The Cambridge Society of Dorset cordially invites you to a guided tour of Athelhampton House.

Athelhampton House has been continually lived in since Saxon times. The manor is mentioned in the Domesday Book. The current house was largely constructed in Tudor times, with the Great Hall built by Sir William Martyn in 1485, considered one of the finest examples of Tudor architecture in England. The property has changed hands many times since then, and additional wings have been added. In 2019, after 62 years of ownership by 3 generations of his family, Patrick Cooke retired and the house was purchased by economist and author Giles Keating, who has undertaken further restoration. The magnificent Elizabethan kitchen has been restored and opened to the public for the first time, and many other historic rooms previously closed are now available to visit. Works by local traditional craftsmen can be seen alongside items from the Tudor and later periods.

The visit will begin with welcome teas and coffees at 10.30am in the Long Hall. We will then enjoy a 90 minute talk and tour with Owen the Estate Manager.  We will hear all about the history of the house and the story of the gardens.  This will be followed by a light lunch (served around 12.30pm) – a Sandwich buffet & a Small Cream Tea.

After lunch, we will be free to explore the beautiful gardens, originally set out by Francis Inigo Thomas in 1891–2. The gardens close at 5pm.