Location

Melbury Abbas is a small village with the fine parish church of St Thomas and a village hall, situated on the edge of the Cranborne Chase and within a designated and protected National Landscape.

Spread Eagle Hill and the Fontmell & Melbury Downs, in the stewardship of the National Trust, provide a dramatic backdrop.

Melbury Abbas Mill is in a pretty valley on the edge of the village just under three miles south east of the historic, hilltop market town of Shaftesbury.

This popular attractive town provides a wide range of amenities including artisan shops, cafés, gastropubs, two large supermarkets, a doctor's surgery, and a small hospital.

Further, more comprehensive facilities are available in the Cathedral city of Salisbury.

The Roman City of Bath is about an hour's drive away. Nearby Gillingham offers direct rail services to London Waterloo in approximately 122 minutes.

Sporting & Recreation
The area provides excellent recreational opportunities. Walking and riding in the stunning surrounding countryside. Pythouse Tennis Club, and golf at nearby Rushmore Park. The National Trust's Stourhead and the award-winning luxury hotel and members' club, Babington House.

The New Forest National Park to the south east, Poole Harbour and the Jurassic Coast a UNESCO World Heritage Site to the south. Horse racing at Wincanton, Taunton, Salisbury, Bath and Exeter. Compton Abbas airfield and café.

Education
There is an excellent choice of both state and independent schools in the area. Local options include St Andrew's Church of England Primary School in Fontmell Magna and Shaftesbury School (secondary).

The region is also served by the highly regarded grammar schools, Bishop Wordsworth's and South Wilts Grammar. Independent schools nearby include Port Regis, Sandroyd, Clayesmore, Bryanston, Salisbury Cathedral School, Chafyn Grove, and Godolphin School.

Description

Melbury Abbas Mill is a former corn mill and was probably built in the 17th century, although there is evidence that mills in this area were in existence centuries earlier. The Mill house has handsome, classical Georgian proportions, with attractive cut stone elevations and sash windows, under a slate roof. The property has attractive period, character accommodation arranged over three floors with many original features including open fireplaces, flagstone floors, exposed ceiling timbers and original shutters at some of the windows.
To the north is an area of parking and day to day entry through a lobby also providing access to a study, utility room, cloakroom and boot room. From here there is access to the farmhouse kitchen with AGA, flagstone floor and window seat. A door leads to a stone terrace overlooking the Mill pond. Off the kitchen is an attractive sitting room with exposed stone wall and fireplace with wood burning stove, beyond which is another study. The western elevation is more formal, where a reception hall with to the cellar, separates an elegant dining room with flagstone floor and fireplace and a charming drawing room with wood burner and two sash windows flooding the room with light and giving views down the lawn to the west and over the pond to the east. There are two staircases to the first floor, one provides access to the main bedroom and adjacent bathroom and second bedroom with shower room en suite. The other leads to a landing from where there is access to two bedrooms and a dressing room and an additional bathroom. On the top floor is a bedroom and attic storage space.

The Mill and Granary
The current three storey mill is remarkably well preserved. Constructed in the early 19th century, the building has attractive coursed rubble and ashlar stone elevations with part-brick dressings under a slate roof with an external waterwheel recently restored, inscribed 'E S Hindley 1875 Bourton Dorset'. The adjacent granary has open bays on the ground floor with a workshop and machine store, whilst the first floor is a splendid annexe to the house, providing ancillary accommodation and incorporating three bedrooms, each with en suite bath or shower room, and a sitting room with kitchenette.

Outside
The gardens and grounds at Melbury Abbas Mill complement the property superbly. The property resides in a glorious rural valley with splendid views over an attractive mature garden, paddocks and the surrounding countryside beyond. The property is approached from the lane via a track which provides access to the Mill and three other houses. From the track there is access to a private driveway to the Mill on which there is ample parking. To the east of the property is a useful barn, ideal for machinery or log storage. Beyond this a small paddock leads down to the Mill pond, home to waterbirds including Mallard, Little Grebe, Moorhens, Egrets, Herons and Kingfishers; Otters are occasional visitors and two domestic geese are long standing residents. Adjacent to the Mill pond, on the south east elevation of the house, is a stone terrace, a sun trap with glorious views over the Mill pond. Beyond the house is a lawn sweeping down to the south and west, alongside which is a stream and mature border with a number of fine trees providing colour and privacy. Opposite the Granary is an old cart shed and meal store. To the south and east of the property is the bulk of the permanent pasture land which rises gently to the south. In all the land extends to 8.936 acres in total.

Historical note
Domesday Book recorded four mills in Melbury Abbas and Cann, and it is very likely that Melbury Abbas Mill is on the site of one of them. Shaftesbury was the ancient capital of Wessex and the Sturkel stream was the nearest source of motive power to grind the corn, the flour then being carted up the hill. In the nineteenth century, there were five mills, Melbury being the highest up the valley and at this time milling throughout the valley was in the hands of the Miles family. Melbury Abbas Mill originally formed part of the Manor of Melbury, which was passed to the Arundel family of Wardour by Henry VIII at the dissolution of the monasteries. In Dorset Records Centre there is a map of Melbury Abbas dated 1774, the mill is shown as a simple rectangle, corresponding with the present day kitchen and dining room (blue lias flagstone floors), probably built in the seventeenth century. The pond comes up to the house and it is believed that the mill wheel was then in the present day cellar.
Agents Note
There is a public footpath running alongside the paddocks.
Photos taken 2025 and 2022

Directions

From Shaftesbury at the Royal Chase roundabout take the A30 Salisbury Road, but immediately turn right onto the B3081 signposted Melbury Abbas and Tollard Royal. After one mile, see Melbury Motor Company on the left and turn right down Mill Hollow Lane. At the bottom of the hill, turn right to Melbury Abbas Mill.