Milton Abbas, England, United Kingdom
Imagine the archetypal English village and you will find yourself in beautiful Milton Abbas.
Situated between Blandford Forum and Dorchester, set in a pretty wooded valley, this linear village with its whitewashed cob and thatch cottages is a photographers’ delight.
Mention the name Capability Brown and you think of graceful parklands and sweeping vistas. The famous landscape gardener worked on the design of Milton Abbas with renowned architect William Chambers, together creating a visually stunning village that some consider one of the first planned settlements in England.
Created in the 1770s when the owner of Milton Abbey House, Joseph Damer, 1st Earl of Dorchester, felt the existing village of Middleton, with all its noises and smells, was disturbing his rural idyll, the new village of Milton Abbas had 36 almost identical cottages, each designed to house two families.
Enjoy a stroll along ‘The Street’ and take in the village views, the chocolate box cottages with roses around the doors and see if you can work out, from the property’s names, who once lived there, perhaps the baker, the blacksmith, or the thatcher (that's us)? Picture what life in the village may well have been like centuries ago.
Today the villagers celebrate Milton Abbas’ heritage with a colourful eighteenth century style street fair every two years. Traditional home made bunting is strung across the street, residents dress in costume and the cottage front greens provide a picturesque setting for stalls, crafts, local food, dancing and games.
Whilst the village scenes will most certainly have your camera clicking, the gracious buildings of the Abbey Church and Abbey House (now a private school) are equally breathtaking.
The Abbey stands on the site of a church founded by Saxon King Athelstan. The current building was built over the 14th and 15th centuries after the church was destroyed by fire following a lightening strike in 1309, but the nave on the ‘new’ building was never built, although foundations have been discovered.
The estate, with its Abbey has changed hands several times over the succeeding centuries; discover this historic building and its wonderful setting, courtesy of Capability Brown, for yourself.
Pull on your walking boots and set off on foot to explore this stunning village and surrounding landscapes.
Set in a valley in the Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Milton Abbas is on the route of the long-distance Jubilee Trail, a 90-mile route across the County. Fear not, a multitude of short and middle distance walks start from the village, offering a range of opportunities to explore the downs, traditional woodland, pretty valleys and peaceful villages and of course no country walk would be complete without a stop at the local pub!
Would you love to escape to idyllic countryside for a short break or holiday? See yourself with family and friends enjoying the scenery, pub lunches and delicious afternoon teas in this picturesque part of Dorset?
