The history of Deans Court goes back to the 8th century, when a house was built here for the Abbess of Wimborne. In the middle of the 10th century the house became the deanery for Wimborne Minster.
It was not until the 16th century that it became a private dwelling, when chantries were dissolved by an Act of Parliament. In 1548 Deans Court was granted to John Hanham, MP for Poole, and since then it has been home to successive generations of the Hanham family.
The current house was built in 1725, completely enclosing the Saxon hall. The house retained panes of Renaissance stained glass from the earlier house. The north and east facades are of early Georgian brick, while to the south and west is a Victorian extension built in 1868. The Court is listed Grade I for its historic interest.
Other Saxon features to survive includes the stewpond in the gardens. Other notable garden features include an apiary, herb garden, plantings of mature trees, and the walled kitchen garden enclosed within a serpentine wall said to have been built by French Napoleonic War prisoners. There is an apple orchard where wildflowers grow profusely.
Town Map
