Things to Do
Things to do when you visit Fernhill hotel, Charmouth nr Lyme Regis. There are many activities to suit any taste
The most enjoyable way to explore West Dorset Countryside
May 21st
Martin & guests enjoy the view from Pilsdon Pen
We love a good Dorset Knob…
May 14th
We have to share the great Dorset Knob Throwing competition at Cattistock, near Dorchester which we enjoyed on Sunday
A Dorset Knob is a hard dry savoury biscuit which is today made by only a single producer, Moores Biscuits in Morcombelake, just down the road from Fernhill (We stock their biscuits here – they are seriously yummy!).
Dorset Knobs are made from bread dough which contains extra sugar and butter. Once cooked, they are very crumbly and rather like rusks in consistency, and are generally eaten with cheese. They are named after a historic Dorset Button.
The Festival itself celebrates every aspect of the Dorset Knob. The Throwing competition is enthusiastically participated by many – 3 knobs per entry, at least one foot on the ground when throwing and underarm throws only allowed…and all valid throws must land in a set space – the longest throw wins! But if that doesn’t satisfy your competitive streak you can try, Splat the Knob, Knob eating competitions, or just enjoy them alongside some delicious local Fayre provided by the many local producers. We didn’t spot one Food stall which wasn’t local, and the food was incredible – local Burgers made by the Farm and served with Wyke Farm Cheddar, Hog Roast, Hand made Quiche, salads…plenty to satisfy all tastes.
Musical entertainment was provided by Local Banjo playing bluegrass/folk, a rocker band and Morris Dancers which were extremely popular (it looked like incredibly hard work actually!)
Olympics in Weymouth? Fernhill Hotel have it covered!
May 1st
Weymouth (Photo credit: peter pearson)
With less than 100 days until the start and with by far the best medal haul in the last three Olympic games, sailing buffs would be crazy to miss the opportunity to see Team GB perform at the greatest sailing spectacle the United Kingdom has ever hosted.
Between Sunday 29th July and Saturday 11th August 2012, the Dorset towns of Weymouth and Portland will be inundated with thousands of sailing enthusiasts from every corner of the world, all vying for the chance to witness the thirteen events (of which ten are medal events) in this year’s Olympic and Paralympic Games calendar. And, as if that was not enough to whet your appetite, an estimated 10,000 spectators are expected to grace the beach at Weymouth to witness the opening of the Olympic and Paralympic Games in the county of Dorset on 28th July. Eighty performers from “Breathe”, commissioned by the Arts Council, will take part in displays of circus, dance and cabaret.
With so many people descending on the area around Weymouth, getting reasonably priced accommodation in and around the town itself will certainly prove challenging. After all, it’s not every day that Weymouth plays host to events of such magnitude as the Olympic and Paralympic games. A wise choice for the sailing enthusiast travelling to Dorset would be to seek out hotels and guest houses a little further afield.
Weymouth (Photo credit: Scardy)
Twenty-five miles and a forty minute drive to West of Weymouth lies Charmouth, and with it the outstanding natural beauty, welcome and service provided by the Fernhill Hotel: A hotel where luxury really can be yours at excellent value for money rates… especially if you act quickly. To secure the gold medal standard for your unforgettable Olympic sailing experience this summer (and still keep the gold in your pocket), call 01297 560492 or visit www.fernhill-hotel.co.uk and book online
Top deal During the Olympics is a discounted rate for Dinner, Bed & Breakfast bookings of 3 nights or more – making sure after a day enjoying the competition at Weymouth, you can relax and be well fed for less!
For practical information about viewing the Olympic and Paralympic sailing events in Weymouth and Portland, see: http://www.london2012.com/weymouth-and-portland
For more information regarding the events schedule itself, see: http://www.london2012.com/olympic-schedule
For great priced Weymouth Olympic accommodation, call us!
Mothers Day Treat
Mar 3rd
Treat your Mum to a Family Sunday Lunch with us! We don’t charge a premium because its a Special Day, we just serve arguably one of the best Sunday Lunches around as usual!
Try our new Bespoke Sunday Lunch if there are going to be 6 or more in your Group…
Your choice of Joint, cooked your way and served to your table ready to Carve, with plenty of home made gravy and all the trimmings from just £9.85 per person!(*min. 6 people,book 48hrs in advance)
Our desserts are to-die-for so if you have space, indulge in our renowned Chocolate Brownie with choc sauce, and Vanilla Bean ice cream, or sticky Ginger pud with custard…
Now everyone can treat their mum to a wonderful family lunch without breaking the bank. But hurry – tables are filling fast!
Valentine’s Treats
Feb 6th
Okay so Valentine’s Day is an excuse for Greetings Card companies to sell more stock, but its also the perfect excuse to show your loved one you care. In this busy world sometimes it is those closest to us who are forgotten when we are busy, stressed or just over-worked, so why not take the Valentine opportunity to take some time out with the person you love, and remind them how much you love them?
