Old Higher Lighthouse Stopes Cottage, Portland Bill

The lighthouse is about 20 minutes away from Weymouth out on the rocky island of Portland reached by a road. We were met by Brad who was super friendly and gave us a quick show around. It was early September but I was determined to get in a dip in the pool and although a little fresh it was fabulous on a still sunny balmy day. Brad also gave us a homegrown cucumber and some tomatoes grown by his lovely Mum - much appreciated. I couldn't wait to get up into the lighthouse via the very narrow steps and the view did not disappoint. Just incredible! There cannot be many, if any, lighthouses where you can just pop up into the old light area and watch the beautiful sky, the blue/green sea and seascape and landscape all around. We actually sat through a big thunderstorm up there after Brad said it was safe - quite an experience I can tell you. The lighthouse has private access for residents. The accommodation is fairly spacious and for a week we had all the things that a normal home would have. Plenty of hot water, washing machine, good cooking facilities, decent shower and all clean. Even got a supermarket food delivery out to us for day 1. We cannot stress enough that due to the remote location, the only sound is the wind. No sound of traffic or people which is lovely. The island has many footpaths and walks aways from the lighthouse over the scrubland. We visited and can recommend all these places to visit - the Portland Museum, Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens, Xtreme Falconry, Dorset County show, Sealife Weymouth and all the steps down and up to Church Ope Cove.

Just returned from another fantastic stay at this absolute gem. Brad and Milly are wonderful welcoming hosts and the accommodation is perfect. Fingers crossed we will return soon.

Just returned from a lovely week at the Old Higher Lighthouse. As a family we rented both the Stopes Cottage and Branscombe Lodge Cottage to celebrate a special birthday. Both cottages are quaint and having access to the lighthouse at any time was fabulous. Even though the final steps up to tower are steep, we still managed to spend evenings up there with a G&T enjoying the sunset. The location is very peaceful and the hosts welcoming. A lovely relaxing week!

We stayed here around bonfire night. The design of the cottage meant we could see signs of fireworks displays in many places, which really have an appreciation of how much coast we could see. The heaters worked well in the cottage, so we were able to earn up after a cold walk. There is some information hidden away about the geology in the area, and a good selection of books to read.

We stayed for a few days at the old lighthouse in May. Great cottage with everything we needed. Fantastic solar heated pool which we had use of, the kids swam every day! We loved being able to look around the old lighthouse and see the lovely views.

Having read all the details carefully and inspected photos thoroughly we thought we had found a real gem for what was for us, an expensive holiday rental at over £900 for a week. The apparent views, history and ‘romance’ convinced us it was something to look forward to. However a few more realistic words of caution.... on arrival, we were met by Les who gave us brisk , business like guided tour. We found the cottage scrupulously clean but cold. We turned all the radiators up and by bedtime, it had all warmed up fairly satisfactorily. The heating is on a timer controlled by Les and Fran who will alter the times if asked. The cottage was adequately and basically equipped though no hairdryer and if you like big towels take your own. Tea, coffee, sugar, small packet of biscuits and a small jug of milk was supplied but no salt, pepper, oil or foil etc . A scourer for the pans would have been useful. The beds are firm but fairly comfortable. The bathroom needs updating especially the shower which operated erratically. There was always plenty of hot water though the pump for the shower was very noisy! The most disappointing factor was the view.... from the lighthouse it was as expected and enjoyed occasionally but access is tricky as the second flight of steps to the lamp is more like a ladder needing both hands to support your climb. This means it is difficult to take a cup of tea and book up there without a second person to help! The glass lamp as one might expect is hot in the sun and cold when that disappears! The views from the single storey cottage windows were really non existent as a shabby mizzen type hut ( bunkhouse) surrounded by a high fence with concrete posts lies between the cottage and the cliff edge. Views from the other windows look at the garden wall and the other two storey rental which lies between Stopes cottage and the sea. The garden is pretty and pleasant to sit in though no views because of the garden wall. We couldn’t use the pool as it is not open until May. The cottage does give a good base for pleasant walks round and over the Bill (weather permitting) where military sites surrounded by high fences and disused Portland stone quarries are still in evidence. The Lobster Pot eatery down by the working lighthouse has excellent views and food with pleasant helpful staff .

