News from Athelhampton House & Gardens.

An unexpected frost greeted us at Athelhampton this morning. A blanket of frost covering the lawn around the vegetable beds and Apple trees in the Kitchen Garden The historic kitchen garden lay still, its beds resting and empty, waiting patiently for the season of growing to return. A crisp, bright pause, reminding us that even quiet ground is full of promise. We're open everyday to visit!

An exciting day at Athelhampton… In the early morning, before the house stirred and long before our visitors arrived, the medieval Great Hall echoed with industry. Three orange clad figures appeared, and piece by piece, a modern metal structure was erected, in sharp contrast with the ancient beams sheltering the hall. After careful planning and the necessary permissions, we are beginning a project that gently reverses a change made some three hundred years ago, allowing the h

At the ends of the terrace in Athelhampton's historic gardens, the two pavilions - Winter Sorrow and Summer Joy - were built in 1891. Athelhampton's Victorian owner Alfred Cart de Lafontaine had Ham Hill stone used, and it takes on a beautiful warm, golden colour in the low winter sun. A panoramic view of the dappled sunlight lighting up the Great Court at Athelhampton At this time of year the gardens at Dorset's finest Tudor manor are quieter. The flowers have faded back, b