the gas barbie, get the steaks out and toast the rolling hills and the taste of freedom. Unwind under starlit skies.

 Holmegate House and Wing - kate & tom's Large Holiday Homes Holmegate House and Wing - kate & tom's Large Holiday Homes Holmegate House and Wing - kate & tom's Large Holiday Homes Holmegate House and Wing - kate & tom's Large Holiday Homes
Living spacesLiving spacesLiving spacesLiving spaces

Living spaces

Spread out, chill out and break out with a book in the expansive spaces at Holmegate. Be apart, be together and be yourselves on comfy sofas in front of roaring fires.

This is a period-features world of grand fireplaces, picture rails and wooden-chest coffee tables. Everything is cosy and comfortable – from the throws on the chairs to the rugs on the floors.

There’s space for 18 here, to read, feed logs onto the fire, watch the flicks on the TV or play family games in the lounge or drawing room. For a view of the rolling gardens, repair to the conservatory.

Kids can let off steam with table tennis in the games room or air hockey and table football in the conservatory. There’s a space, a place and a pace for everyone at Holmegate, the house with big spaces and an even bigger heart.

Cooking and dining

Pile the pot high and let it simmer in the classic country kitchen. Pick up your fresh mackerel, mullet and scallops at The Salt Pig, then let the Aga belt out the heat and cook up a storm as the air fills with the aroma of fresh produce about to hit the huge oak dining table.

Gather at the table, butter the bread, pour the drinks and chinwag away as you remember the simple beauty of family and friends being together over fine food. If you’re celebrating, let us do the work. Pick the phone up and put your feet up as our chef wades in and even washes up afterwards.

In East Holme, you can cook your own steaks on the Black Grill at The Quay Inn or enjoy hearty, family-friendly fare at The Antelope Inn. Try your luck with the 16oz ribeye at SteakASaurus or tuck into Nepalese nosh at The 29029. Head off for breakfast at The Salt Pig and leave with produce from the deli.

Half an hour away by road but a world apart in quality is Sienna. Celebrate in style at this Michelin-starred Dorchester eaterie. On sunny days, load up at The Salt Pig and gather in the garden to fire up the gas barbie and clink glasses on the terrace as you breathe the clean air and watch the birds swoop over the rolling English hills.

 Holmegate House and Wing - kate & tom's Large Holiday Homes

Bedrooms

There are eight bedrooms at Holmegate, sleeping 18, each one with beds deeper and dreamier than the last. Windows open onto sweeping greenery as far as the eye can see and night stars that gleam brightly in the clear country skies.

Bedroom one is a superking with an en-suite bath. Bedroom two is also superking-sized, while bedroom three is a superking zip-and-link that converts to twins in a jiffy. Bedroom four is another superking with an en-suite shower room.

Bedrooms five and six are superking doubles or zip-and-link twins. Bedroom seven is ideal for families, with superking and bunk bed. For guestfests, a zed-bed can also be made available.

Bedroom eight, in the wing, again offers zip-and-link conversion. It also comes with its own living room and kitchen, and a downstairs bathroom, too.

Holmegate is the ultimate rural retreat. Whichever bedroom you end up in when the music stops, the only sounds to disturb your sleep will be the sigh of the wind and the wings of the bats.

Children Welcome

So it’s down to you to book a house that will keep every generation happy. Holmegate ticks the boxes for kids with activities inside and out that’ll win the day for you and make memories for them.

They’ll dive right in on day one when they see the pool in the garden. If they’re ever done with that, the adventure playground awaits. Before tea, there’s just time for hide-and-seek in the expansive acres, or cricket or croquet on the English lawns.

The fun continues inside. Prepare to be challenged at ping-pong in the games room, or maybe some air hockey or table tennis in the conservatory? Elsewhere, there are ample spaces for cards or charades, or just a family film night in front of the TV and the burning logs.

