At last it was a sunny weekend, so I headed west to Minterne gardens near Dorchester. My visit coincided with a Fair in aid of RNLI and St Andrew’s Church but luckily not many visitors walked around the woodland garden.

There’s a circular walk around the Woodland Walk and you travel high up into the Himalayas – it’s stunning at this time of year.




There’s a cafe on the Terrace in front of the house

Where To Stay
When visiting gardens, it’s essential to have somewhere to stay nearby where you can unwind and plan your next garden adventure. The Eastbury Hotel is a luxury countryhouse hotel in the market town of Sherborne and has an award-winning restaurant, a spa, a beautiful garden and is within easy reach of the gardens at Sherborne Castle, Montacute, Minterne and Tintinhull. It is the perfect place to chill after a day out.
History
Minterne House was designed by Leonard Stokes in 1904-6 for Edward Henry Trafalgar Digby, 10th Baron Digby. It stands on the site of an earlier house within an eighteenth century landscape that was laid out by Admiral Robert Digby, younger brother of Lord Digby of Sherborne Castle. A ha-ha divides the lawns from the pleasure grounds, serpentine lake and park. Magnificent collection of rhododendrons which was started by the 9th Baron Digby in the late nineteenth century and continued by his son. The house remains in private ownership.

Leave A Reply