top of page
IMG_6519_edited_edited.jpg

REVIEWS

Diana - August 2024-

"We had a wonderful time, we all loved the house and the garden and all the things to do, and I have come home full of ideas for decorative painting  -and buying a ping pong table!  It was the perfect place for a family party. The children played a lot of hide and seek. On the last night we did a murder mystery - Murder at the Manor! - and dressed up in things we found in the local charity shops. "

Pamela - August 2024-

"We had an amazing time on our holiday. The Manor was the perfect venue. There was plenty of space for the children to run and play. Everyone enjoyed the badminton and table tennis. One of my sons is an excellent pianist so he enjoyed playing the grand. The kitchen was very well stocked and the facilities overall were superb. It certainly was an ideal house suitable for all ages. "

paisley 1_edited.jpg

Amelia- June 2024-

"Symondsbury manor is the most idyllic setting perfect for group gatherings. Everything was lovely and they had everything needed. The gardens were the perfect back drop as we prepared for our wedding there. So grateful we found the manor and hope to be back soon. "

Jenny - April 2024-

"We had an amazing weekend at Symondsbury Manor celebrating a special birthday. The house was amazing and set in lovely grounds. There were 18 adults and 4 children in our party and the house accommodated everyones needs.

The dining table was able to seat us all comfortably. The kitchen was extremely well equipped with ample cutlery, plates, cooking dishes etc. The lounge area was large and had lots of interesting artwork, furnishings. The ballroom had a table tennis table set up and the children loved this large area."

IMG_0187.jpg
Dorset Manor House. Large Group Accommodation

David - March 2024-

"We had a fabulous weekend at Symondsbury Manor with the sun shining (mainly). Friends and family all remarked on how wonderful the house was and the excellent decoration, art, cushions, etc. My wife had a fantastic birthday celebration and so I am in the good books for some time!"

Audrey - February 2024-

"We had a glorious stay at Symondsbury Manor. It was perfect! Thank you so much!

It has the great main living area which is just right for eating, relaxing and dancing in. The kitchen is well equipped, the rooms were lovely and we even managed a coffee in the garden on Sunday morning; it must be heaven in the summer! I think some of my guests are plotting a retun visit!"

Dorset Manor House. Large Group Accommodation
Dorset Manor House. Large Group Accommodation

Maria - January 2024-

"We truly had such a lovely 60th birthday weekend at Symondsbury Manor. What made it really special was how much like home (albeit 4 times bigger) it felt.

So much room for 23 of us and 3 dogs!

The Manor is a truly magical place – we loved the quirkiness and individuality. All of the bedrooms were lovely and everyone commented on how fabulous the beds were -  not the case in every rental house!

We just loved the main room, the fabulous dining table which seated all 23 of us with space to spare – amazing food from Connie Hawker. The ballroom was also really special and gave us a place for our wine tasting (The Bath Wine Tasting Company is highly recommended), a musical interlude from our fab friends and our daughter (a great piano and vocal trio) and some dancing to 1980s music!!!

We had a great Sunday lunch at the Ilchester Arms and the unseasonal sunny weather meant several walks.

What an amazing weekend – memories forever – and we would 100% recommend Symondsbury Manor."

Suzanne - December 2023-

"We had a really wonderful time at Symondsbury Manor, such a beautiful house and such interesting art works and decor. We felt like we were staying in someone's home rather than holiday accommodation. Thank you for making it so. We have stayed in very many places in the 45 years we've been going away together and Symondsbury Manor is now most definitely top of everyone's list!"

Dorset Manor House. Large Group Accommodation
Dorset Manor House. Large Group Accommodation

Charlie and Jane - December 2023-

"We have been going away with our group of friends at this time of the year for the last 17 years and stayed in 12 different houses and I have to say Symondsbury Manor has become our favourite. We have now stayed at the Manor three times and each time, we’ve had a wonderful experience.

There is something very special about Symondsbury that has led each time to us having an extremely happy relaxed experience.

On our previous two visits we have explored the fantastic countryside and coastline nearby. This time we spent more time within the house because the weather could’ve been better. The house is so welcoming it was conducive to relaxing, talking and game playing.

I am fully expecting that we'll be returning in 2024."

Debbie and Tom - September 2023-

"Myself and my husband celebrated our 60th with our family at the beautiful Manor house - it was amazing!

The house is fabulous, lots and lots of space for us all.

