The Courtyard - Hilltop Barn

We had a lovely week in the Hill Top.

Bill the owner was courteous and helpful if we had any issues, and a great character to boot. The barn is set away in a quiet location with just the odd farm vehicle going past so you can hear all the sounds of nature which I love. We stayed in the midst of one of our warm spells so temperature was up around the 33c level on most days. Fortunately Bill had supplied us with a fan which helped keep the things cool in property. There is also a pub around a ten minute walk away which was perfect for a chilled glass of wine. All in all we had a fabulous week and wouldn't hesitate booking up again.

Excellent property in a very peaceful little hamlet.

Good access to major roads. Owners greet you with a very acceptable welcome pack of food. Patio area a little small. Main bedroom curtains are rather long and possible trip hazard as so close to the bed. Botany Bay Inne good service and value. Wouldn’t hesitate to book this property again.

I (67 - son) was traveling with my 91 year old mother and her 93 year old partner.

I selected the location because of the ground floor bedroom and bathroom for them. We had a great time staying at the Hilltop Barn. The village is very pretty and the swans, ducks and bird life in/on the pond kept us entertained. The only reason this was not a 5 star rating was the check in/check out times. I travel extensively for work and stay in rental properties around the world. I have never had a 5:00PM check in time and a 9:30 check out time before. This was not mentioned prior to the booking. I think it would help if this was clearer in the property description. Check in is usually 3:00PM and check out is usually 11:00.

Really nice Barn, very comfortable and very helpful host.

Its an ideal location for visiting the Jurassic Coast area of Dorset, as well as going to the Christchurch side as well. Botany Bay Pub is really nice, good food and never a problem getting a table. Highly recommend

We absolutely loved our stay at Hilltop Barn.

The conversion is beautiful, perfectly blending rustic charm with modern comfort. It was spotlessly clean, well equipped, and the hosts were lovely. Located in the charming and friendly Winterbourne Zelston, the peaceful setting is ideal for stargazing. Highly recommended!!

Great location and beautiful barn.

Bill the owner was there to welcome us and was really lovely. The barn is beautiful and felt very homely. Thank you for the milk, bread, eggs and orange juice it was much appreciated after a long journey. We really enjoyed our weeks stay and will definitely return. Thanks again

Perfect location to explore the area.

Beautiful cottage. Very well equipped. We loved the board games. Hosts were friendly. We really enjoyed our stay.

Thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Hilltop Barn, made very welcome on arrival, all facilities explained by Bill, the owner who was waiting to greet us.

You can tell straight away the quality of the property and this was perfect, everything you could need and bread and milk, etc, provided by the owner. Lots to see and do in Dorset, weather perfect, dark skies at night to stargaze; a pond with wildlife, a pub a short walk away. Highly recommended.

The accommodation had everything you could need, all very clean, very spacious.

Bill and Shan were perfect hosts; there when you needed them and very friendly. I had a broken foot when we arrived and Bill even managed to supply a shower stool, which was great. The location was very good for all the places we had planned to visit and Bill made another suggestion that we took up. We would have given it a 5* review, the only negative comment we could make is that the mattress on the double bed downstairs is in need of replacement. Other than that, perfect.

My mum & myself spent three night here.

. it was lovely exactly as described ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Very relaxing Grooming danny(the horse) was an unexpected pleasure ❤️

Hill Top Barn was a delightful place to stay for our holiday in a hidden gem of a lovely village.

Nice and quiet, away from traffic and no light pollution from any towns at night. The owner who lives nearby was extremely helpful in more ways than one, very friendly and approachable. Also thank you for the welcome pack to. My wife, sister and I had a wonderful stay.

We had an enjoyable stay at The Courtyard - Hilltop Barn.

We were met on arrival by the owner who gave us a brief run down on where things were and how they worked. The welcome pack was a nice bonus. The accommodation was very clean and well equipped and the towels were soft, something we had not had this year in our previous five holiday lets. The location was quiet and well positioned for visiting places such as Poole, Swanage, Weymouth etc. Would be happy to recommend.

We loved Hilltop barn and Bill was very helpful.