Holmegate in Autumn and Winter

Holmegate and the Jurassic Coast make a wonderful destination in autumn and winter. There are great walks from the house into East Holme and the countryside around. The Farm Shop at Holme for Gardens has a scrumptious selection of local food and you can pick up fish and shellfish caught fresh each morning from Cove Fish in Lulworth Cove. For a hearty lunch head to one of the many excellent pubs close by.

Kite surfers and windsurfers scud across the water at Studland as you wrap up for a walk on a beautiful, deserted beach. Enjoy golf, shooting and sailing on crisp, clear days. Make the most of Dorset’s many attractions, including the Tank Museum, Corfe Castle and Monkey World, open all year round. Try your hand at baking in the warm, comfortable kitchen or curl up in front of the open fires with a glass of red wine. Holmegate is a haven of comfort, perfect for a winter weekend.

What People Say

What People Say

The perfect house to celebrate that special occasion with family and friends. Well equipped with everything needed. Plenty space for everyone- especially as it was a very wet weekend! Nothing we could do about the weather, the house accommodated our every need. - Anon
We all had a fabulous holiday. The Kate & Toms team were so friendly and helpful, so booking was easy. The property was perfect, with everything we needed. I would definitely book a holiday with Kate & Toms again. - Karen
Beautifully appointed and equipped house, lovely garden and pool, nice welcome pack, good service. - Chris
Holmegate House and the way kate & tom have equipped it had the 'Wow' factor from the moment we crossed the threshold! We tried hard to find something 'missing' but failed!! - Martin
We loved our weekend stay at Holmegate House. Great space, loads for the kids and cracking location to explore the South Coast. Will be booking to come back again!! - Stuart
Thank you for organising our family celebration at Holmegate House. It was everything we wanted and more. Lot's of happy memories and the grandchildren made themselves completely at home. - Valerie
We had a fantastic week long stay at Holmegate House and Wing in July 2016 as a large group comprising multiple young families and singles. The house is spacious and beautifully presented and perfect for young families, we will be highly recommending it to friends and family. - Sarah
A wonderful family home from home by the sea, we cannot wait to come back. - Mrs A
We had a fantastic weekend at wonderful Holmegate House. The kids loved it all! This has to be one of the best places to stay, we must come back for a week - The Graham Family
We had a really lovely stay at Holmegate House in November for my partner and his twin brother’s 70th birthdays. There was lots to do on our doorstep – fantastic beaches, local walks for the dog, loads of nearby attractions. The house was immaculately turned out and no expense has been spared on the quality of the beds, bedding and beautiful throws everywhere. We took lots of games given the time of year and the table tennis, air hockey and table football went down so well with our age range of 1 to 71! The sitting rooms are so well presented and there is space in the conservatory for everyone to be together or other small rooms for those who want a quieter time to read a book or have a nap. The dining room is fabulous and easily accommodated our 14 for the birthday supper. We wouldn’t hesitate to book again with Kate and Tom’s. - Peter & Jane
Fantastic large family home in a very quiet and peaceful rural setting, but still close to amenities and the coast. - Noel
Had a fantastic time catching up with lots of friends for hen do. Really well equipped, lovely space for all generations and a great farm shop just up the road! - Chloe
It’s our second time at Holmegate House and Wing. l can honestly say the house is beautiful the grounds are well kept and the disabled young people we take with us really relax and are just so comfy in the house the gardens and the pool. The house is also big enough for the young people to have a break out space if they need it. We all come back really chilled and ready to start all over again to get our young people through another year. - Caroline
 Holmegate House and Wing - kate & tom's Large Holiday Homes

Buckets, spades and wetsuits

Bring your buckets, spades and wetsuits to Dorset. Canoe the coast around Studland Bay or Durdle Door. Potter round Poole Harbour and enjoy a pint in a harbourside pub. Introduce your chimps to their mates at Monkey World and hop over to Brownsea Island for woodland, wetlands and wildlife.