The lounge area is great for everyone to be together whilst eating, chatting, relaxing and playing games all in one room. The kitchen was well equipped and the AGA gave out some welcoming warmth. The house itself was lovely and warm.

All the bedrooms were cosy, the bed linen was lovely and everyone slept well. Having so many bathrooms was a luxury!

We'll definitely be recommending the Manor.

Thank you for the memories."

Dorset Manor House. Large Group Accommodation
Dorset Manor House. Large Group Accommodation

Richard and Rachel - August 2023-

"We had the most wonderful stay at Symondsbury Manor. 

The birthday girl now has treasured memories to keep forever! Everyone really loved the pillows, so much so that a few members of our group are going to buy the same pillows for home! We all absolutely adorded the arts and crafts feel to the venue, it really got people talking! 

Thank you again for having us and we hope to see you in the future."

Anita - June 2023-

"We had the best stay at Symondsbury Manor.

The house is so beautiful and quirky and being next to the garden centre and all the beautiful shops was an added bonus! With all the different rooms and stairs, it was like being in a story book. I am so pleased I found it. I only wish we were coming back again this weekend! We had Jane and Co cook for us on our first night - she is simply outstanding and I highly reccommend her. We have memories from the weekend that will stay with us forever. Thank you for everything."

Dorset Manor House. Large Group Accommodation
Dorset Manor House. Large Group Accommodation

Ken and Janet - April 2023-

"Thank you SO much for letting us stay at The Manor. Your lovely lovely house was a perfect place for our Easter family holiday. There was 20 of us - across 2 generations and we had such a special time together.

The huge Manor House swallowed us all wonderfully. Our children produced some splendid meals in the well-equipped kitchen. The garden was very inviting for younger family members to play in, and for older ones to sit out in the sun. Symondsbury's location was perfect for visits to the seaside at Hive Beach and at Charmouth. So, all in all, a thousand thanks from us."

 

Colette - February 2023-

"We had a splendid weekend at the house. I have 4 siblings with their partners and between us 6 children and now 2 little grandchildren.

It was a great spot to gather us all together for a weekend.

The house was clean and tidy when we arrived and all the beds and linen were to a high standard. The house was furnished comfortably so that we could spread out and sprawl at the end of the day. 

We thought the kitchen was very well equipped. Excellent having 3 fridges. Great to have all the surrounding grounds for games and exploring with the little ones. Thank you, we had a really lovely party weekend."

 

Dorset Manor House. Large Group Accommodation
Dorset Manor House. Large Group Accommodation

Jane - December 2022-

"We have just enjoyed a large family Christmas at Symondsbury Manor: 17 people between the ages 16 and 80. We had a wonderful time and the Manor played a very big part in this. It is a splendid house. The main reception room is enormous, with a huge dining table at one end and lots of sofas and easy chairs around a woodburning stove and TV at the other. So the whole group can be there at the same time doing their own things and with no sense of overcrowding. The kitchen worked fine for Christmas cooking. The house rules are few and reasonable. So while the house is elegant and well furnished, the atmosphere is relaxed and entirely unfussy. The owners live in the other part of the house but were completely unobtrusive, except on the one occasion when we needed help which was offered immediately and effectively. The sea is just a few minutes away by car with lovely shingly beaches and the South West Coastal Path. There was lots of swimming, even in December!”

 

Kim - January 2023-

"Having just returned from celebrating a friend's significant birthday I felt compelled to write to express how delighted we were with Symondsbury Manor.  The house provided comfortable and relaxed accommodation for 22 and 2 dogs, with plenty of space and sofas to congregate in the sitting room area to enjoy a cream tea in front of the log burner and the enormous dining table seated us all comfortably in order to devour the delicious meals provided by our wonderful caterers - At Home Bespoke Catering.

Our caterers were equally delighted with the Manor and said that the kitchen was very well equipped (they certainly managed to produce magical fayre). The bedrooms with hand printed wallpaper were equally comfortable and we all appreciated the crisp and comfy bedlinen, especially after an evening on the cocktails (we do hope the 80's playlists weren't too loud!)  The art and artifacts that are displayed throughout the Manor are a feast for the eyes and contribute to making the stay a memorable one. Maisy was very helpful during the booking process and several of our party were pleased to meet Peter during the course of the weekend.  The surrounding countryside is beautiful and due to clement weather we were able to enjoy walks, runs and cycles to and from the coast.  All in all a terrific weekend and one which won't be forgotten in a hurry!"