We have lots of ways to say ‘I Love you’ from our Valentine’s Menu available from 10th – 18th Feb. We also offer a Valentine Package for 1 or 2 nights on the 2 weekends around the 14th, so you can enjoy some serious time together and be truly taken care of http://www.fernhill-hotel.co.uk/offers.php
For a weekend which tells your Valentine just how much you care we include our Valentine menu for one night and Dinner in our a la carte menu on the second night – tea & cake on arrival to begin the unwind process, and homemade biscuits, massage oil and a Red Rose in your room. We have organised walks and places to visit so you don’t even need to plan how to fill your days! And with an extensive DVD library you could always relax in your beautifully appointed room and forget about the ‘Real world’ for 48hours…
Book a Table or a Stay with us today – and remind yourselves how beautiful love is!
Valentine Menu 2012
Please enjoy a glass of bubbly with our compliments
To Start:
Home made Spinach & Watercress Soup(V, GF)
Tian of Mackerel (GF)
Pan fried scallops with Black Pudding
Mushroom Pate (V)
To follow: Lemon Sorbet
Main Course:
West Country Fillet Steak 6oz (GF) Peppercorn sauce, herb sauté potatoes & a selection of vegetables
Stuffed Chicken Breast Wrapped in air-dried ham, stuffed with mushroom pate, white wine & mushroom cream sauce, with potatoes Dauphinoise & a selection of vegetables
Sea Bass Fillet (GF) Pan fried with spring onions, garlic & Chilli, served with herb sauté potatoes & a selection of vegetables.
Courgette & Sun-dried tomato risotto (V) (GF) Topped with Parmesan shavings
Dessert:
Chocolate Shot, Chocolate Brownie & berries
Sticky Gingerbread Pudding, Ginger & Brandy sauce & Custard
Lemon Cheesecake with chocolate dipped strawberries
Cheese Board – A selection of local cheeses & biscuits
Enjoy Coffee & Mints in the Snug after your meal
Large Families accommodated comfortably
Feb 6th
We have just had another lovely thank you note from one of the families staying with us over half term – Thank you to the Moores for their kind words, we hope to see you all again soon.
The Studio is the perfect family accomodation for a short or long break.
A very spacious room with a family bathroom, Day bed/Sofa, superking bed and table & chairs in the Main room, plus a separate Bunk room housing bunk beds for 2 children.
A family of 5 is very comfortable here, and the room has also comfortably accommodated families of up to 7!
Some families of 3 prefer the Studio as it gives the parents and children privacy in the evening – Parents being able to relax with a bottle of wine and a DVD from our extensive collection, children to play in their own private space. Wifi access also helps the whole family relax with their favourite internet media – be it email / work for parents, and gaming for the kids.
And the space also means no climbing over each other while getting ready – and no ‘Cabin Fever’ from being cooped up too closely!
You can take advantage of our special offers and book soon!
Given that the authors of these thank you’s were younger than usual we have copied the originals in PDF form.
We are ideally located for exploring the South Coast with ample free parking so you can go green, leave the car and walk along the Jurassic Coastal Path as far as you wish, or take the Jurassic Coastal Bus which
will stop right outside our drive. Fossil hunting, Dinosaur museums, beaches and local attractions like Pecorama and Crealy mean the region is perfect for a family getaway. Fernhill have all the resources to help you get the most from your stay, whatever your interests.
A Perfect find
Where to stay for the Weymouth Olympic games July 2012
Dec 19th
Not just restricted to the capital, London 2012 Olympic events are being held nationwide. The South West county of Dorset is the proud home of the July sailing events, with Weymouth and Portland providing ideal natural harbours for two full weeks of exhilarating nautical events.
Whether you are planning to stay a day, a week or for the entire duration of the Olympic sailing events, you will of course need a place to base yourself. Ideally located for Weymouth and Portland, as well as the entire south coast of England, Fernhill Hotel in Charmouth is just 25 miles from the main games.
Not only ideally located for the Olympics, but its location on the Jurassic Coast makes our hotel a great place to combine the games with a holiday by the sea. Our location offers guests convenient access to the stretch of rugged and prehistoric coastline of the south, whilst on-site there are plenty of facilities and amenities to make their stay comfortable and enjoyable.
Although we encourage our guests to get out there and explore the coast as well as visit the Olympic sailing events, we also make sure that for those who want time to relax, that they can do so at Fernhill Hotel. For complete indulgence, then our guests can treat themselves to a soothing massage or one of our other holistic therapies.
And of course no hotel by the sea would be complete without a heated swimming pool and a selection of comfy chairs and loungers. We even offer a pool-side drink and snack service so you don’t have to tear yourself away from a hard-day of soaking up the sun!
For our local and foreign guests, we ensure that we provide the best of British when it comes to dining. Our menu is always made of the best local, Organic, Fair-trade and seasonal produce (where possible) to ensure our ingredients are as fresh and tasty as can be from breakfast through to dinner.
