Athelhampton House
North-east of the town of Dorchester in the county of Dorset sits a medieval mansion, originally built in 1485, and restored in the 19th century. The privately owned Athelhampton House lies close to the endearingly-named village of Puddletown and is bordered by the even more endearingly-named River Piddle!
Athelhampton House was originally built by local baron William Martyn with his reward for helping the future King Henry VII to victory in the Battle of Bosworth in 1485, an event that ended the Wars of the Roses and established the great Tudor dynasty. The superb medieval hall features some fine tapestries and is decorated with symbols that represent the early church tradition of naming animals, in particular Martin the Monkey, reflecting the name of the original owner.
The west wing was added in the late 1500s. In the 19th century the house was remodelled by the new owner Alfred Lafontaine who also added a Victorian flavour to the existing Jacobean style. More recent restoration has taken its inspiration from the neo-gothic interior décor of Auguste Pugin’s Houses of Parliament. The award-winning garden was partly designed by Inigo Thomas and features an enormous magnolia tree that seems to be propping up the hall.