Smedmore House
About Smedmore House
Smedmore House is an elegant Georgian mansion on the Dorset coast, set on a private estate bordering the sea. It is perfect for large family celebrations, or special times with friends.
Price cuts at Smedmore House during the "Rule of 6"! Smedmore will reduce prices to reflect the reduction in the number of guests allowed. In addition, the newly refurbished Garden Wing at Smedmore will also be available for separate rental. Normally this is offered only in conjunction with the Main House, but throughout this period we will offer it as a separate unit. The Garden Wing has a large bright sitting room with dining area, a fully equipped kitchen, 3 double bedrooms and a shower room. It is accessed separately at the back of the house and has its own private garden - the Mediterranean Garden. All the bedrooms look out on the beautiful Walled Garden. Please get in touch for more details.
There are eight bedrooms, two of which are en-suite, whilst the remaining six share a variety of bath and shower rooms.
In addition, the Garden Wing may be available upon request for a further six people (subject to charge).
Downstairs, you’ll find a drawing room, dining room and games room (rather charmingly known as the ‘Cedar Room’), and a large, modern kitchen.
Outside is just as lovely as inside, with romantic walled gardens, generous flower-filled beds and beautiful sea views. Guinea-fowl are often found perusing the front lawn.
Edmund’s Choice of Extraordinary Feature
“An outstanding aspect to Smedmore has to be its atmosphere of timelessness. It’s a true family house, full of family history, and that gives it something really special; as a guest, you really do feel part of it all. Incidentally, the current owner is Dr Philip Mansel, writer and historian, who presents lectures all over the world.”
About The Location
Smedmore is on the Jurassic Coast ( part of the World Heritage site), and the nearest bay to the house is Kimmeridge Bay. The South West Coastal Path runs past the bay, beneath the shadow of the famous ‘Clavell Tower’ – an observatory that the Mansel family were instrumental in saving.
A short trip will take you to other famous Dorset bays, such as Durdle Door, Lulworth Cove and Studland.
The estate is equidistant between the towns of Weymouth and Bournemouth, although protected from both by the rolling splendour of the Purbeck Hills.
Things To Do
There are endless walks around the estate and along the coast, or the manager of the house can arrange any number of activities, from boat trips and watersports, to falconry and horse-riding.
A Boathouse on Kimmeridge Bay
Guests of Smedmore House are able to rent a boathouse on the shores of Kimmeridge Bay for a small additional fee. It’s perfect for changing, storing sporting equipment and the ideal place to sit and watch the sun go down – the Jurassic coast is famous for its sunsets.
Corfe Castle is nearby, should you wish to wander some magnificent ruins.
Weddings
Smedmore has a civil wedding licence for the garden and three of the rooms within the house. They have an extensive list of trusted suppliers on their site, including local B&B’s, in which to host any extra guests. View the Smedmore House 2020 Wedding Brochure.
Location
Open MapsInteractive map showing approximate location of Smedmore House.
Reviews
We stayed at Smedmore on the 4th and 5th of September for our daughter's wedding with family and close friends. It was absolutely wonderful and a perfect location for a happy and memorable occasion. From the Friday evening meal all the way through to late on the Saturday night and Sunday morning we felt this was the most outstanding and beautiful place. Even though our numbers were severely curtailed, the intimacy and comfort of Smedmore meant that the occasion was very special indeed. A big thanks to Julie and Steph who were wonderful in ensuring such a successful wedding, one that everyone present will remember with great fondness.
We hired Smedmore House for our wedding September 2019. It was the prefect venue for us in a gorgeous setting. We hired the house for the weekend so that we could make the most of our wedding weekend. The eight bedrooms were filled with family and friends and it felt like a home from home - albeit grander!! We were very blessed with the weather and were able to have a relaxed outdoor ceremony in the most beautiful of settings in the walled garden. For our wedding breakfast w e hired a marquee for the front lawn. Julie and her team were so welcoming and friendly and were there if we needed them, otherwise they left us alone. The house and gardens plus views to the sea made a stunning backdrop for our photos by Emma Hurley. I am saving hard to come back at some point as it really is the perfect house to celebrate in with friends and family!
Fantastic venue!
Just an amazing place to visit or rent for a few days for a wedding
One of the highest blessings in being considered by many to be amongst the best Caribbean musical entertainers in the UK, is the opportunity to be invited to perform at the very best venues around the country. I can honestly say that this venue sits within that category - very much look forward to working with you soon - Gary (Steelasophical Caribbean)
We got married in the grounds of Smedmore Estate on the 9th September and rented the house for a 3-day weekend for all of our wedding party to stay. Julie, Charlotte and the Smedmore team were fantastic from start to finish. They had everything we needed and helped out to bring the day together while also giving us space to use the house as our own. We felt extremely comfortable and relaxed there and can’t recommend the venue enough. The grounds itself has several beautiful spots for the ceremony, there is almost unlimited space for marquees and tents, and hundreds of beautiful backdrops for photos. Even an outdoor wedding in a heavy thunderstorm couldn’t stop us having an amazing time at Smedmore.
Everybody agrees it is one of the most charming houses they have ever visited. There is no place like it! Untouched countryside as far as the eye can see.