Shaftesbury

The beautiful historic market town of Shaftesbury is perched high on a hill overlooking Dorset's Blackmore Vale. Being 750 feet above sea level it is one of the oldest and highest towns in Britain.

The Benedictine nunnery founded by King Alfred the Great in 888 acted as a catalyst for the prosperity of the town and surrounding area of Shaftesbury for over 700 years. The excavated remains of this once important community now lie in a peaceful walled garden, a lasting reminder of the Abbey's eventful past. From AD 888 to 1539 the Abbey, the first of its kind to be independent of a male community, was one of the most important in the country, maintaining links with the Royal House of the day. It is said that King Canute thought so highly of this religious community that he gave instructions for his heart to be buried there. Life at the Abbey ended abruptly in 1539 when it was closed on the orders Henry VIII. The building soon fell into disrepair, however, it is thought that much of the stone was used for local building with many of the houses on Shaftesbury's famous Gold Hill constructed with stone from the Abbey.

Today Shaftesbury is a bustling town and host to one of England's most famous streets. Picturesque Gold Hill is a steep, thatched cottage lined cobbled street made famous by the 1970's Hovis bread advert of a young delivery boy pushing a bike laden with loaves of bread, and one that epitomised the rural charm of a previous era. Behind the Town Hall at the top of Gold Hill is Shaftesbury's Town Museum which houses magnificent displays of the town's unique heritage. On view are the Dorset bonnets and buttons, made locally in the early 19th century, as well as a variety of regional agricultural implements such as billhooks, scythes, and Shepherd's crooks.

Shaftesbury is an ideal holiday destination for anyone looking to get away from the hustle and bustle of modern life and explore the peace and tranquillity of the rural North Dorset countryside, with a number of well-known beauty spots within easy reach of the town. Shaftesbury has a wide variety of independent shops, pubs and restaurants for the tourist to enjoy, in one of the friendliest towns in the area. The beauty of the surrounding Dorset countryside is complemented by the collection of fine historical buildings that make up the centre of Shaftesbury itself. Steeped in history and tradition Shaftesbury offers visitors breathtaking views and the warmest of welcomes.

Shaftesbury is situated on the A30 and A350 near the Wiltshire border. Gillingham railway station is three miles away and provides a regular service to London Waterloo with a journey time of 2 hours. An alternative route is by train from London Waterloo to Poole on the south coast, followed by a bus connection north towards Shaftesbury. There are direct National Express coaches running to Shaftesbury from Manchester, Bristol, Bath, London and Heathrow Airport daily between May and October.