A Victorian delight

The building is Victorian, part of a set of grand homes and hotels built in the late 1800s in Woolacombe. Other prominent structures—like the Woolacombe Bay Hotel—date from around 1887–1888. Our building started as a single residence, believe it or not!

During WWII, Woolacombe hosted evacuee children from London with many local buildings being repurposed: from military training centres to evacuee schools. Entire schools relocated into hotels and guesthouses like Dolphin Court. The Southern Command Weapon Training School occupied local buildings, and Woolacombe beach and training grounds were heavily used by both the British and US Army.

The Dune has been renovated since October 2024 by Ben and Alison Osborne from Bristol. We love Woolacombe for all it offers and in particular enjoy the surf with our boys Isaac and Max.

The building now contains 5 flats. Flat 1 and Flat 5 (The Dune) are holiday let properties. The other flats are private dwellings.

The building has a thriving community with all the owners coming together regularly to maintain this wonderful property. And trust us, maintenance is a constant activity given the building’s thick slate-filled solid walls, and the exposed position by the coast.

No matter what the weather, your stay at the Dune will always remind you of the power and allure of the Great British coastline.