Milton-Abbas history is long and illustrious the little Dorsetshire village is set in an idyllic part of this beautiful county, amongst beautiful rolling hills in the very heart of: Thomas Hardy's Dorset. In c 933 AD; King Athelstan built a church in memory of his brother Edwin who died at sea. That is not the full story however for it is widely believed the Athelstan murdered his brother? The story went that the Athelstan suspected his brother Edwin of plotting against him to usurp his his crown. As punishment Edwin was to be banished, he was put on a leaky ship with his Armour bearer, and page. A very distraught Edwin, is said to have drowned himself. It was later established the Edwin was innocent. So in a fit of remorse King Athelstan ordered the monasteries of Middleton ( Milton-Abbas ) and  Michelness, built in honor of his brother. . The truth behind this story is in question. Before his death Edwin undertook the construction of many buildings. And he repaired many churches hat had suffered heavily during the ravages of the Danes, ( better known to history as The Vikings ) these churches included including York and Beverley. In 964,   Benedictine monks from Glastonbury, took over the church, and  under them the Abbey grew in size,as did the large market town of  Middleton outside its gates.  In 1539, Henry VIII's, Protestant Reformation displaced the monks and the Abbey and land was acquired by Sir John Tregonwell, the layer who had arrange the King's divorce

The village of Milton Abbas unlike most villager's did not just grow naturally over the centuries it was actually planned. In 1780, the Lord of the Manor: Joseph Damer, Lord Milton, Earl of Dorchester decided he did not care much for the way the old village was situated, apparently it interfered with his view of the surrounding countryside. So he had it moved over an hill and out of sight. It was not however a case of out of sight out of mind. For the Earl commissioned Sir William Chambers a leading architect  of the period to design a new village. I do not know what the inhabitants thought at the time, but we are now the beneficiaries. For Sir William, is responsible for the delightful little village of thatched and whitewashed cottages all which are fronted by a lawn, and line a broad accessible main street. The Earl and his famed architect  had a parting of the way's over the style of the Manor house. The Earl wished for his house to be in the Gothic style, while the landscaping was to done by England's greatest landscape designer Lancelot Capability Brown. The Gothic style was however very much against Chambers' tastes. Following frequent quarrels with his client Chambers resigned.  A James Wyatt, who was considered Chambers inferior was appointed in his place. Again this was not as disasterious  as it first appears. For it was also left Wyatt to compleat the restoration of the Abbey Church: the result is the beautiful, impressive Gothic mansion in its valley setting, which in time has attracted three royal visits.

In 1852 the estate was sold to an Danish banker; Charles Joachim, Baron Hambro, a merchant banker who happily made Milton Abbey his seat. Hambro is also responsible for saving the Church: for in 1865, he commissioned Sir George Gilbert Scott to restore the Abbey Church, thus saving this irreplaceable church from potential ruin. And helping to restore some of the destruction caused by his forefathers, the dreaded Vikings.During their eighty years as Lord's of the Manor at Milton Abbey the Hambros had the delight of seeing  the trees and shrubs planted by Capability Brown grow to their full maturity, In 1932 they sold the estate and it was sold of piecemeal. The Abbey was brought by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners. In 1953 the grounds were bought yet again by a trust who established the present school, Milton Abbey which flourishes today. The present school has five houses - fittingly named after all the benefactors; Athelstan, Tregonwell, Bancks, Damer and Hambro.

Yes the village is a delight set in green rolling countryside, that is Dorsetshire; it is a place for holiday makers who like, beauty, and tranquility. And to walk in the countryside so beloved by one of Dorset's son's Thomas Hardy, is all that lovers of nature and beauty could hope for. I have no hesitation in saying Millton Abbas is a great place to spend some time.

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