Earlier Houses: There were a number of earlier buildings, including houses and monastic buildings on, or near, the site of the current house. These included Anglo-Saxon buildings of the Abbey of Cerne, who owned the estate from the 9th century until the 1530s, when, during the Dissolution of the Monasteries, the abbey's properties were transferred to Winchester College. In 1642 the college leased the estate to John Churchill, father of the famous Sir Winston Churchill (1620-88), whose son became the 1st Duke of Marlborough. Winchester College owned the estate until 1856, when Sir Henry Digby, a Royal Navy admiral who made a fortune from prize money, purchased the freehold from the college. One of Sir Henry Henry's children, Jane Digby, became infamous as a mistress of King Ludwig I of Bavaria, a man known for his voracious sexual appetites. The house in which these famous people lived was demolished in 1900, after it was discovered to be riddled with dry rot, and replaced by the current early 20th century house.

Built / Designed For: 10th Baron Digby

House & Family History: Maintaining the family's history as a home of famous courtesans, the current Minterne House was the childhood home of Pamela Digby, a daughter of the 11th Baron Digby, whose first husband was Randolph Churchill (Sir Winston's son). Noted for her many rich lovers, Pamela's last (and third) husband was the American millionaire Averell Harriman, whose name she carried when she died in 1997 serving as the American ambassador to France. William S. Paley, the founder of CBS, famously described Pamela as "...the greatest courtesan of the century," while the British journalist Sir Max Hastings said Pamela was "a world expert on rich men's bedroom ceilings."

Garden & Outbuildings: The grounds contain an unusual (for the UK) Himalayan garden.

Country Life: CLXVII, 498, 574, 1980.

House Listed: Grade II*

Park Listed: Not Listed

Current Seat / Home of: Henry Noel Kenelm Digby, 13th and 7th Baron Digby; Digby family here for 350 years.

Past Seat / Home of: SEATED AT EARLIER HOUSES: Sir John Churchill (as tenant), 1642-73; General Charles Churchill (as tenant), 1673-1714. Gould family (as tenants), 18th century. Admiral Robert Digby (as tenant), 1768-1815; Admiral of the Blue Sir Henry Digby, 1815-42; Edward St. Vincent Digby, 9th Baron Digby, 1842-89; Edward Henry Trafalgar Digby, 10th and 4th Baron Digby, 1889-1900. SEATED AT CURRENT HOUSE: Edward Henry Trafalgar Digby, 10th and 4th Baron Digby, 1905-20; Edward Kenelm Digby, 11th and 5th Baron Digby, 1920-64; Edward Henry Kenelm Digby, 12th and 6th Baron Digby, 1964-2018.

Current Ownership Type: Individual / Family Trust

Primary Current Ownership Use: Private Home

Ownership Details: The house can be booked for weddings and events.

House Open to Public: Limited Access to House - Grounds Open to Public

Phone: 01300-341-370

Fax: 01300-341-747

Email: [email protected]

Website: https://minterne.co.uk/

Historic Houses Member: Yes