The Old Manor : Kingston Maurward

• Accommodation by Wolsey Lodge

Lying in beautiful landscaped parkland overlooking a lake sits this magnificent Grade 1 listed Elizabethan manor house. The Old Manor was the inspiration for Novelist Thomas Hardy's first published novel 'Desperate Remedies'. Rescued from dereliction, the house gained a Civic Trust Award in 1968 and has appeared in television documentaries. The interior is furnished in luxurious period fabrics, antiques and four poster and antique beds are mixed with modern facilities in each bedroom. The Maurward Suite boasts a private sitting room, while the Laura Pitt and Angel Grey rooms offer tranquil views over the garden and water meadows. The drawing room and dining room are available to offer guests a place to relax and unwind. Mulu has also set up a treatment room where, before arrival, guests can book a facial, massage or manicure to suit. Outside the garden is three quarters of an acre of south facing lawn and the original west facing Jacobean terraces lead to 35 acres of parkland maintained by Kingston Maurward College, Dorset's College of the countryside.

• Your Bed & Breakfast Hosts

Andrew and Mulu both travelled the world before settling in Dorset to undertake the refurbishment of The Old Manor. Andrew was previously a director of the Jaeger Fashion Group and was also involved with the Savoy Hotel Group. Mulu nursed in the UK and Australia for several years and ran a beauty salon in London prior to moving to Dorset..

Kingston Maurward, Dorchester, Dorset