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Chettle is a small village in Cranborne Chase, adjacent to the chalk downlands of North Dorset. It has a Queen Anne manor house designed by Thomas Archer, which is a fine example of English Baroque architecture. Chettle has been in the ownership of one family for over 150 years and retains the atmosphere of a traditional village with its own church and shop. The county of Dorset has an enormously varied landscape including spectacular coastline and sandy beaches, chalk downlands and ancient heathlands. There are a great many historic houses and castles within easy reach of Chettle; Wilton, Kingston Lacy, Breamore, Athelhampton, Stourhead, Longleat,

Corfe Castle, Lulworth and Sherborne, not to mention numerous gardens of note. The beautiful landscape of Cranborne Chase surrounding the village is good for both walking and cycling. There are several pay and play golf courses in the area including a very pretty eighteen hole course in Rushmore park. For field sports enthusiasts the area offers riding, hunting with the Portman, fishing on the Stour, Avon and Allen, and there are several high class shoots nearby from whom a day’s shooting may be hired. Dogs can be accommodated in the stables but not in the hotel itself.

Castleman Hotel and Restaurant occupies the former Dower House in Chettle. The house was much enlarged in the Victorian era. Features include a galleried hall, a Regency style drawing room, fine plasterwork ceilings in the dining room and a Victorian oak drawing room with Jacobean fireplace. The conversion into an hotel and restaurant was planned to retain the elegant proportions and period features of the rooms but to ensure our guests‘ comfort with modern central heating and bathrooms. There are eight double bedrooms, individually furnished in a range of styles. They each have an en-suite bath and shower room, some have roll top baths. All the rooms have television and radio, telephone and tea/coffee making facilities.

Castleman is principally a restaurant with bedrooms serving dinner every evening, and lunch on Sunday only. We do not offer weekday lunches, bar snacks, afternoon teas or room service meals. Our intention has always been to offer good quality accommodation, food and wine at sensible prices in comfortable surroundings with a relaxed atmosphere. If you are looking for the full on country house hotel experience with miles of swagged chintz, liveried staff, health spa, formal gardens and helipad then Castleman is probably not the place for you. If you like to get away to real countryside and relax in warm and unstuffy surroundings then we look forward to seeing you at Castleman.