Athelhampton
| Athelhampton | |
| Dorset | |
|---|---|
 Athelhampton Hall | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | SY770942 |
| Location: | 50°44’51"N, 2°19’36"W |
| Data | |
| Population: | 30 (2013 est.) |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | Dorset |
| Parliamentary constituency: |
West Dorset |
Athelhampton (also known as Admiston or Adminston) is a tiny village in Dorset,about five miles east of the county town, Dorchester.
It consists of a manor house and a former parish church. A 2013 mid-year estimate of the population of the civil parish put it at just 30.[1]
Manor
The Domesday Book records that in 1086 the Bishop of Salisbury, with Odbold as tenant, held the manor, then called Pidele. The name Aethelhelm appears in the 13th century, when Athelhampton belonged to the de Loundres family. In 1350 Richard Martyn married the de Pydele heiress, and their descendant Sir William Martyn (who was Lord Mayor of London in 1492) received licence to enclose 160 acres of land to form a deer park and a licence to fortify the manor.
Athelhampton House
- Main article: Athelhampton House
The manor house, Athelhampton House, is a Grade I listed 15th-century privately owned country house in 160 acres of parkland.[2] The gardens are Grade I listed on the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens.[3] It is now open for public visits.
Sir William Martyn had the current Great Hall built in about 1493
In 2019, after 62 years of ownership by his family, Patrick Cooke retired and the house and estate were listed for sale.[4] The contents were sold at auction and the house was bought by the economist Giles Keating, who subsequently reopened the house and garden to the visiting public.[5]
Parish church
Across the A35 road is the former Church of England parish church of St John, built in 1861–62 to move the old parish church away from the house. St John's was designed by the Dorchester architect John Hicks,[6] who employed Thomas Hardy at the time.
The Diocese of Salisbury declared St John's redundant in 1975, after which it fell into disrepair. The church, its pews and most of the graveyard were purchased by Athelhampton Estate in order to protect the building. It is now used by the Antiochian Orthodox parish of St Edward King and Martyr. A congregation worships at services at the church every Sunday.
Film location
Athelhampton House and its estate have appeared in a number of film and television productions, including: [7]
- Sleuth (1972 film)
- Doctor Who:
- The Seeds of Doom (serial, 1976) using the house and gardens.
- The Unicorn and the Wasp (2008)
- From Time to Time (2009) a children's film by Julian Fellowes based on The Chimneys of Green Knowe (1958)
Outside links
 |
("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Athelhampton) |
References
- ↑ Parish Population Data
- ↑ National Heritage List 1323995: Athelhampton Hall
- ↑ National Heritage List 1000430: Athelhampton
- ↑ One of the most incredible privately-owned homes in Britain has come to the market: Country Life
- ↑ Visit Athelhampton
- ↑ Newman & Pevsner 1972, p. 83.
- ↑ IMDB database of filming at the house
- Nikolaus Pevsner: The Buildings of England: Dorset, 1972 Penguin Books ISBN 978-0-300-09598-2