Dorset Manor House. Large Group Accommodation

Voula - September 2022 -

"We held a family birthday weekend at Symondsbury Manor in early September 2022. We were a party 20 adults, across three generations and five under 5 year olds. The weekend was a great success in every way, and we would love to have a family celebration there again. The house is fabulous, beautifully laid out, with colourful decor and lovely grounds, all quite magical. The communal spaces are large and airy - our entire party was able to sit around one enormous dining table; there is also a games room - our little ones loved that - and a spacious lounge area. The hosts of Symondsbury are considerate in so many ways to their guests: the well equipped kitchens, plenty of everything for everyone; the three large freezers, the quantites of crockery and cutlery. We self catered the whole weekend and had everything we needed and more. We highly reccommend this five star property."

Dorset Manor House. Large Group Accommodation

Margaret- July 2022 -

"We loved our stay at Symondsbury. There was plenty to enjoy in and around the house, especially the lovely gardens.We held table tennis and croquet tournaments - very competitive!. It was an unexpected bonus to find the shops and cafe through the side gate. Several of us went to the cafe for breakfast every day. The bike hire was also useful. The location was fabulous, there were some great walks and we particularly loved being so near the wonderful coastline. The children and some of us adults went on boat trips from West Bay - the rib trip was amazing!  We were pretty lucky with the weather too. A great time had by all!.

Many thanks to Peter for being such a friendly host and to you all for a truly memorable holiday."

Dorset Manor House. Large Group Accommodation

 Alan - April 2022-

"The Manor at Symondsbury is a truly magical place. The house is beautifully appointed and furnished in a way that allows for immediate habitation by incoming guests: after a quick tour to choose and squabble over bedrooms (which is itself fun, because they all have different attractions and features) guests feel entirely at home and start treating the place as their own. There is no sense, as there inevitably is in even the nicest hotel, that you are in someone else’s corporate property. You expect plumbing and heating to be slightly suspect but it isn’t! Everything you need works perfectly. The homeliness combines with the under-stated grandeur to create a very satisfying sense of comfort and ease. Decor - pictures, furniture, various accessories and architectural features - is full of character and delight. The grounds and gardens are a joy, with stone terraced beds, a little pond and lawns on different levels that allow you to discover endless charming spaces and features; the whole environment is a world apart, and yet it sits completely naturally within the village alongside the church, school and pub. We had a glorious 2 nights and days here, and will feed off the memories and images for many a day."

Dorset Manor House. Large Group Accommodation

Clio - March 2022-
"We had the most glorious weekend staying at Symondsbury, looked after by our host Peter. The Manor is a perfect house for a group holiday - exceptionally equipped, brilliantly decorated and lots of room for fun dinners and games. We were very lucky with the weather so we managed to have breakfast in the garden both mornings! The Cafe next door organised a delicious dinner for us in their lovely pottery - well worth a visit. We are already discussing our next trip to Symondsbury."



 

Dorset Manor House. Large Group Accommodation

Jaydon - July 2021-
“After a group of us spent 3 nights at Symondsbury Manor it’s fair to say we had the best weekend away especially since the pandemic hit. 
All the rooms were very comfy and cosy and the kitchen gave us everything we needed in order to cook large meals for us all staying there. Overall I would highly recommended Symondsbury Manor if you’re looking for a relaxing weekend away with friends or a fun few days away with family. ”


 

Charlie - December 2019 -
"The house was splendid. We even managed to dance in the ballroom!

The bedrooms were certainly the best we’ve experienced in all our years of going on similar weekends at Christmas and everyone loved the artwork and the big open space for eating and relaxing it meant we could all be together."


 

Liz - October 2019 -
"Thank you for having us. We had the most amazing weekend at the Manor and are already talking about ideas for coming back! 
The house is completely amazing and I particularly enjoyed how well prepared the kitchen was, it made catering for such a large group a complete breeze.
 The rooms were beautiful and the beds so comfortable that they were hard to get out of."

 

Dorset Manor House. Large Group Accommodation

Rachel - September 2019
"What a glorious 50th celebration we had at Symondsbury Manor. You feel immediately relaxed. Quite bohemian with quirky touches. Spotlessly clean and homely too. It really was quite a magical place in a lovely setting with beautiful gardens. All our friends are still talking about the party. In fact one called it the party of the century and I would put that down largely to the location itself which was absolutely perfect for friends and family to gather. Would definitely recommend."

bottom of page