With ample free parking on-site (something the Olympic towns will definitely run short of) as well as airy, spacious bedrooms and suites for our south-west visitors, Fernhill Hotel makes a great base for the Weymouth Olympic games next July.
We have Celebrity Chefs in Dorset too!
Dec 15th
Image via Wikipedia
Part of making any holiday extra special is the food. At Fernhill Hotel we offer an all-British menu made up of seasonal and local produce and ingredients which are Organic and Fair-trade.
Our A La Carte menu features traditional dishes with a contemporary twist, such as the West Country Fillet Steak with a Boozy Peppercorn Cream Sauce and the Line- caught Sea Bass Fillet with Spring Onion and Ginger-Soy Dressing. We also offer a Bar & Grill menu for other national favourites including the Sunday Roast with all the trimmings. But if you want to experience more first class dining, then just a short 5- minute drive away are two of the country’s leading celebrity-chef owned restaurants.
In Lyme Regis looking over the harbour is Mark Hix’s Oyster & Fish House, offering sensational panoramic views of the Jurassic Coast whilst you tuck into the freshest, local seafood. Mark Hix has awards coming out of his ears, has published not one, not two but nine cookbooks, has created menus for the like of The Ivy and Mayfair’s Brown’s hotel and regularly writes the food column in Esquire and Country life magazines as well as weekly for The Independent newspaper. With these sorts of credentials under his belt, you know dishes at his Oyster & Fish House are going to provide a taste-sensation. Offering great British ingredients such as Dorset crab and grilled lemon sole, all to be eaten in a spacious yet informal setting, it’s not surprising that pre-booking is recommended for the Hix Oyster & Fish House.
One of the biggest, if not THE biggest, celebrity chefs right now is of course Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, and just down the road in Axminster is not only the River Cottage HQ, but also his River Cottage Canteen and Deli. The Canteen dishes are as local and as fresh as they get, with the ever-changing menu not only inspiring and delicious, but more than reasonably priced, too. With local mutton, mussels and mushrooms all regularly on the menu, the Canteen really offers the best of Dorset. The Deli at the front of the Canteen offers diners or passers-by to sample the tastes of River Cottage, providing fresh and locally produced quiches, cakes and ciders (plus much more) you can eat in or take-away.
We offer a Celebrity Chef Package so you can combine the best of both worlds – one night Bed & Breakfast so you can enjoy a table at either Hix Oyster & Fish House or River Cottage Canteen (we’ll even book the table for you, subject to availability!) plus one night Dinner, Bed & Breakfast with us so you can relax and enjoy cuisine which many describe as equally as tasty!
So if you are planning your next holiday along the Jurassic Coast, then why not stay at Fernhill Hotel
and sample the tastes of Dorset in either of these local celebrity restaurants.
A relaxing Christmas at Fernhill Hotel
Dec 12th
Image by paparutzi via Flickr
Christmas is a fantastic time of year, perhaps the only one where friends and family all get together to catch up, share stories and indulge. Although many of us are lucky enough to get time off work over the festive period, that’s not to say we always get the chance to relax.
But if you’re tired of cooking and entertaining this year, then why not think about letting us do the hard work for you and enjoy a drink and a bite to eat at either our Restaurant or Café Bar?
Open both Christmas Eve and Boxing Day, you and your friends and/or family are welcome to spend a relaxing afternoon or evening at Fernhill Hotel. Unlike many hotels and restaurants open over Christmas, we don’t force you to have an entire 3-course meal. So if you want to pop in to share a bottle of wine and a plate of festive cheese and biscuits, then you can!
We do still of course have our full a la carte and Bar & Grill menus on over Christmas, so whether you want to enjoy a romantic meal or simply a relaxing, non-Christmassy gathering with your friends, then there’s still a range of delicious starters, mains and desserts to choose from.
If you’re bored of mince pies and sick of the mother-in-law’s sherry trifle, then you’ll be pleased to hear that our menu is free from Christmas clichés. Instead our focus, as ever, is on locally sourced ingredients and dishes that represent all that is British.
Our location to the coast means that we offer the freshest seafood, with Dorset also known for its meats, especially beef. With plenty of vegetarian options too, we ensure we cater for all our guest’s preferences, even if it is just those wanting to get away from the mountains of turkey sandwiches!
So why not give the best gift of all this Christmas by hanging up the oven gloves for a day and enjoying a stress-free meal in our hotel Restaurant or Café Bar.
Remember Remember the 5th November…
Nov 9th
A big thank you to Lyme Regis Carnival team for putting on a fabulous display of fireworks last night for Bonfire night!
We had a unique vantage point above the town to watch the display – so missed the atmosphere on the beach, but enjoyed some beautiful views and, of course the display itself!
The fireworks were very considerately scheduled for 6.30pm so younger children could enjoy them before bed – and conditions were perfect – with a shooting star minutes before the firework display to top it all!
Before the fireworks