a PLACE in which to RETREAT.
Glamping in Dorset! Set in a pretty location, Miller's Huts Dorset is at the bottom of a valley a stone's throw from the Saxon hilltop town of Shaftesbury. Remember that 1973 Hovis commercial starring a bread delivery boy pushing his bike up a steep cobbled hill? Gold Hill, Shaftesbury was the setting for one of the most famous British television adverts ever. The ad evoked a forgotten England of morning mist and thatched roofs, an England in which everyone had time to talk to one another and there was fresh-baked bread on every table. From Miller's Hut walk across the fields and up the lane to Gold Hill and enjoy a coffee at the The Salt Cellar, perched at the top. With sweeping views across the Blackmore Vale, it really is quite beautiful!
the SPACE.
We are situated on the borders of Dorset, Wiltshire and Somerset and have access to many historical places. Bath, Longleat, Salisbury, Stonehenge, Brownsea Island, the Isle of Purbeck, Thomas Hardy country and the Jurassic Coast are all within easy reach to explore, as are the beaches at Bournemouth, Sandbanks and Studland. Local National Trust properties include Kingston Lacey, Lytes Carey and Stourhead.
There are plenty of traditional pubs in the area, the Chalke Valley has many country pubs with beer gardens and good bar menus. Of course there are many gastro pubs too; including the King John at Tollard Royal, the Museum at Farnham, The Fontmell at Fontmell Magna and Donhead St Andrew's popular Forester Inn.
There is lots of lovely walking in the area. We are lucky to be close to Fontmell Down which has far-reaching views across the Blackmore Vale. The open chalk grassland of the lower slopes is covered in wildflowers in the spring and summer months and famous for its wild orchids.
We have compiled a little book of local knowledge for your use.
the SPACE.
We are situated on the borders of Dorset, Wiltshire and Somerset and have access to many historical places. Bath, Longleat, Salisbury, Stonehenge, Brownsea Island, the Isle of Purbeck, Thomas Hardy country and the Jurassic Coast are all within easy reach to explore, as are the beaches at Bournemouth, Sandbanks and Studland. Local National Trust properties include Kingston Lacey, Lytes Carey and Stourhead.
There are plenty of traditional pubs in the area, the Chalke Valley has many country pubs with beer gardens and good bar menus. Of course there are many gastro pubs too; including the King John at Tollard Royal, the Museum at Farnham, The Fontmell at Fontmell Magna and Donhead St Andrew's popular Forester Inn.
There is lots of lovely walking in the area. We are lucky to be close to Fontmell Down which has far-reaching views across the Blackmore Vale. The open chalk grassland of the lower slopes is covered in wildflowers in the spring and summer months and famous for its wild orchids.
We have compiled a little book of local knowledge for your use.
chasing STARS.
We tend to look at landscapes as everything up to the horizon, but there's much more above. Miller's Huts Dorset is situated on the edge of Cranborne Chase AONB, an exceptionally tranquil, deeply rural area, where we have access to some of the darkest skies in the whole country. Gazing skyward you can enjoy hundreds of spectacular constellations. With 80% of UK residents living under light polluted skies, we see thousands of stars overhead compared with a handful seen from towns and cities. From July to Christmas enjoy the Milky Way in all its glory; in the winter star clusters, and in the spring planets and galaxies. For a small deposit, we can provide stargazing guests with Red Headlight Torches (thus preserving night vision which is important), 10x50 Binoculars, a compass and a copy of Steve Tonkin's book 'Looking Through Binoculars' as well as recommend some apps to point you in the right direction. Whilst you can enjoy stars from your hut, other local places have vast swathes of visible sky to star gaze:
FONTMELL & MELBURY DOWNS, at the top of this reserve are stunning views over the Blackmore Vale, by night it offers fantastic panoramic views of the skies above (3 miles, Spreadeagle Hill, or you can walk up Melbury Beacon from the huts).
WIN GREEN, a prominent landmark with fine views (4.5 miles, Donhead Hollow, Ludwell).
BADBURY RINGS, an Iron Age hill fort (16.5 miles, Kingston Lacey).
KNOWLTON CHURCH, a 12th century Norman church built in the middle of a Neolithic earthwork (15 miles, Knowlton).
You can be a novice with a casual interest or a professional to uncover the secrets of the universe. The AONB is currently working to gain international recognition for its dark skies and to be designated an International Dark Sky Reserve. Our dark skies are also good for nocturnal wildlife, owls and moths and offer a different perspective as you encounter their world. Enjoy a night walk where landscapes can be discovered anew, when the country seems yours alone and seldom glimpsed wildlife emerges to startle and thrill.
Clockwise: Melbury Downs, Win Green, Badbury Rings & Knowlton Church.