Yeovil - Montacute House

Montacute House (22mi/35km northwest of Dorchester), a delightful Elizabethan country mansion, was built by Thomas Phelips, Speaker of the House of Commons in the reign of James I. The house was probably begun in 1588 and completed around 1600. It is built of the mellow, locally quarried, Ham Hill stone, as also is Montacute village. The E-shaped three-storied building has large bay windows with many lights, curved gables and unusually tall and decorative chimneys.

Statues of famous historical figures adorn niches in the walls. The rooms, with opulent 17th-18th century furnishings, include the Great Hall where a plaster frieze tells the story of a husband deceived. Lord Curzon's Room on the first floor commemorates the famous statesman, who rented the house between 1915 and 1920. The Long Gallery, 60ft/18m from end to end, originally used for social functions such as games and dancing, is now hung with portraits of Tudor and Stuart luminaries, including some outstanding works on loan from the National Portrait Gallery in London. The superb gardens are one of the very few surviving examples of Early Jacobean scenic design.