Hamptworth Lodge

Hamptworth Lodge is a country house completed in 1912 near the village of Landford in Wiltshire, south-east of Salisbury and close to the edge of the New Forest. It stands on a private estate and carries Grade II* listing, a category reserved for buildings of more than special interest.

What kind of house is it?

Sir Guy Dawber, one of the leading Edwardian architects in Britain, designed the house for H. C. Moffat. He drew on Elizabethan precedent, pairing brick with exposed timber framing, finishing the entrance with a Tudor-arched porch and adding carved bargeboards. The result reads as a manor several centuries older than it is. Its listing cites Pevsner's 1975 volume on Wiltshire among its references.

What else belongs to the group?

Several elements around the house are protected in their own right:

• Wrought-iron garden gates bearing initials, brick gate piers and ha-ha walls (a sunken ditch that separates garden from parkland), all by Dawber, 1912.
• A timber-framed lychgate beside the house, listed Grade II in 1985.
• The stable block, carriage house and stable cottages of about 1870, built for George Morrison, an earlier owner of the estate (Grade II).
• Back Lodge, an early 19th-century gatehouse on the rear drive.

Can you visit?

No. Hamptworth Lodge is a private home within a working estate of parkland, woodland and let cottages, with no regular tours or ticketing. Do not expect to see the house from a public road the way you might with a manor beside a main route. If Dawber's architecture is your interest, look for any open-day announcements before you travel, and keep to public roads and rights of way in the area.

How do you get there?

Landford lies on the road between Salisbury and Southampton, and a car is the practical choice. Salisbury, with its railway and bus stations, is the nearest large town, and the drive from there takes roughly half an hour.

When is the best time to go?

The surrounding countryside looks best from late spring through autumn, when a walk in the nearby New Forest pairs easily with a look at the region's historic houses. For the house itself the season makes little difference, since it can only be seen from the outside where public paths allow.

Frequently asked questions

Who designed Hamptworth Lodge?

Sir Guy Dawber, in 1912, for H. C. Moffat.

What style is it?

Elizabethan revival with Arts and Crafts touches: brick and timber framing, a Tudor-arched porch and carved detailing.

Is it open to the public?

No. It is a private estate without regular visiting.

How is it protected?

The house is Grade II* on the National Heritage List for England. The garden gates, lychgate and stables are Grade II.