Athelhampton House & Gardens

Athelhampton House and Gardens, just 7 miles from dorchester are easily found from the A35 trunk road with tourist signs pointing the way. Athelhampton House, nestles in the countryside between Puddletown, and the historic village of Tolpuddle.

The House is an excellent example of an early Tudor Manor house, with its majestic Great Hall built in 1485, and added to in the C16th. The house, offers a selection of stunning rooms, with a collection of antiques, paintings and soft furnishings. The house stewards are very knowledgeable and their tales, help bring the history of the House to life. On the second floor, is the Gallery, which currently displays work by the russian artist Marevna who lived at the house in the 1950's.

Athelhampton's gardens make your visit a real day out, with several acres of gardens designed in the 1800's. Many of the gardens are contained in architectural ham-stone compartments, each exquisitely planted and each with a water-feature, beyond the gardens open up with more water features and stunning vistas. The River Piddle and the river board-walk creates a natural boundary which leads you to the Dovecote, which houses many white doves.

The visitor to Athelhampton is well catered for with a superb Gift Shop and Plant sales area, and the cleverly enclosed courtyard creates a superb restaurant for morning coffee, lunch and tea and serves a popular carvery on a Sunday, if you prefer they also run the local pub, the award winning Martyr's Inn in Tolpuddle.

A few events take place each year, a plant sale, classic car day, village fete, flower festival and outdoor theatre. Athehampton's website is the best place for upto date information.