Mapperton House is a Grade I listed Jacobean manor house in Dorset, England, often called the nation’s finest manor house. Owned by the Earl and Countess of Sandwich, it features stunning architecture from Tudor origins through Stuart renovations and sits amid dramatic valleys with award-winning Italianate gardens.
The estate dates to the Domesday Book as Malperetone and remained with families like Morgan and Brodrepp for centuries, passing by inheritance until 1919.
The house blends Tudor remnants, such as the north wing’s pilasters, with 17th-century hall features like semi-circular arches and a porch with scallop niches. The west front echoes Sir Roger Pratt’s style at Kingston Lacy, complemented by stable blocks and a 1665 dovecote framing the entrance. Inside, highlights include Jacobean fireplaces, plaster ceilings, and an elegant Georgian staircase hall. Its all quite wonderful.
Interesting facts...
John Morgan, son of builder Robert Morgan, was executed in 1580 for murdering his brother-in-law, a dark episode linked to the family’s  work on the north wing plaster ceilings. Who knew ceilings could lead to murder.