farmhouse bed and breakfast:
Pauline and John Bale

 plus  Ganders Cottage
self-catering.
* fishing lakes available *

Highway Farm, West Road,
Bridport, Dorset, DT6 6AE
Telephone/Fax
 01308 424321

Contact us by e-mail
                                                                     Member of South West Tourism and 'Welcome to Excellence'

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Access Statement


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A special celebration or a romantic stay?
We can arrange flowers in your room and for an extra charge, chilled champagne, yummy chocolates or fresh strawberries.
We'll provide the glasses - cheers!  - Just ask.......
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Fancy some pamperation?? Come and enjoy a beautiful Indian head massage or a wonderful aromatherapy massage, try reflexology and more. Local practitioner available to come here, please book early. 
Let the men go fishing!  Relax in your room and you enjoy yourself! Just ask.......
 
Don't know what to give as a present? 
How about a weekend away, or a voucher for a workshop or art course?
We will look after your guests and make sure they have a memorable stay.
Just ask.......

 
     

Download our
Brochure here

( pdf format )

 
John and Pauline offer you a real home from home, we aim to make your stay special.
Highway Farm offers comfortable accommodation combined with peaceful surroundings, wonderful panoramic views, a wealth of wildlife, lovely circular walks and less than one mile from the sea,a good local pub and the Market Town of Bridport!  Superb coastal walking and the local bus stops every hour outside of our entrance so we are an excellent base for those trekking the South West Coastal Path. 
Exclusive Arty Workshops especially for you!

Come to West Dorset and learn a new skill!   Beautiful surroundings, enjoy warm Dorset hospitality and home-cooking, combined with local expert tuition.  We have a wealth of artistic talent in our midst, come and let our wonderful tutors inspire you.

The workshop days are fun and friendly, always productive and many have returned for more!  We’ve been joined by guests, many locals come along, and all ages. Some places given as gift vouchers for those don’t know what to get people, and all are looking for an interesting day out. We’ve had groups, Mother and daughters, and granddaughters too, but you can come on your own and take the opportunity to chill and meet new people.  Why not gather a party together of works colleagues, friends or family? Let me arrange your accommodation and tutor.

  • short affordable courses
  • small friendly groups
  • tailor-made/improvers/beginners
  • excellent tutors
  • please see Art Page for workshop details
  • Like to be on my workshop email list for updates?

 

some course photos:

 

Painting for pleasure ...  

During your stay you’re invited to join Ann Gray's regular local art classes. Friday mornings at Charmouth  and afternoons at Axmouth.  £20 per session.  Tel: 01297 442532

Introduction to Botanical Painting? Suitable for anyone who loves the beauty of plants. With local artist and tutor Alison Waspe. Can arrange individual or small workshops. Tel: 01297 442976.

Painting and sketching day with tutor Ann Gray.
A friendly and informal workshop, an enjoyable day out for artists of all abilities. Sit and paint the Dorset countryside from our terrace or sketch by the lakeside.
next class date to be arranged
10.30-4.30pm. Cost £40 Home cooked lunch additional £5
Individual help and attention given. 
Please ring for more information.
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KISS COOK BOOK UPDATE 12.06.09 £18,200 raised
so far!

Supporting UK Charities and supporting people in Africa.

29/4/08
Malawi- Our first donation has gone to help complete the building of a new house for James and also will help Articles, local Handy/ DIY man. He is bringing up his nephews and the money will go towards their education and school uniform for the next 2 terms. There is also the on-going work of The Chembe Water and Malaria Projects. www.chembewaterproject.org whose aim is to provide safe drinking water for the people in Cape Maclear. Our daughter Lucy can be found at Mumbo Island or Gecko Lounge, situated in the heart of the village of Chembe on beautiful shores of Lake Malawi, the place to savour stunning sunsets!  Lucy and boyfriend Simon provide tourist accommodation, employing many locals and are committed to working with the village people wherever possible to ensure that their success filters into the local area.  They buy local products and use village carvers, painters, builders and other local tradesmen.
2/9/08. Malawi news- Simon and I went to a football match in the village on Sunday - using your football posts, probably over 2000 people watching - pitch invasion after every goal. Anyway our team, Bad Bays, won 5-2! They have put their prize money towards football boots!! 

4/10/08 Good News! The KISS Charity Ball held on 20th Sept here at Highway Farm
raised over £11,500!

The event has exceeded all our expectations. It was a real accolade to local people working together, an amazing evening and such fun gathering everyone together, we had a fantastic time and we raised lots of money for our chosen charities.
 Click here to view press release (pdf file)

23/11/08
Money donated; Cancer Research £6248, KISS it Better Appeal at Gt Ormond Street £4060, Dorset & Somerset Air Ambulance £3400 and Chembe Water Projects in Malawi £2741 nd Symondsbury Church £60.
23/11/08 From Lucy in Malawi - Brilliant effort! 2 projects I would like to support with the money donated, start of phase 3 Chembe Water Project at traditional fishing village of Msaka (very poor, no tourist and high incidence of infant mortality, dysentery etc) - we could give this a real boost I think! I would also like to support Vision with his orphanage-feeding programme. He is a great guy based in the village and he feeds about 60 orphans every day, they have a garden, so grow and sell veg to help, and £25 a month would make a huge difference.

