Historic Buildings in Dorset

Clouds Hill is a small cottage used by TE Lawrence (aka Lawrence of Arabia). Though it is often referred to as Lawrence's home, that's not strictly accurate. It was, in fact, a 'pied a terre' used by Lawrence as a quiet retreat to write and entertain guests while he was stationed at the nearby army base at Bovington. During his time at Clouds Hill Lawrence finished writing both The Seven Pillars of Wisdom, and The Mint.
King George V Road, Bovington, Wareham, Dorset, England, BH20 7NQ

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Dramatic collar beam trusses support the roof of this small medieval stone manor house. Fiddleford Manor is a lovely 14th-century house in a quiet countryside setting, boasting superb wooden roofs. Despite the name, we do not know for certain if Fiddleford was the local manor house, or simply part of the Sturminster Newton estates owned by Glastonbury Abbey.
Sturminster Newton, Dorset, England, DT10 2BX

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Photos of Fiddleford Manor
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On a hilltop overlooking the Dorset village of Portesham stands a striking monument erected to the memory of Vice-Admiral Thomas Masterman Hardy, who was the Flag-Captain of the HMS Victory at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. History buffs will know Hardy as the recipient of Admiral Nelson's reported dying words, "Kiss me Hardy".
Black Down, Portesham, Dorset, England, DT2 9HY

Attraction Type: Historic Property - Monument
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Novelist and poet Thomas Hardy was born in this picturesque thatched cottage in 1840, and it was here that he wrote 'Under the Greenwood Tree' and 'Far from the Madding Crowd'.
Higher Bockhampton, Dorchester, Dorset, England, DT2 8QJ

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Heritage Highlight: Writer Thomas Hardy's birthplace
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Max Gate was the home of author Thomas Hardy from 1885 until his death in 1928. Hardy designed the house himself and it was here that he wrote 'Tess of the d'Urbervilles', 'Jude the Obscure', the 'Mayor of Casterbridge' and much of his poetry.
Alington Avenue, Dorchester, Dorset, England, DT1 2AB

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A barrel-vaulted 14th-century chapel is dramatically perched on a steep hill above the picturesque village of Abbotsbury. St Catherine's Chapel was built by the monks of Abbotsbury Abbey as a retreat and a landmark for pilgrims. The chapel turret was used as a lighthouse and navigation aid by sailors in Lyme Bay.
Chapel Hill, Abbotsbury, Weymouth, Dorset, England, DT3 4JH

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White Mill is a restored 18th-century corn mill on the banks of the River Stour, which still retains its original machinery made from elm and apple wood. Though the wooden machinery is too fragile to be used, it has been restored to its original state.
Sturminster Marshall, Wimborne, Dorset, England, BH21 4BX

Attraction Type: Historic Property - Mill
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Heritage Highlight: Wooden milling machinery
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