With golden countryside scattered with charming historic villages and hidden pubs with snug alcoves, Dorset is perfect for autumn and winter exploration.

We urge you to discover Summer Lodge Country House Hotel and Restaurant and their boutique spa, heated indoor pool and magnificent Drawing Room, where the light is particularly beautiful at this time of year, with board games and books for rainy days. Stroll through fallen leaves at the 600-acre Melbury Estate and Deer Park, or visit the village “local”, the 16th-century Acorn Inn, which features in the well-thumbed pages of Thomas Hardy’s ‘Tess of the D’Urbervilles’.

Summer Lodge has extended an exclusive offer for stays from 1st October-31st March, which includes accommodation and a three-course dinner in their award-winning restaurant. Enjoy the finest cuisine created by Executive Chef Steven Titman and his wonderful team, with seasonal produce grown by Head Gardener Michael Francis in the kitchen gardens and polytunnel. Bring your evening to a close with delicious local cheeses from their cheese trolley, and a night cap in front of the fire.