Athelhampton
On the road from Puddletown to Dorchester and hidden behind the trees is Athelhampton Hall which is said to be one of England's best examples of 15th century architecture, it is mainly a mediaeval house that is enclosed by walls and courts and has a large hall with an oriel windows and a timbered roof which is unique. It has been a family home for hundreds of years, a new wing being added at the beginning of the 16th century and a painting was done by Thomas Hardy and his father may have worked on the restoration of the roof in the Great Hall.

The house has a rather complicated list of names, and it is recorded in the Domesday Book as Pidele one of several estates that are named from the River Piddle on which it stands, the mid-13th century its early owner was Aethelhelm in forms like Pidele Aleume or Pidele Athelhamston that is 'Aefhelhelm' on the Piddle from the old English personal name Aethelhelm which meant Noble protector and Olkd English tun from the end of the 13th century the Pidele seems to be dropped from the name, and spelling such as Athelhameston in 1303 and Athellamston in 1327 and later variations were used such as Addlemaston which is on Saxon't map of 1575.

Martin of tours that came over with William the Conqueror lived here and his successors also lived here for a period of 400 years and this was the first of a long line of teh Marti family and the last in line Nicholas Martin was buried in Puddletown church in 1595 and on his grave is inscribed 'Nicholas ye first, Martyn ye last. Goodnight Nicholas'.   This is because after he died there were only his four daughters as he had no son to take over and this did not allow females to inherit the hall.

It is said that Athelhampton House is haunted but this is no ordinary ghost it is the ghost of an ape! For more information on this and the house click HERE