There were 2 big issues with the property which were the sofa was very uncomfortable (appeared framework is broken) which meant we struggled to relax in the evening after being out all day and the double bed was also very uncomfortable and leans to one side. When you turn over it’s very noisy which kept us awake.we didn’t report this during our stay as these weren’t things that could have been rectified for us. If these items were replaced we would love to stay again. Thank you Bill and Shan

Excellent

A great weeks stay in Courtyard.

Lovely location to base ourselves from to explore Dorset. The property is well furnished and has everything you need, lovely location and nice and peacful to enable you to be able to relax of an evening. Would reccomend a stay here.

This is a lovely property run by charming owners.

They were helpful and friendly without being intrusive. An excellent holiday, thank you.

A lovely spacious cottage in a great location- a very pretty village and a good place for venturing out and visiting lots of lovely places in Dorset.

The cottage was clean and well maintained and Bill was very friendly and helpful, particularly in recommending things to see and do in the area. We would definitely recommend Hilltop Barn to others.

The owners were friendly and helpful.

We had a very enjoyable stay helped by good weather. The property is very spacious for 2 of us and well appointed. We particularly appreciated the electric charger for our car and the Sky Q for the TV. Suggestions for improvement are: — The sofa and the chair nearer the main door in the main room aren’t very comfortable . — The outside private area was rather disappointing/ but could be improved with a little work e.g. pruning the vegetation , pressure washing of the paving and providing ,a couple of deck chairs. — ( General point for Sykes cottages detailed descriptions ). Like a significant number of retired guests I have a pacemaker . I can’t go close to an induction hob . It would be useful in the property details to specify if electric hobs are induction rather than coil or radiant , which look the same .

We did give feedback to the owner at the time of our departure

A warm welcome from Bill and continued contact throughout our short stay ensured a great holiday.

His recommendations for dining out worked well. A very peaceful location with excellent facilities.

A beautiful well equipped house in a lovely rural location but not far from the main roads.

Several pleasant eateries are nearby. We had a very enjoyable and comfortable stay. We were warmly welcomed by the owner, and enjoyed the comfortable beds and general layout. Everything was provided and we had no issues throughout our stay. Our son particularly enjoyed having his own space upstairs. The cottage is well situated for visiting nearby attractions such as Swanage Railway, Corfe Castle, the Tank Museum, Monkey World and Dorchester and Wimborne Minster.

A perfect situation on the edge of an idyllic village.

The owner was friendly and helpful, and we throughly enjoyed our too-brief visit. The converted barn was comfortable with an idiosyncratic style. We would be happy to return.

This was a delightful week's stay in November 2023.

My wife and I would very happily return here. The location was excellent for us - in the tiny and "Best-Kept" village of Winterborne Zelston: duckpond, ancient church, etc, and yet only five minutes by car from the main Bournemouth - Dorchester dual carriageway. A recent barn conversion, to a very high specification, and with impressive views from its hilltop location on the village outskirts. The cottage was excellently furnished and equipped, and spotlessly clean. The owners - who live twenty metres away, across the courtyard - were excellently helpful and friendly. No negative features at all, and - to repeat - we would very happily return here.

A great property with space and comfortable beds, well appointed and perfectly situated in a pretty village, and for exploring Dorset.

Beautifully clean and warm …. The owner was helpful, friendly and nothing was too much trouble. Definitely recommended.

The property was very comfortable and very well equipped, tastefully decorated and spotlessly clean.

The location is great for you to get to all the coastal areas. The owner Bill was very welcoming and was available if needed. Would highly recommend your stay here.

Bill was very welcoming and helpful if we needed anything just ask can't be better than that .

The barn was perfect for me and my mum . We will be back .

Linen and towels were not up to standard.

Shower was poor with very low rate of flow. Downstairs bed was very creaky.

Delightful cottage in a perfect location with friendly hosts, just perfect.

Fantastic accommodation in a lovely village with lots of things to do and see all within easy reach of the barn.

Bill and Shan were wonderful hosts. Thank you so much for looking after us.

The property was very comfortable, clean and had everything required for a happy holiday.

The village is picturesque and peaceful making relaxation an easy option.

Bill was a fantastic host, always on hand for any issues or questions.

