Dorset is known for its alluring beaches and dramatic, 95-mile-long Jurassic coastline with many of its villages providing a quaint, picture-perfect setting for people keen to live a quintessential country lifestyle - and for those who want to experience it on holiday. One of the most stunning villages is Wimborne St Giles - an idyllic place in East Dorset only 16 miles from the seaside town of Poole. Housed within the Shaftesbury Estate, owned by the Earl of Shaftesbury, it was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 and is home to a thriving local community.
Boasting a beautiful church, adjoined by pretty 17th-century Almshouses, it’s known for its flower festival, has a jazz festival in the summer, with charity cream teas held every Sunday from May through to September. The village is also home to the stunning St Giles House, a Grade I-listed Manor House that dates back to the 17th century. Boasting a long, rich history, the Estate covers a staggering 5,500 acres of land, including a seven-acre lake.
After an award-winning restoration, it’s available for room rental (including a 19th-century cottage and pepperpot lodges) and private hire. While from the outside the village sounds charming, however, it seems it’s also hiding a horrifyingly haunted history. Step forward Knowlton Church, which has been repeatedly described as one of: “The most haunted locations in Dorset.
” Constructed in the 12th Century, it was built on Neolithic earthwork and is located in the centr.