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About this place
Charborough House, near Wareham in Dorset, is a country mansion that has belonged to the Drax family for generations. It sits inside a large park between the villages of Sturminster Marshall and Bere Regis, and the octagonal Charborough Tower rises above the treeline. The house is a private home, so treat a trip here as a look at the landscape and its landmarks rather than an interior tour.
What is Charborough House?
England's heritage list places the house in Grade I, the top category, with the entry dating from 1959. Its origins go back to the Commonwealth years of the mid-1600s, and around 1810 it was altered and extended into the grand form seen today. Tradition says Sir Walter Erle, a Parliamentary commander, built an earlier part using stone taken from Corfe Castle. The estate has stayed with one lineage since Elizabethan times, now carrying the surname Plunkett-Ernle-Erle-Drax.
Why is Charborough Tower famous?
The tower is a folly erected in 1790 for Edward Drax. After lightning damage it was rebuilt taller in 1839 and now stands five storeys high. It is listed Grade II*. Thomas Hardy used it as the model for the tower in his novel Two on a Tower, where the house appears as Welland House. For anyone following Hardy's Wessex, it is a worthwhile landmark.
What else lies within the estate?
The park is on Historic England's Register of Parks and Gardens at Grade II*, registered in 1986. Within it stands a protected ice house roughly 50 metres west of the mansion. The medieval church was rebuilt in Gothic Revival style in 1775 by Thomas Erle Drax and now serves as the family mausoleum; parish worship takes place at nearby Morden.
Can you visit Charborough House?
No. The house and park are private property and operate no ticketed visits. Full listing details are available through Historic England's National Heritage List and the Dorset Council heritage record. If you want to see the area, keep to public roads and signed rights of way, and do not enter the grounds uninvited.
How do you get there?
The estate lies in Morden parish in the heart of Dorset, between Sturminster Marshall and Bere Regis. Driving is easiest, with Wareham a natural base for this area as well as for Corfe Castle and the Purbeck coast. Public transport in the surrounding countryside is limited, so check bus timetables before you set out.
Frequently asked questions
Is Charborough House open to the public? No, it is the private residence of the Drax family with no regular tours.
What heritage protection does it have? The house is Grade I, the tower Grade II*, and the park is registered at Grade II*.
What is the literary connection? Charborough Tower inspired the tower in Thomas Hardy's Two on a Tower.
When was the tower built? In 1790; it was rebuilt taller in 1839 after lightning damage.
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