A charming holiday home for rent in the beautiful Dorset countryside .
FOR AVAILABILITY & BOOKINGS
PLEASE EMAIL: linda@dogfriendly.co.uk
Or CALL: 07956 597626
FOR AVAILABILITY & BOOKINGS
PLEASE EMAIL: linda@dogfriendly.co.uk
Or CALL: 07956 597626
Sherborne
Steeped in history, and with a wide variety of individual shops, this has to be one of the greatest small towns in England. Words: David Turner
Sherborne is a place that values its past. By that we don’t mean that it is in any way precious or stuck in some Sunday afternoon that is forever the England of the1950’s. No Sherborne, whilst it values its past also wears that past lightly. The locals who carry on their everyday lives in the shadow if the town’s beautiful Abbey or who pass the medieval almshouses of St John the Baptist on their way to work or who are lucky enough to live in one of the towns many 17th-, 18th- or 19th-century houses know in today’s world that to stand still is to go backwards.
And so Sherborne is as ‘go ahead as anywhere else, it’s just that here they ‘go ahead’ whilst never losing sight of the fact that they are the custodians of one of the loveliest small towns in England.
Of course, there is more to Sherborne than its buildings of historic interest and its varied array of charming old houses and cottages. When it comes to shopping, few towns can boast a greater variety of shops. In fact there are over 100 privately-owned shops here. This is not the place to list shops suffice it to say that Sherborne can put a spring in the step of even the most jaded shopper, and a walk around the town’s shopping area will reward anyone who wants something more individual both in terms of what is on offer and service. Not only that, on Thursdays and Saturdays Sherborne plays host to great street markets, so yet more variety is added to the already fabulous mix. Include more places to eat than you can shake a fork at and plenty of characterful pubs and you have a town that is held in great affection not just by its lucky residents but by visitors from all over the world.
*Article taken from the September 2007 issue of ‘The Dorset County Magazine’
Reasons to visit Sherborne
Did you know....?
....that the Saxons named Sherborne scir burne – the place of the clear stream – and made it the capital of Wessex? Two of King Alfred’s elder brothers, King Ethelbert and King Ethelbard, are buried in the Abbey.
....that the town’s great public school numbers Jeremy Irons, James Purefoy, Charles Collingwood, Hugh Bonneville, Jon Pertwee and John Le Mesurier amongst its many famous alumni.
....that the Roger de Caen who built the Old Castle in the 12th century was not only the Bishop of Salisbury but also Chancellor of England?
....that the ‘Gothik’ diary at the New Castle houses a re-laid Roman mosaic depicting Apollo and Marsyas? The linear style of the figures has been compared with that of the Cerne Giant.
....that Sherborne Castle’s award winning wines can be bought at the Castle’s gift shop, the Estate Office in Cheap Street – ‘cheap’ here being the old name for market – and throughout selected outlets through Dorset. Sherborne Castle Schonburger recently won a Bronze Award at the West Country Food Awards at the Royal Bath and West Show. Each year the grapes produce around 10,000 to 12,000 bottles.
....that on feeling the edge of the axe before his execution Sir Walter Raleigh is reputed to have said: ‘Tis a sharp remedy, but a sure one for all ills.’
*Article taken from the September 2007 Issue of ‘The Dorset County Magazine’
