Sherborne is History That Comes to Life

Beautifully set in the north west corner of Dorset, Sherborne borders the Blackmore Vale, an area that was an inspiration to Thomas Hardy in writing his atmospheric novels based in his home county.

It is located on the River Yeo, about six miles east of Yeovil, showing how close it sits to another glorious English county, namely Somerset. Sherborne is famous for its wonderful historic buildings, which include a manor house, abbey, not one but two castles, and well regarded independent schools. As you walk around this delightful market town, you will become accustomed to the distinctive appearance of the local ochre coloured ham stone.

It has vibrant Saxon origins, with the name itself being “scir burne” meaning “clear stream” in the Saxon language. It has been the capital of Wessex which was one of the Saxon kingdoms of England.

It is famed for the fact that it has not one but two castles. The first was constructed by Roger de Caen in the twelfth century, although it was destroyed in 1645, with today's ruins being in the care of English Heritage. A further building, more an Elizabethan mansion was constructed in the grounds of the old palace in 1594 by none other than Sir Walter Raleigh, and despite its description, is still known as Sherborne Castle.

The abbey is also a beautiful building and has the honour of being the resting place of two of England's early kings, King Ethelbert and King Ethelbald, both elder brothers of King Alfred.

Sherborne can rightly say that it was the venue of one the first educational establishments as far back as Saxon times, and it is supposed to be the case that King Alfred was educated in the town. Now known simply as Sherborne School it is deemed to be one of the top independent schools in the country, and there are several well regarded schools in the locality.

You are within easy travelling distance of a number of quality holiday regions, if you decide to base your holiday in this area, with the counties of Dorset itself, and Somerset and Wiltshire as well as North Devon comfortably within reach. A great range of family attractions includes The Fleet Air Arm Museum at Yeovilton as well as Salisbury Plain, Stonehenge and Longleat, all of which combine to provide great entertainment for everyone.

As an added bonus you can easily reach the premier south coast resorts such as Weymouth, Poole and Bournemouth, as well as the World Heritage Site, the Jurassic coast, with the chance to find some wonderful fossils.

Having celebrated the works of Thomas Hardy, you can also move north into Devon where you will come across the brooding National Park of Exmoor, home to another great author, R.D.Blackmore, who wrote Lorna Doone, another novel that takes its inspiration from its beautiful, mysterious surroundings.

Sherborne is twinned with some twenty four other towns throughout the world, and it may be time for you to pay a visit to see what all the fuss is about!