Five thousand years of history lie beneath the gently rolling landscape of the picturesque, 970-acre West Woodyates Manor estate, which sits in peaceful seclusion within the Cranborne Chase AONB, two miles from the east Dorset village of Sixpenny Handley and 11 miles south of Salisbury. Launched at a guide price of £18.5m in July 2020, the sale of the diverse residential, farming, sporting and conservation estate was ‘a rich and rare event’ in this timeless part of Dorset, says selling agent Clive Hopkins of Knight Frank.
At its heart stands Grade II*-listed West Woodyates Manor, which dates from the 17th century or earlier and was remodelled in the early 18th century by Thomas Pitt, 1st Lord Londonderry. With some 750 acres under cultivation and 37 acres of permanent pasture, farming is still the lifeblood of the estate, with sporting and wildlife conservation of special interest; some 50 species of birds and 30 species of butterflies, including the elusive purple emperor, inhabit its ancient woodland.
This story is from the January 12, 2022 edition of Country Life UK.
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This story is from the January 12, 2022 edition of Country Life UK.
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