Branscombe Cottage The positive side. A great location. Quiet and with everything you needed there . The decor downstairs is rather tired and the carpets dingy but actually everything was scrupulously clean. The whole house really needs a bit of modernising .The pillows were rather hard and the mattresses quite hard too. Lovely quiet spot. Great bird watching. Lovely walks The negative. Our host Les seriously need to learn to read his audience better. Having arrived after 3 hours drive. We wanted to settle in, have a pee, get some tea, unpack. Les arrived after 2 minutes and we are subjected to an unnecessarily long " tour" having the key to our rental deliberately "with held" until he had finished. This was accompanied by some aggressive and completely unprofessional comments such as " Come back here, I haven't told you you can go yet" and "stay here I haven't finished speaking to you". Quite frankly you should never talk to anyone like that. It is patronising, and offensive and made me and my daughter feel very uncomfortable. If we had been two men I wonder if he would have spoken to us like that. IF it was meant as a joke- it failed!!. I regret however much I liked the house, I wont be back for that reason alone.

My family and I have just returned from a weeks stay in the quaint and quirky Stopes cottage. When we arrived after a 6 hour journey we were greeted by Les who showed us round the property and filled us in on the history of the lighthouse. The cottage was incredibly clean and very well maintained. It had everything we needed including the little things that sometimes get forgotten by self catering owners...from dish cloths, salt and pepper, tea bags and milk (for that long awaited cuppa!) to blankets for those cold nights (not that we needed them!). The views were beautiful, i was able to sit in the kitchen with my morning cuppa and watch the boats go by! Bliss! The views from the lighthouse were absolutely stunning. We loved it up there. We can't wait to return. Thanks Fran and Les for a memorable holiday and for being wonderful hosts.

A lovely location and a very nice cottage. The owners were very friendly and helpful.

From the friendliness of the hosts on arrival and throughout the holiday, nothing was too much trouble. The site of the property was excellent and so special; it been an old lighthouse with access. Our son particularly liked the heated pool and it also had a great private outdoor area with seating and BBQ. We wanted for nothing everything had been thought of.

On arrival we followed the directions given which were perfect...straight to the front door. Although we arrived slightly early our host fran kindly let us unpack which was great after a 9 hour drive...as we unpacked les, frans husband knocked and showed us around...both les and fran were really nice and helpful. The property was just what you would expect from a lighthouse keepers cottage and had everything you needed from a large swimming pool to a b.b.q. our 7 night stay was brilliant and would not hesitate to reccommend this property from very good hosts to absolutly 360° sea views from the lighthouse tower....brilliant holiday...thankyou les and fran.

Amazing place to stay in unique location. Hard not to fall in love with where you are.

Hosts helpful and friendly. Location at top of cliffs amazing, views in all directions plus the lighthouse to sit in; my granddaughter age 16 thought it was amazing to sit up there most of the time we were in! Swimming pool and jacuzzi warm, sheltered with plenty of seating. The whole ambiance of the two cottages was fantastic: peaceful, relaxing with good WiFi for the younger ones and a close drive to excellent supermarkets and local shops. A good variety of places to eat, great for walking and photography. Also not far from Weymouth etc for other pursuits. Excellent and would recommend it to everyone. We hope to return ourselves. We had both cottages as a family group of 6 but would be equally as good for a couple or four friends.

The cottage was lovely and unusual. We loved the lighthouse and went up there every night to see the sunset. The owners were very helpful and friendly.

Liked the location, the bungalow and the lovely owners who made us feel welcome. A great place for a holiday.

A very comfortable cottage with friendly and helpful owners next door. Great views from the attached lighthouse and walks from the door. A good base to explore South Dorset. In a peaceful relaxing location with an excellent superstore within a few miles. Perfect for us.

