An exciting new era
Peter Booton visits Athelhampton House and Gardens
Published in April ’21
The main entrance front of Athelhampton House. Dating from 1485, the oldest part is the Great Hall (centre) and service range (right). The west wing, dating from 1550, is on the left.
WHEN Richard III was killed at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485 and usurper Henry Tudor took the throne, a powerful new royal dynasty arose. In that same year a wealthy merchant, Sir William Martyn, was building Athelhampton Hall in Dorset and was quick to proclaim where his allegiance lay: an elaborately carved door bearing a Tudor rose was prominently placed in his new home.
Dorset manor houses rarely change hands, so when 15th-century …
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