Once a small local event held at Stourpaine Bushes near Pimperne that I used to go to as a little boy, the Great Dorset Steam Fair 2018 is now in its 50th year and is the largest show of its kind in the World.
Located on a 600 acre site at Tarrant Hinton amidst the countryside of the Cranborne Chase, it has an extraordinary number of working traction engines, steam powered machines, heritage vehicles and equipment as well as a vast fun fair.
It is rather like a country fair gone mad with hundreds of stalls, umpteen beer & cider outlets, a First World War trench system, hundreds of working displays and a music festival that goes on late into the night. Attracting some 200,000 visitors over five days it even has its own radio station. At times there can be as many as 30,000 on site making it the fifth largest population centre in the county.
The queues to the showground can be quite lengthy despite a well organised parking system but the wait is worthwhile to witness living history and attend a unique event. There is so much to see and do that many people camp for all five days.
The Steam Fair runs from Thursday 23rd August until Bank Holiday Monday, 27th August.

Steam Fair

A fine Victorian residence with spacious & elegant accommodation including an annexe located close to the heart of this thriving market town. As local town property agents we have plenty of buyers registered with us looking for homes like this.

A charming period property with a pretty garden located in a village regarded as being one of the best places to live in the UK. As village property experts we have strong demand from tenants looking for similar rentals!

A lovingly refurbished family home in a delightful rural yet accessible setting with bags of period character, streamside gardens & a small paddock. Ticking so many boxes it certainly attracted plenty of interest and as village property Estate Agents we expect to get more of the same!

Until this summer it had been the understanding for many years in the property industry that houses with an indoor swimming pool had a positive advantage and having one could help sell a home as well as adding to its value. In contrast, an outdoor pool did not add any more to the sale price and indeed, for some buyers have been regarded as a detrimental feature. This has changed!

2018 has been one the hottest and driest summers known with records constantly being broken and temperatures regularly reaching 30C. With the heatwave set to continue, house buyers are positively seeking homes with pools, whether they are inside or out. However, with the continuing shortage of village property on the market, finding one is not easy despite it being estimated that there are over 200,000 homes in the UK with a swimming pool.

There is a lot to take into consideration when installing a swimming pool not least of which is the cost and this can vary enormously depending on what ground works are required and whether it’s an above ground, below ground or housed. Then there’s the type of pool to think about from a traditional design, an infinity pool or a natural swimming pond as well what they are made of and whether there are to be any additional features like diving boards, pressure jets or water cascades.

Another important factor is how the water is to be managed, cleaned, filtered, covered and heated. One also has to take into account where in a garden a pool is going to be sited and ideally this will be in a sunny but sheltered spot. Safety needs to be taken into consideration, particularly where there are young children around, so it is sensible to have fencing with secure access.

Size matters. Most people want a pool which is large enough to have some fun splashing around in and to be able to swim a few lengths rather than one that is no bigger than a paddling pool to cool down in on a hot day but it should not be so large that it completely dominates the garden.

Rural View are marketing a village property in an exclusive residential road on the Isle of Wight that boasts having a particularly good-sized pool (55 x 28 ft). Lamorna is an extended detached house built in the 1960’s with a large garden and is being marketed as a refurbishment or redevelopment opportunity. The guide price is £1.1 million and should a new owner fancy swimming in the sea rather than the pool, then the beach is just a short stroll away.