About Us
The eldest son of the Marquess of Salisbury, Viscount Cranborne, lives at The Manor with his wife and family.
The original Manor house was built as a royal hunting lodge for King John in the 12th century. Cranborne Chase was a royal hunting ground from at least the time of William the Conqueror until the 17th century.
In 1604 the Manor and its surrounding land was acquired by Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury and Chief Minister to Queen Elizabeth I and James II. Under the 2nd Earl, in 1647, the west wing was remodelled by Captain Ryder, an associate of Inigo Jones. At the beginning of the 17th century the garden was laid out by Mounten Jennings and John Tradescant who supplied many of the original plants.
