Planning
Dorset is compact, so where you base yourself matters more than how far you are prepared to drive. This page answers the question first; Forest View Retreat is one option among many, and we say plainly where it fits.
Inland between Wimborne and the coast works best for most families: quieter evenings, easier parking, and beaches, forest and towns all within about half an hour. Colehill, on the edge of Wimborne, is a good example of this middle ground.
Staying in Bournemouth itself puts you on the beach but in the busiest part of the coast. Staying 20–25 minutes inland gives you the same beach days with far less traffic and noise when you get back.
Sandbanks accommodation is limited and expensive in summer. Wimborne, Broadstone and Colehill sit roughly 20–25 minutes away and give you access to Poole Quay, Brownsea Island and the chain ferry to Studland.
The western edge, around Ringwood, is the practical side if you also want the Dorset coast. From Colehill the Forest is roughly 20 minutes east and the beaches roughly 25 minutes south.
Branksome Chine, Canford Cliffs, Sandbanks, Bournemouth and Studland are clustered around Poole Bay. Anywhere within a 30-minute radius of Poole gives you all of them without moving on mid-holiday.
Wimborne Minster has the market, shops and pubs; the villages around it, including Colehill, have the space. Self-catering just outside the town gives you both.
For groups of six to eight, a whole-house rental usually beats two hotel rooms or a small cottage: one kitchen, one living space and one bill. Check maximum occupancy carefully — most Dorset houses enforce it strictly.
Private pools are uncommon in Dorset self-catering, and heated ones more so. If a pool matters to your trip, confirm whether it is private, outdoor and heated before booking, because all three vary.
Forest View Retreat is a private four-bedroom self-catering house at Colehill, on the edge of Wimborne. It sleeps 8, has a private heated outdoor pool, and backs onto Cannon Hill Forest. It suits families, two families sharing and groups of friends who want one base for beaches, the New Forest and the Jurassic Coast.
Next: read the Dorset area guides or build a 3, 5 or 7 day itinerary.