Charming National Trust property dating from the 16th century, looking for a caretaker for the next 100 years
From part of an estate to part of the National Trust, Pamphill has been passed from hand to hand since its core was built centuries ago. It's now looking for a new owner to care for it for another 99 years.

Charming, Grade II*-listed Pamphill Manor near Wimborne, Dorset, has evolved over time from a late-17th-/early-18th-century house built around a 16th-century core with a Dutch gabled façade, enlarged in the 18th century with the addition of a Georgian wing overlooking the driveway.
Early-19th-century additions included the coach house and stable block, the annexe and, in the late 1800s, the south-east wing overlooking the croquet lawn – now the sitting room, with the master bedroom above. The house and its impressive grounds are on the market through Savills at a guide price of £2.25 million for a new 99-year National Trust lease.
Approached along a majestic avenue of mature oaks planted in 1840, Pamphill Manor faces directly onto Pamphill Green, a picturesque hamlet once part of the Kingston Lacy estate, owned by the Bankes family for more than 300 years and bequeathed to the National Trust in 1982.
The present Kingston Lacy House was built by Ralph Bankes between 1663 and 1665 to replace his father’s house, Corfe Castle, which was destroyed in the Civil War. His steward, Matthew Beethell, built Pamphill Manor, which became home to four generations of the Beethell family.
Thereafter, the house remained part of the Kingston Lacy estate and was rented out by the Bankes family and, later, by the National Trust, by which time, it was in a state of disrepair and underwent a major two-year refurbishment in 1992–3, when it was sold by the Trust on a 99-year lease. The present owners, who have lived there since 2005, have continued to maintain and improve the house, which is in excellent order throughout.
Pamphill Manor’s 2.24 acres of beautifully maintained gardens and grounds are an impressive feature of the property. The house offers 8,646sq ft of living space on three floors, including reception and inner halls, four reception rooms, a garden room, a kitchen/breakfast room and six first-floor bedrooms and five bathrooms, with two large attic bedrooms and a playroom/sitting room on the floor above.
Sign up for the Country Life Newsletter
Exquisite houses, the beauty of Nature, and how to get the most from your life, straight to your inbox.
A drawing room and kitchen-family room which show just what is possible when you blend old and new
The living and dining spaces of Chitcombe House in Dorset offer all manner of lessons in making a modern family
The new kitchen design mantra: Don’t be afraid of the dark
Dark colours and rich materials are creating moody new looks in kitchens, says Amelia Thorpe.
Credit: Simon Jauncey
Torosay Castle: The Hebridean shooting lodge that stayed in one family for 150 years
Mary Miers tells the story of a Victorian shooting lodge owned by the same family for 147 years – with
Credit: Knight Frank / Savills
One of the most incredible privately-owned homes in Britain has come to the market
The magnificent Athelhampton House in Dorset is a manor with spectacular Tudor interiors, 19th-century formal gardens and a fascinating history.
An old rectory that’s ‘one of the finest privately-owned homes in the East Riding of Yorkshire’ comes up for sale
A former rectory in a pretty village within the East Riding of Yorkshire has come to the market, a 19th
-
If the future of Ferrari is electric vehicles, then it is our future too
It's widely believed that Ferrari will unveil its first electric car this year. It's the signal that the internal combustion era is coming to an end.
By James Fisher Published
-
Gaze over Cap Ferrat in this four-bedroom French villa
Ignore the wind and the rain. Imagine yourself in this hillside home with some of the best views the Mediterranean can offer.
By James Fisher Published
-
Gaze over Cap Ferrat in this four-bedroom French villa
Ignore the wind and the rain. Imagine yourself in this hillside home with some of the best views the Mediterranean can offer.
By James Fisher Published
-
Classical style meets fun and flair in a seven-bedroom manor in Cornwall
At Polstrong Manor, the current owners have combined period charm and elegant modern interiors to create a flamboyant country home 10-minutes from the beach.
By James Fisher Published
-
Two halves make a sublime four-bedroom home in Kent's North Downs
A contemporary extension to a traditional clapboard house brings light and life to Lavington House.
By James Fisher Published
-
The week in property statistics: Service charges reach record high
Plus, how first-time buyers prop up the mortgage market, why you need to move north if you want to live by yourself, and house-price growth slows
By Annabel Dixon Published
-
A seven-bedroom oast house for sale in East Sussex, where your dreams can run riot
Unlisted, yet full of character, this property in the High Weald National Landscape is an eccentrically furnished family home that screams fun.
By James Fisher Published
-
Character, history and comfort combine in a four-bedroom farmhouse in Norfolk
Willow Farm near Southburgh is that rarest of things — a perfect combination of period charm and modern elegance in some of England's best countryside.
By James Fisher Published
-
A Grade I-listed Georgian townhouse that's part of the fabric of Bath's history
With 5,500sq ft set over six floors in the centre of Britain's most architecturally rich city, there is much to love here.
By James Fisher Published
-
17 delightful homes for sale, as seen in Country Life
Our round-up of some of the best houses to come to the market via Country Life this week includes a wonderful Cotswolds home and a happily affordable cottage in the West Country.
By Toby Keel Published