Chettle and Farnham

Tucked into the hollows of the gently rolling farmland of Cranborne Chase – Chettle (ST 950 135) and Farnham (ST 960 150) are typical examples of the many small communities spread sparsely across the north-eastern portion of the county, and are seen here in photographs taken mid-April. Large estates dominate the area, such as Rushmore to the north, consequently many of the buildings and farms are estate owned.

It was at Farnham where the renowned archaeologist General Pitt-Rivers exhibited many of the finds from his excavations of the Romano-British village at Rushmore. In 1899 there were over 12,000 visitors to the museum he established to display the finds, many of whom would have stayed and dined in the village inn which had been extended and renamed 'The Museum Hotel'. Today the museum no longer exists and much of the collection has been rehoused in museums in Salisbury and Oxford.