Minterne House and Gardens

Minterne House and Gardens

Minterne House
Minterne Magna
Dorchester
Dorset
DT2 7AU

Tel: 01300 341 370
E-Mail: enquiries@minterne.co.uk

Web: Minterne House and Gardens

About Minterne House and Gardens

Minterne House has been the home of the Churchill's and Digby's family for the last 350 years and now the seat of the 12th Lord Digby. It was rebuilt in 1905 by Leonard Stokes after the previous house was destroyed by dry rot. Minterne nestles in 1,300 acres of beautiful Dorset Countryside and is described by Simon Jenkins in his book 'England's 1,000 Best houses', as a 'Corner of Paradise'. The house contains many interesting paintings mementos of its past residents, including the Churchill Tapestries which are in the dining room. The House is open for organised parties only.
The first Sir Winston Churchill rented Minterne from Winchester College in 1660, and left it to his younger son General Charles Churchill, much to the fury of his eldest son, the Great Duke of Marlborough, who 'just had to make do with Blenheim Palace'. When General Charles's widow died, Minterne was sold to Robert Digby, a younger son from Sherborne Castle, complete with all the contents, which is why it still contains all the Churchill Tapestries, a ceiling picture by Sir James Thornhill and other Churchill pictures and furniture.