The accommodation was great, very comfortable and well equipped for a self catering holiday. There were a couple of pubs nearby that served delicious food - The Botany Bay Inne and The World’s End. If you want a great location for your stay in Dorset, Hilltop Barn is the place to book. Thanks for a lovely week from Jane, John and Lorna

The Courtyard is in a secluded, countryside location, which was ideal for us.

Local facilities and shops are a drive away. It was exactly as we expected based on the information previously provided. We had no issues during our stay. Very peaceful, very quiet.

A fabulous space, thoughtfully and tastefully done.

Lovely owner, Bill. Could not be more friendly and helpful. Would most definiteley recommend.

What a beautifully designed barn conversion!

We loved staying here for the week. The property is converted to the highest standard - the underfloor heating was particularly welcome. Winterbourne Zelston is a lovely quiet rural location within easy reach of pubs and other amenities. We would highly recommend

A lovely quiet countryside escape.

We’ll quipped and super comfy bed. Great pub a shirt walk away and easy access to Dorset’s attractions .

Thoroughly enjoyed our stay at the Courtyard.

The accommodation was well located and well equipped bar missing a few useful items in the kitchen such as wooden spoons, scissors and other larger utensils. Water pressure in kitchen very low and found it very difficult to get water to stay in sink (washing up bowl would help) Bed very comfy and lovely decor throughout. Bill and Sian very friendly.

Hilltop Barn is a beautiful property, perfectly located in the Dorset countryside with an easy short drive to all the big local tourist attractions.

Bill made us very welcome and was very helpful with our queries. The Barn had all we needed for our week's stay, and was very clean and extremely comfortable. We will definitely look to stay again!

We had a great week here, unobtrusive but available hosts, great location, as described and clean as a whistle!

Thank you.

The Owners were on hand for information and advice when required.

The cottage is in a quiet location, very tranquil and relaxing. Good internet, but poor mobile phone signal (O2). The facilities were to a very good standard. The master bedroom was large, but the layout restricted access to the king sized bed. Hot water pressure to kitchen sink needs improving. A very enjoyable two weeks holiday. Ideal location for our trips off walking, seaside, National Trust and coastal paths.

Wonderful facilities and great hosts.

Had a very pleasant stay with my family.

Fantastic location in a beautiful picturesque village.

So quiet and peaceful, exactly what we wanted.

Bill and Shan were great hosts.

The Courtyard was just perfect. Clean and well appointed. Very well situated for exploring Dorset. We had everything we needed for our stay - BBQ was great and the surprise of eggs, juice and milk on arrival were much appreciated :-) Loved the walks/runs from our lovely holiday home and the Golden Fox pub was the icing on the cake! Such a lovely place to stay. Thanks! We had a lovely holiday

The accommodation was really high-spec, with everything we needed.

There was a welcome pack when we arrived, which was really appreciated after a 3 hour journey. The dressing gowns were a really nice thought as I always forget mine! Bill and Shan were helpful about local places to visit and where to eat etc. A great place to stay!

Get another bed downstairs.

Hence the mark down on comfort. Other than that we had a great holiday, and would certainly recommend you to our friends. Thanks again.

Lovely stay, very comfortable bed and easy access to the coast.

The hosts were very friendly and the welcome pack was a nice touch. The only small improvement would be a decent non stick frying pan. Other than that the amenities were great.

Lovely accommodation well located for exploring the area.

Enjoyed days out at Corfe Castle, Studland bay, Kingston Lacy, Lulworth Cove, kayaking from Wareham & coastal walks. Would recommend, great place for UK holiday.

Very comfortable accommodation in a lovely quiet location.

Spacious for our granddaughter to crawl around. Private back patio ideal for bbqs. The kitchen lacked enough cutlery, crockery and casserole dishes to stop washing up all the time to be able to fill a dish washer. Bill was very helpful and was willing to take on board the lack of kitchen equipment.

High scores but a tiny BUT.

We had the worst weather ever for this holiday which was a walking holiday. The accommodation had underfloor heating but it proved very difficult to find enough drying areas to dry out our very wet boots and outer clothes. Several nights we laid wet stuff on the floor to get it dried. The barn owner came to our rescue one evening and took our boots in for drying.