By Kind Permisson of Sir William and Lady Hanham

Sir William will take the tour of the house and the garden with head gardener Sarah Church.

This is a garden with a tranquil monastic character. Although there was Roman activity here in the AD 40s, the first key settlement was a Benedictine monastery founded by the Saxon queen St. Cuthburga in 705 AD. While the buildings were destroyed by the Vikings in 1015, the monastic atmosphere in the garden prevails, with its large ancient trees, chalk stream and stew pond. It was laid out with fountains and parterres in the C18th but is now more informal and is dominated by the fine early Georgian red brick house, which encases what is thought to be Cuthburga’s Royal Palace. Other features include a herb garden, orchard and kitchen garden enclosed by a long crinkle-crankle wall. The Manor was seized for the Crown during the Reformation by the Hanham family who have lived here ever since, as seen in the house in an almost complete run of portraits from the last 500 years.

Picnicking from 1pm. Otherwise members can park at Deans Court and walk into Wimborne for lunch. The Café on Deans Court Lane serves homemade lunches with produce from the kitchen garden.