Brilliant time wandering around the gardens. Cute coffee shop. Lousy toilet. Gets very windy. You need to know when the flowers bloom before going there.

A very beautiful (quite magical) garden and we had it completely to ourselves late on a weekday afternoon. In May you can see all the rhododendrons which fill the gardens with colour. There is a little cafe with nice coffees and the lady serving us was lovely. They also have a vegan pasty and ice cream option, not sure about cake. Shame for the environment that it is only takeaway containers though.

Minterne Gardens Minterne Parva has a lovely Edwardian house open 4 times a year. A car park opposite the gardens is free with suggested donations for St Andrews church opposite. The gardens are stunning, waterfalls, streams, stepping stones all through woodland walks. Dogs are welcome on leads. You can take a picnic to have in the grounds. Refreshments available from the terrace ice cream also dog ice cream too. A fabulous day out. 12 miles south of Dorchester and 8 miles from Sherborne. The house also has holiday lets ranging from 1 bed to 8 beds all with a hot tub and access to a swimming pool and tennis court. Weddings and cirpirate events catered for. There was a wedding on the lawn in front of the house the day I visited

Can't believe I didn't know about this place, really beautiful woodland gardens, redwoods, loads of rhododendron of every colour, little waterfalls, a beautiful stately mansion with a cafe, and miles of open fields surrounding it. Great carpark and little village.

I had the absolute pleasure of photographing a winter wedding here, and I can’t recommend this venue highly enough. From start to finish, Emily and the team were incredible. They were all so welcoming, organised, and genuinely lovely to work with. Nothing was ever too much trouble. The staff went above and beyond to make sure the couple, their guests (and suppliers!) were looked after, which makes such a difference on a wedding day. Even in winter, the venue was stunning and beautifully run, with such a warm, calm atmosphere throughout the day. It was a joy to work here, and I’d be thrilled to return again. A truly wonderful venue with an amazing team