Minterne House and Gardens
© Graham Rains (view gallery)
Minterne House - Home of the Churchill and Digby Families since 1620.
The Minterne Valley was landscaped in the manner of Capability Brown in the 18th Century. The gardens are laid out in a horseshoe below Minterne House with a chain of small lakes, waterfalls and streams. They contain a unique collection of Himalayan Rhododendrons and Azaleas, with Spring bulbs, Cherries, Maples and many fine and rare trees; the garden is noted for its Autumn colouring. Image cannot be loaded
Minterne House and Gardens
© Graham Rains (view gallery)
Situated next to the main gates of Minterne House, the church of St Andrew's dates from the late Medieval period. The north porch is of 17th Century design, in 1894 the tower was restored and heightened and in 1897 the church was reseated in oak. The church contains many memorials to the Digby, Napier and Churchill families; one to Nathaniel Napier who built the almshouses in Dorchester, another to Admiral Sir Henry Digby who commanded HMS Africa at Trafalgar and a memorial window to the Hon. Theresa Digby. Minterne House, at times the seat of one or other of the families mentioned is at the centre of the village surrounded by a large park and gardens now open to the public. Hartley, Lyons Gate and Middlemarsh are all tithings of Minterne Magna. Image cannot be loaded
