Mapperton
Mapperton is an Elizabethan country house nestling near the village of Beaminster on the county borders of Devon and Dorset. Owned by the Earl of Sandwich, the estate has been designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and features formal Italianate gardens and fine views over the surrounding countryside.
The present structure of Mapperton dates back to the 1550s when it was built for the De Moion family. It was remodelled during the 17th century with Jacobean interiors, with later baroque, rococo and Georgian styles also in evidence. Yet far from being a historical hotch-potch of designs, the interiors sit comfortably with each other. Indeed, the esteemed magazine of rural Britain, Country Life, once described it as ‘the nation’s finest manor house’, and this appraisal alone should make a visit worthwhile.
Why not also visit the on-site licensed restaurant and enjoy a sandwich? After all, the ancestors of the current owners are credited with inventing it! A short drive away is the geological fun park known as the Jurassic Coast, famous for the countless prehistoric fossil discoveries that have formed the collection of many a natural history museum. It is now recognised as a World Heritage site in its entirety.