Discovering Wessex. Sherborne Castle May 2022

We all set of in high spirits despite the heavy rainfall. On arriving at the Castle, we were driven along the drive to alight at the front door. Once inside, we were treated to a wonderful tour of this beautiful house, by three extremely knowledgeable and engaging guides.

The castle dates back to Sir Walter Raleigh who acquired the Old Castle in 1592. At first he tried to modernise it, but then he built a new house in in the deer park, known as Sherborne lodge. When Raleigh fell out of favour the house was acquired by the diplomat Sir John Digby and it has remained in the family for the last 400 year. John Digby added four wings to Raleigh’s building, giving the house its present H-shape.

The castle contains works by artist of their time and nationally important collections of furniture and porcelain. In every room there was interesting artefacts and collections from the 1500’s to present times.

At the end of our tour the sun decided to shine and we were able to enjoy the magnificent grounds designed by Lancelot Capability Brown. The 50m acre lake is surrounded by beautifully landscaped grounds and boasts many champion trees and stunning views.

Thanks to Anne Hutton and Keith Banks for arranging the visit