Welcome to Higher Melcombe Manor & Estate, a 16th century Elizabethan manor house
surrounded by hundreds of acres of open wood and farmland.
Set in the heart of Dorset, England.
The Elizabethan house was likely built around 1570. It was lost by mortgage to Sir Thomas Freke in 1605, who rebuilt the existing chapel in about 1610.
The house is full of charm and character whilst providing an excellent family home with perfect facilities for entertaining.
The walls are banded with flint mixed with Ham & Portland stone under a slate and tile roof. Throughout the house are numerous stone mullion windows, linen fold panelling, exposed beams and plaster work.
A gravelled drive which branches off from the main estate drive leads to the front of the manor, with a turning circle filled with lavender.
The gardens sit to the front, sides & back of the Manor and comprise colourful flower borders, shaped hedges, expansive lawns and a patio overlooking the gardens and rolling hills of the farmland beyond.
We offer a family run bed & breakfast featuring two double rooms and one single.
We and our three dogs, Rubus, Indy & Seb, would be delighted to welcome you to our home.
The Garden Room and the Chapel Room, our double rooms, are on their own floor with a separate shared lounge and kitchenette. Both are equipped with their own private en-suite facilities. The Monk's room, our single room, is situated separately from the others with a separate, private bathroom just down the hall.
All rooms offer beautiful, unobstructed views of the estate and are served by high speed WiFi coverage throughout.
Whether you're staying with us for business or pleasure, you'll find yourself relaxing in our wonderful surroundings.
Scroll down to see a selection of photos from our B&B.
A selection of photographs from our homely bed & breakfast are below. Many more photoraphs are available on our room listing page.
Higher Melcombe is recorded in the Doomsday book as "Upmelcombe", with the chapel originally built in around 1302 by John de Cernelis. The estate and its buildings changed hands a number of times throughout history before the chapel was rebuilt as part of the Elizabethan manor house in around 1610.
Our chapel is fully licensed and insured for the purposes of civil marriage ceremonies. We are an unconsecrated chapel without religious association.
Please get in touch with us at the bottom of the page to enquire about "tying the knot" here at Higher Melcombe!
A selection of photographs from our recently renovated, fully licensed and insured chapel.
A beautiful vaulted roof, fitted with soft uplighters provides a powerful, yet warm and rustic feel to any country themed wedding ceremony.
Higher Melcombe is no stranger to a wedding, having been a trusted venue for Dorset County Council for quite some time.
Recently renovated and re-registered as a venue for couples wishing to say their vows and make their love everlasting, Higher Melcombe Manor would be delighted to host your special day.
We of course provide full exclusive use of our Chapel during your big day, and we are pleased to offer hire and use of the grounds to help you celebrate your new marriage surrounded by your families, friends, and the beautiful English countryside - the best thing is that neither you or your guests have far to go from the ceremony to toasting the happy couple!
Because every couple's plans for their big day are so unique and so special, we ask that you get in touch with us to help us bring your dreams to life.
Set in hundreds of acres of open farm and woodland, Higher Melcombe provides unending and uninterrupted scenic views. The sunset across the rolling hills is as idyllic as it sounds.
The estate forms a natural amphitheatre around the manor and its buildings, which are grouped together in the centre below. At its edge lies the Dorset Gap, a mysterious junction of five tracks with steep man-made cuttings that was the hub of central Dorset from the Middle Ages right through to Victorian times.
The estate is home to a working farm, with a large herd of hundreds of Hereford cattle and fields providing beef, barley, wheat, maize, rape & more to the British food industry.
Drop us a message.
We'd love to help answer any questions you may have about the estate or its facilities!