The village you see today was created in the 1770s, when the owner of Milton Abbey House, Joseph Damer, decided that the noises and smells of the existing village was disturbing his rural idyll!

Capability Brown, a landscape gardener (known for creating graceful parklands and sweeping vistas) and architect William Chambers, designed the village you see today. All those living in the old village were subsequently moved. Whilst the houses look spacious, multiple families were living in each house and it is thought up to 36 people even lived in a single house!

Follow the ‘monks path’ at the bottom of the village for 10-15 minutes and you will find the majestic Milton Abbey. The landscape around the abbey was also designed by Capability Brown. The abbey is now an impressive looking private school.

The abbey stands on the site of a church founded by Saxon King Athelstan. The current building was built over the 14th and 15th centuries after the church was destroyed by fire following a lightening strike in 1309. The nave on the ‘new’ building was never built, although foundations have been discovered.

The estate, with its abbey has changed hands several times over the succeeding centuries; discover this historic building and its wonderful setting, courtesy of Capability Brown, for yourself.

The long-distance Jubilee Trail, a 90-mile route across the County runs through Milton Abbas.  Fear not, there are many short and middle distance walks to try  which start from the village, offering a range of opportunities to explore the downs, traditional woodland, pretty valleys and peaceful villages and of course no country walk would be complete without a stop at the local pub!