And finally - My gratitude to fantastic friends and family who have joined in too, supporting in many different ways to make it all possible and all the lovely guests who bought my Cook Book, thank you. 
P.S. We have sold over 1000 Cook Books - and you can still buy a KISS Cook Book  (KISS, stands for ‘Keep It So Simple’, I like feeding people but don’t want to be in the kitchen all day!) Full of keep it so simple recipes, local, seasonal ideas and useful, tried and tested cooking tips!

 
Late dates and ideas?
If you usually drive through Dorset, please don't, instead think long sweeping beaches, quaint Lyme Regis, arty Bridport,  sleepy rural villages and a foodie's paradise with top chefs and some great pubs! The perfect base from which to explore.
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Bed & Breakfast
Winter OFFER 4 nights for the price of 3, excl school holidays.
Valentine week.  Any 2 nights for 2 with wine and flowers £175.
We'll make it special for you.
Winter midweek 4 nights same price as 3 nights weekend in Feb from £200
Ganders 15-20th FEB, 4 nights £200, 5 nights £250 or B&B farmhouse breakfasts! 40pppn
Chideock Cottage available from 19th FEB

WINTER WORKSHOP DATES  

Lots on offer, come and have a go! 
26th Feb-Hats to go! Cloche hats, 27th Feb-Rags Rugs,
2nd March Aga Cooking, 28th March Living Willow
Would you like to be on my workshop emailing list? 
Arty workshop gift vouchers, a nice gift.
Coarse Fishing Lakes -  Lovely secluded location for good fishing £5 for 2 rods per day.  Fishing Lessons can be arranged please ask.

 

" Why not purchase a KISS from
Highway Farm and help our charities "


This Cook Book has been inspired by my B&B Guests.  They have been nagging me to gather together my breakfast specials and favourite recipes, so here it is……….!

I hope you have fun with the recipes and appreciate your support.  Bon Appetite.

A tasty bite ........ (article download)  

 

 

Just a couple of visitor comments:

Even better than the website - beautiful views, perfect weather and excellent hospitality.  Thank-you. Sue & John 09

 

Couldn't be better, hosts, grandchildren, livestock, food....... All wonderful.  Thanks Lesley & Simon 09

 

 

 

This is Colmer's Hill, the wonderful view from Highway Farm. We also enjoy panaramic views over a secluded valley with two well-stocked coarse fishing lakes. The surrounding woods and hazel hedgerows provide home to a wealth of wildlife. If you are lucky and the weather is kind you can enjoy a hearty home-cooked breakfast on the patio and you may see roe deer, buzzards, pheasants and foxes, hundreds of rabbits and lots more!

We are situated within a short distance are the cliffs of the world famous Jurassic Coast, England's first natural World Heritage Site including Golden Cap, the highest point on the south cliffs of England, and unspoilt hills, rivers and picturesque villages of West Dorset. We are also very close to fossil hunters paradise at Charmouth - visit the Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre and the 'Pearl of Dorset' - Lyme Regis.

The market town of Bridport, famous for its netting and rope making, is well worth a visit, especially on Market days, Wednesdays and Saturdays.  It has an abundance of excellent restaurants, lively bistros, tasty coffee shops and pubs to welcome you - often live music plus art and entertainment throughout the year at the Bridport Arts Centre and the quirky and nostalgic Electric Palace.  Browse the bric-a-brac stalls for a bargain or visit the monthly Farmers Market where you can sample our local produce and you might get to meet Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall one of our local celebrity chefs from nearby River Cottage. Congratulations to Matt Follas, winner of MasterChef 2009, he has recently opened his new restaurant called The Wild Garlic in Beaminster.  Also lovely shops to investigate and St Mary's Church to visit, you can park in the square and its all to hand, but don't forget to book if you want to eat at The Wild Garlic.

Explore Thomas Hardy's 'Wessex' made famous in many of his stories and poems and Enid Blyton fans of all ages, www.gingerpop.co.uk.  Visit The Ginger Pop Shop in Corfe Castle Village Square, explore the places in Dorset where her stories were set and understand the historical period in which they were written.

There's an abundance of beaches nearby all along the Jurassic Coast, plus seasonal fayres, fetes, carnivals, open gardens, art festivals and open studios. There's so much to do and see, whatever the time of year.  Check our LINKS page and Workshop page for ideas.

        Contact us by e-mail:info@highwayfarm.co.uk

We are very easy to find by road and Dorchester Train Station
is only 16 miles with Exeter Airport just 35 miles away.

Find us on Google Maps with more detail and directions:


(click on logo)

countrysideandcoastal.co.uk