Hinton Ampner

This afternoon, on leaving Rowledge, we drove to an NT property called Hinton Ampner, home of the 8th Earl of Sherborne, art collector who died unmarried and with no heirs. The house had been in the family for over 400 years but Ralph Dutton died unmarried and without heirs (or scandal!) , so it was donated to the NT. There is a large floor memorial in the nearby church with an epitaph which ends with the words "End of Line". Seemed sad. I include a Wikepedia pic of him in later life.

His love for a great garden was obvious, just from the layout. It included a very established, walled garden

We met nephew David there with baby Anya (Clare was working today). It was bitterly cold, but the tearoom was warm!