La Fosse at Cranborne, Dorset

WHERE AND WHY

La Fosse sits in the village square at Cranborne, a rural outpost that feels a world away from the bustle of modern-day life.

There’s wide open countryside sweeping in every direction, making this a perfect launch point for long peaceful walks or cycle rides off the beaten track.

The village gives its name to Cranborne Chase, an ancient hunting ground that spans Dorset, Hampshire and Wiltshire.

La Fosse’s B&B and restaurant offers a perfect retreat for enjoying good food and bucolic tranquillity at the heart of it all.

The six-room hotel is run by husband and wife Mark and Emmanuelle Hartstone, who wear their passion for fine food and hospitality on their sleeves.

After a long drive down some very dark Dorset lanes it was nice to lift the latch on the front door and be greeted warmly.

We were in our room minutes later, admiring the rustic decor in greens and fawns and ready to crash in the enormous bed.

Underfloor heating in the bathroom added to the cosiness and it was well stocked with Cowshed products for a bit of pampering.

ON THE MENU

Mark’s cooking is full of the flavours from the local area. The back of the menu lists where the ingredients come from, with almost all of them travelling well under 50 miles. And Mark even grows some of them on his allotments in the village.

We focused on the seafood and vegetarian options, which were superb, but meat and game also feature. La Fosse is rightly famous for its cheeseboard and Mark takes pride in guiding you through his 10-step curation.

As well as its restaurant, La Fosse has a Scandinavian-style barbecue hut in its back garden where groups can sizzle their supper with everything pre-prepared.

A three-course meal in the restaurant is £29.95 midweek or £32 at the weekend.

WHILE YOU’RE THERE

Enjoying fresh air and the stillness of the Dorset countryside has to top the list, but if you get the itch for something else, Cranborne is a good base for exploring.

Salisbury isn’t far, and the Dorset coast and Bournemouth are easy to get to. We visited the market town of Wimborne Minster, 15 minutes away, for grown-up shopping.

WAKE UP CALL

Rooms from £89 a night on B&B. la-fosse.com