This stunning Queen Anne house was commissioned by the Chafin family and designed by Thomas Archer in 1710 to replace their Elizabethan manor house. It is reputed that the house took 25 years to build, with all the materials coming from the neighbouring countryside. The house has no corners - all corners are rounded in common with the style of Thomas Archer, an example of which is found at the Church in Smith Square, London.
The last of the Chafins died in 1818, and Chettle House was bought by the Castleman family in 1846, and they undertook an extensive programme of renovation including rebuilding the chancel, nave and vestry of Chettle Church. In 1946, Edward Castleman died and Chettle House was inherited by his niece Esther Bourke, the grandmother of current owners, Peter and Fiona Bourke.
The beautiful gardens blend traditional structure with modern design. A croquet lawn, flanked on one side by herbaceous borders, fills the foreground to the park while the borders in the main garden surround a sunken lawn.
The plantings are stunning and offer colour and interest throughout the seasons, and include a variegated liriodendron, a stauntonia growing over an old yew, a holboellia, a small rose garden, a fine display of campsis in late summer, some 60 clematis cultivars
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Every effort is made to make sure that all the information is correct but we strongly recommend that you call Chettle House before you set off on your day out to confirm opening times and admission prices.
Please also note that the position on Google maps for Chettle House is a rough estimate using their postcode in the database and might be slightly out.
It may also be worth clicking the web link for Chettle House to see if there are any special events coming up or currently on.
Blandford Town Museum