Folke Manor Farm Cottages
The holiday cottages at Folke Manor Farm are located in the stunning Blackmore Vale area of…
Our View
The huge square tower of the abbey church, founded originally in AD 705 by St Aldhelm, looms over the town. It grew in importance as part of a Benedictine abbey, and was the scene of a long struggle between the monks and the townspeople, who were initially relegated to worship in the inferior All Hallows church constructed for them at one end. The dispute ended at the Reformation, when the church was pulled down and the town took full possession of the abbey church. Today you can admire its sawtooth Norman entrance and outstanding fan-vaulted interior. Look out for the carved medieval misericords in the choir, and the modern glass by John Hayward (the west window) and Laurence Whistler (the reredos in the Lady Chapel). Tudor poet Thomas Wyatt (1503–42), linked romantically to Anne Boleyn before her marriage and credited with introducing the sonnet to English poetry, is buried here.
Facilities – at a glance
Assist dogs allowed
Fully accessible
Features
Facilities
- Parking nearby
Accessibility
- Fully accessible
- Facilities: Wheelchairs available; induction loop
Opening times
- Open all year
- Opening Times: Open all year, daily; 8–6 during BST, 8–4 in winter
Also in the area
About the area
Discover Dorset
Dorset means rugged varied coastlines and high chalk downlands. Squeezed in among the cliffs and set amid some of Britain’s most beautiful scenery is a chain of picturesque villages and seaside towns. Along the coast you’ll find the Lulworth Ranges, which run from Kimmeridge Bay in the east to Lulworth Cove in the west. Together with a stretch of East Devon, this is Britain’s Jurassic Coast, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, noted for its layers of shale and numerous fossils embedded in the rock. Among the best-known natural landmarks on this stretch of the Dorset coast is Durdle Door, a rocky arch that has been shaped and sculpted to perfection by the elements. The whole area has the unmistakable stamp of prehistory.
Away from Dorset’s magical coastline lies a landscape with a very different character and atmosphere, but one that is no less appealing. Here, winding, hedge-lined country lanes lead beneath lush, green hilltops to snug, sleepy villages hidden from view and the wider world. The people of Dorset are justifiably proud of the achievements of Thomas Hardy, its most famous son, and much of the county is immortalised in his writing.
Nearby stays
Places to Stay
Dining nearby
Restaurants and Pubs
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