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Disappointment for International Visitors to Athelhampton House & Gardens as Barfleur is Sold


In a blow for international visitors to Athelhampton, Brittany Ferries announced on Tuesday that it was going to sell Barfleur, the ferry which serves the Poole-Cherbourg route, closing the service in November. This isn't the first time she's been withdrawn from the Poole-Cherbourg route, and she was briefly acquired by LD Lines in 2012-2013 for their Dover-Calais route, but ultimately never ran that route before Brittany Ferries took her back again. This time, though, it seems permanent.


Photo of MS Barfleur from the harbourside at Poole. She's a large ship, primarily white, but with the red and blue Brittany Ferries livery, and with Brittany Ferries painted on her side.
MS Barfleur at Cherbourg

Owen Davies, Estate Manager of Athelhampton gave a statement:


"We are naturally disappointed to see the closure of the Poole to Cherbourg ferry service. Over the years, we've welcomed many visitors from France and across mainland Europe, and the route has played an important part in connecting Dorset with Normandy and beyond.


"Tourism is about more than simply travelling from one place to another; it's about sharing culture, heritage and ideas. We regularly visit gardens in France for inspiration ourselves, most recently Christian Dior's beautiful garden in Granville, and we've always enjoyed welcoming French visitors to experience one of Dorset's finest historic houses and gardens.

We hope that, despite the loss of this important ferry link, visitors from France and across Europe will continue to discover everything that Dorset has to offer. They will always receive a very warm welcome at Athelhampton."


MS Barfleur leaving Poole Harbour. She's sailing from right to left in the photo. She's white, with red and blue Brittany Ferries Livery. A couple of small boats are in the foreground. The sky is grey and overcast
MS Barfleur leaving Poole Harbour

Brittany Ferries have said that they'll still run a Portsmouth-Cherbourg route, but this still makes life difficult for the international visitors to Athelhampton House & Gardens, who will have a longer and more difficult route to us if coming across from France on the ferry. The Portsmouth-Le Havre route is also closing in October, it has been announced, which limits the scope of where French visitors can catch the ferry from.


More than that, it will also mean the Athelhampton team will have greater difficulty going across to France, to explore its rich cultural heritage. Links between Athelhampton and France date back to the Norman Conquest, with more recent owners trading with France in the 16th Century, or trading in Paris in the Victorian period. And today, the Brittany Ferries link from Poole to Cherbourg was an easy route, accessible by public transport, that will now no longer run.


The Poole-Guernsey-St Malo route will remain open.

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