News from Athelhampton House & Gardens.

The Silver Safe at Athelhampton has just reopened after a week of renovations. It is the smallest of the 20 historic rooms open to the public. Athelhampton was purchased in 1660 by Sir Robert Long, (treasurer to Queen Henrietta Maria) he was a wealthy landowner and had many estates in Dorset, London, Wiltshire and Yorkshire. In the 1750s his descendants spent time at all their various estates. This may have been when this room was added, enabling valuable silverware to be lo

Oddly not a photograph of Athelhampton to start this post. Instead an archive photograph of the Riley-Smith Hall in Tadcaster. I hear you asking why? Well, it’s complicated. In 1890 a Yorkshire solicitor’s daughter, Mary Bromet married Frank Riley-Smith who, with his brother, owned John Smith’s brewery in Tadcaster. Frank died in 1912, and left his considerable wealth and share of the brewery to his wife Mary, who would remarry a few years later. Mary and her new husband, Geo

Calmer weather at Athelhampton today, the snow, frost, rain and wind of the last week was replaced by a dull grey sky. Athelhampton's Tudor Great Hall The visitors to our Dorset historic house and gardens still explore outside, but at this time of year the manor house is the focal point for many. A candelabra in Athelhampton's Tudor Great Hall, crafted by a local Dorset blacksmith 539 years after William Martyn started building Athelhampton’s Tudor Great Hall it looks absolut

Snow at the centre of Athelhampton's historic kitchen garden Athelhampton enjoyed a snow day today! Snow in the Great Court at Athelhampton Even with difficult traveling conditions we welcomed visitors who explored the historic house and gardens near Dorchester, and enjoyed a hot lunch in our restaurant. Snow on the West Lawn at Athelhampton I wonder how many snow days there have been at Athelhampton has since it was constructed in 1485? Athelhampton at the end of the day Ath

A cold night and frosty morning at Athelhampton, but even with a chill in the air the house and gardens are looking stunning. Frosty lawns in Athelhampton's historic gardens Our modern air-source heating and the fire in the Tudor Great Hall are keeping the rooms of the house toasty and warm for our visitors today. Frost in Athelhampton's historic kitchen garden Athelhampton is a member of the Historic Houses and an RHS Partner Garden. Our historic gardens near Dorchester are

Athelhampton is a beautiful stately home - one of the finest country houses in Dorset - but it was hardly the place for royalty in the 16th Century. Royal progresses, where the monarch essentially went "on tour" around the country, were huge affairs, involving hundreds if not thousands of people. Athelhampton, while a big house by modern standards, wasn't ever big enough to host the royal court. Sir William Martyn, who built some of the earliest parts of Athelhampton, escorte