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Garden Name: Mapperton
Last Modified: 09/02/2010
Garden ID: 0140

pic: 0140_Mapperton.jpg

Owner: The Earl and Countess of Sandwich
Address:
Beaminster


Postcode: DT8 3NR
County: Dorset

tel: 01308 862645
fax: 01308 863348
website: www.mapperton.com
email: office {at} mapperton.com

Features: 


English Heritage Grade:
II*

Opening Times:
1st Mar - 31st Oct; Daily except Sats; 11am - 5pm

Best Times of Year to Visit: 


To see: 


National Collection: 


National Garden Scheme days: No
Comments: 

Parties / Coaches: Yes 
Comments: 

Viewing by Appointment: Yes
Comments: Group Tours available. 

House Open for Viewing: Yes
Comments: 21st June - 30th July; Weekdays and Bank Holiday Mons. 31st May & 30th Aug; 2pm - 4.30pm, last admissions 4pm

Admission Prices:
Adult Garden £5, House £4.50; Child (Under 18) Garden £2.50, House £2.50; Under 5s Free.
House & Garden combined: £9pp for groups of 20+
Groups of 20+ £4.50pp
Accompanied garden tours £2pp extra

Parking: Yes
Lavatories: Yes
Disabled Access: Yes
Shop: Yes
Plants for Sale: Yes
Lunches: Yes
Teas: Yes
Refreshments: Yes
Picnics: No
Dogs allowed: No
Only on Lead: No
Events: Yes

Other Facilities:
Lavatories - Wheelchair disabled access. Wheelchairs have partial access to garden. Licensed cafe open daily 1230pm - 5.30pm for lunches & teas.


Designer: Mrs Labouchere
Description of Garden:
Mapperton's terraced valley gardens surround a honey-coloured Jacobean manor house, stable blocks, dovecote and church. On upper levels a walled croquet lawn; then down to the Orangery and Italianate formal garden with fountains, topiary, grottoes, ponds and borders. Below a 17th century summer house with fishponds and topiary, leads to the lower garden with an arboretum of mature specimen shrubs, rare trees and a spring garden. Magnificent walks and views, colour in the autumn, bulbs in the spring.


History: 
Mapperton is one of the oldest Dorset manors and dates back to Saxon times. At the time of the Domesday Book it belonged to William de Moion, Sheriff of Somerset, and earned him an income of 70 shillings a year. After him the manor passed by descent to four families - Bretts, Morgans, Brodrepps and Comptons - until it was sold in 1919 to Mrs Labouchere, who built the formal garden in her husband's memory. After her death in 1955, Mapperton was bought by Victor Montagu, then MP for South Dorset, whose family has had ties with Dorset for over 200 years. When he died in 1995, it passed to his son and is now the family house of the Earl and Countess of Sandwich.

The Tudor house was built by Robert Morgan, but was restyled in the 1660s by Richard Brodrepp who also added the stable blocks and pigeoncote. It was a later Richard Brodrepp, a county magistrate, who gave the north wing a classical front, added balustrades and put in a Georgian staircase hall.

Local Inns: 
Pickwicks Inn, Beaminster
Cotley Inn, Wambrook

Accomodation: 
The Bridge House Hotel, Beaminster
Watermeadow House, Hooke, Beaminster

Restaurants: 
Ann Day Gallery, Beaminster
The Bridge House Hotel, Beaminster

Village/Town/Sightseeing: 
Beaminster