I must say the only existing review on Tripadvisor nearly put me off visiting Stopes Cottage. What a mistake that would have been!! That location, in a Lighthouse.. we had to give it a go. We are delighted that we did. This is simply a fantastic location. If you want 360 degree stunning views of the Dorset Coast and Portland Bill this is unbeatable. The cottage has lovely large rooms and everything you could need. It was impeccably clean and had everything you could want; really good heating (just hit the Advance button in the kitchen if you want a boost); large TV with Blu-ray; separate kitchen TV, Wi-Fi, large bath with shower; 2nd WC, washing machine, iron and as with the Lighthouse stunning views out to sea from most rooms. The beds were very comfortable. There is a decent sized garden with bbq, seating and even an outdoor pool which looked great for when the British summer arrives. Our hosts Les and Fran were very welcoming; available nearby if needed (they weren’t) after our initial welcome. Many of Fran’s paintings hung around the cottage (available to buy). A 2nd rental property on the grounds (Branscombe Lodge) also has access to the Lighthouse (via separate entrance), but there is more than enough room at the top of the Lighthouse for all; however we were the only ones up there when we stayed. The top of the lighthouse is the perfect location to enjoy a drink whilst taking in the views during the day; at sunset (we didn't make sunrise!) or even star gazing. There is a door so you can step outside for even better views (possibly best on a calm day; you are atop a lighthouse after all!) Portland Bill is far less developed that other local Dorset towns (in a good way), but there are still enough restaurants, pubs, and amenities in the area to cater for most needs. Weymouth is a 10 minute drive. A large new Tesco 4 minutes away (and they deliver). If you want a home from home with what have to be the best views in the area then I highly recommend Stopes Cottage. We will be back!! Little pointers to note- Stairs for the final climb to the Lighthouse are very steep; but very solid with excellent hand holds. Electricity is by £1 coin meter; but don’t be put off; you will get change out of £1 per day. Lastly the select number of local eateries do get busy; so book a table!!

The location. The views. Stunning.

A superb Cottage in a wonderfully peaceful location, it felt like a real home from home. We had many great walks directly from the doorstep. The history surrounding the property is so interesting and the views from the tower are incredible. The holiday was everything we hoped for and more! There's loads to do in this part of Dorset and we hope to return to the Lighthouse in the future.

Liked the peace and quiet, and the wonderful coastline. The Cottage was so wonderful, I would recommend to all ages.

The cottage was just perfect, particularly the sea views.

The property was too cold and the heat was only rationed by the owners. They had the heating on and off as it suited them. The owners had painted the property interior wood work with solvent based paint and had not ventilated the rooms. As a consequence we kept inhaling the chemicals to the point that one of us experienced burning sensation in the chest. We could not open the windows to ventilate as the gales were in the region of 80 miles per hour. The owners were aware of the weather warnings but were more interested in maintaining their booking. We had to leave earlier because of the cold, intrusive winds hammering against the windows all night long, extreme noise and the chemical inhalation. We feel very disappointed in the fact that the property owners showed such inflexibility and imposed such conditions to innocent holidays makers like us.

The property was too cold and the heat was only rationed by the owners. They had the heating on and off as it suited them. The owners had painted the property interior wood work with solvent based paint and had not ventilated the rooms. As a consequence we kept inhaling the chemicals to the point that one of us experienced burning sensation in the chest. We could not open the windows to ventilate as the gales were in the region of 80 miles per hour. The owners were aware of the weather warnings but were more interested in maintaining their booking. We had to leave earlier because of the cold, intrusive winds hammering against the windows all night long, extreme noise and the chemical inhalation. We feel very disappointed in the fact that the property owners showed such inflexibility and imposed such conditions to innocent holidays makers like us.

The owners have put their heart into this lighthouse conversion - and it shows. The most welcoming property we have stayed at. We went seriously out of season when the other cottages weren't booked and so we had the lantern to ourselves. Maybe not glorious sunshine but it was so nice we didn't need to go out. Will be back soon.

One of the very best weekends away ever. Would come back again. Just fantastic!

The holiday was amazing, made even better by the views and the weather. Overall a wonderful relaxing experience.

The cottage is spacious and at the same time cosy. The room in the lighthouse is spectacular. The owners are very friendly and helpful.

A unique property, well placed for exploring Chesil beach and the Dorset coast. Enjoyed walking around the island.

Very comfortable, fantastic position surrounded by cliffs and sea, yet only 10 minutes to the nearest shop. Owners very friendly and helpful, very welcoming when we arrived. Amazing lighthouse that the owners had totally rebuilt themselves.

There was a good view from the window, and the peace and quiet was exactly what we wanted.

Extremely helpful and welcoming owners. A great place to stay.

Smashing location! We hardly left the island all week as we found plenty to do there. A good supply of brochures were available had we wanted to venture further afield. There are local food shops which made things easier too. The owners are a lovely couple who are very welcoming, and having use of the old lighthouse tower was amazing!

Sea views and coastal paths with no light pollution for star gazing! A very relaxing break.