ABOUT HOGCHESTER?
Image by Angela Ward Brown
Hogchester is the 75 acre remnant of a Dorset dairy farm with a deep rooted local history stretching back a thousand years. Set in an beautiful rural location within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the locality is quiet and unspoilt with views to the Dorset Jurassic Coast. The land was formerly part of the Forde Abbey Estate with the medieval centre of the farmhouse dating back to the 12th century.
We aim to maximise the conservation potential of the site and to provide unique ways for people to enjoy, get close, and be inspired creatively by nature. The land encompasses a wonderful diversity of wildlife habitats from the ancient broadleaved oak trees, ponds and streams to the wildflower meadows and SNCI area. The conservation work has charitable status via our partnership with Givingworks (reg 1078770) and Dorset wildlife trust (reg 200222). Wild flower seed sales and donations from visitors to the wild flower meadows fund the ongoing conservation work at Hogchester and other local sites as we expand our efforts to recreate this precious habitat at larger scale.
People can enjoy Hogchester year round via the public footpaths that cross the land leading to Charmouth and Wootton Fitzpaine. The wild flower meadows are also open during the flowering season (May, June and July) and you can park on site and visit for free during (www.hogchestermeadows.com).
Hogchester is also a hub for counselling and psychotherapy with a range of practitioners offering eco, equine-assisted and traditional room based therapy (Hogchester therapy).
Art is also an important part of Hogchester's story and there is an established an ongoing Artist Residency Program run by artist Chantal Powell to explore the intersections between contemporary art practices and the land at Hogchester. Residents are invited to stay and work on site in order to be inspired by Hogchester and respond to its unique history and landscape.
For our holiday guests, who stay in the cottage, we hope that Hogchester becomes a precious memory, of time spent relaxing with those they love. It is a place where nostalgic childhood memories easily coalesce around the rhythm of goats and chickens and nature. The kinds of memories that can last a life time.
We aim to maximise the conservation potential of the site and to provide unique ways for people to enjoy, get close, and be inspired creatively by nature. The land encompasses a wonderful diversity of wildlife habitats from the ancient broadleaved oak trees, ponds and streams to the wildflower meadows and SNCI area. The conservation work has charitable status via our partnership with Givingworks (reg 1078770) and Dorset wildlife trust (reg 200222). Wild flower seed sales and donations from visitors to the wild flower meadows fund the ongoing conservation work at Hogchester and other local sites as we expand our efforts to recreate this precious habitat at larger scale.
People can enjoy Hogchester year round via the public footpaths that cross the land leading to Charmouth and Wootton Fitzpaine. The wild flower meadows are also open during the flowering season (May, June and July) and you can park on site and visit for free during (www.hogchestermeadows.com).
Hogchester is also a hub for counselling and psychotherapy with a range of practitioners offering eco, equine-assisted and traditional room based therapy (Hogchester therapy).
Art is also an important part of Hogchester's story and there is an established an ongoing Artist Residency Program run by artist Chantal Powell to explore the intersections between contemporary art practices and the land at Hogchester. Residents are invited to stay and work on site in order to be inspired by Hogchester and respond to its unique history and landscape.
For our holiday guests, who stay in the cottage, we hope that Hogchester becomes a precious memory, of time spent relaxing with those they love. It is a place where nostalgic childhood memories easily coalesce around the rhythm of goats and chickens and nature. The kinds of memories that can last a life time.
Image by Angela Ward Brown
