The picturesque conservation village of Winterborne St Martin — better known as Martinstown — stands either side of the River South Winterborne and the B3159, which follows the river through the village. This is idyllic Hardy country: in the heart of the Dorset AONB, just 3½ miles from the county town of Dorchester, and in an area of rich pasture that has been settled and farmed since pre-Roman times.
At the western gateway to the village stands West End House, a classic Georgian country house built in 1787 and set in 35 acres of formal and walled gardens, woodland and fields with panoramic views over the surrounding Dorset countryside.
Currently for sale through Savills at a guide price of £3.95m, West End House — which is unlisted — boasts large windows with thin sash bars, stone sills and lintels and original shutters and, even on a dull day, is bathed in light, says selling agent George Nares.
The handsome, 5,055sq ft main house has been beautifully renovated and maintained by its present owners, who bought it in 2005.
The accommodation comprises four main reception rooms, including a double-length drawing room overlooking the walled garden, a large kitchen/breakfast room, various offices, six bedrooms and three bathrooms.
It comes with a three-bedroom cottage and outbuildings such as a garage and barn.
The gardens and grounds are a delightful mix of formal and informal planting, with colourful borders, large expanses of lawn, sculpted hedges and ancient trees, including a splendid copper beech.
Of particular note is the south-facing walled garden, with its terraced borders and lawn, ornamental trees and landscaped box hedging enclosed by a stone wall.
West End House is for sale via Savills at £3.95 million — see more details and pictures.
Also in the area
Just a few miles away, but a more different property you couldn't imagine: this is a three-bedroom penthouse apartment in the centre of Dorchester, overlooking Pavilion Green, designed by none other than Ben Pentreath. It's for sale with Savills, listed at £1.7m.
If you'd rather be down on the coast, an intriguing home is for sale in Weymouth: a property for which the phrase 'three-bed semi' doesn't really start to explain what's on offer. It's a late-19th century church that's been converted into two homes. This one — with 2,175 sq ft — is for sale via Stags at £795,000.
Credit: Strutt and Parker
Best country houses for sale this week
An irresistible West Country cottage and a magnificent Cumbrian country house make our pick of the finest country houses for
-
‘Once upon a time they covered an area the size of Ireland’: The restoration of Britain’s native oyster reefs is shaping future marine projects around the worldJane Wheatley reports on an innovative project to restore Britain’s once plentiful native oyster reefs in Tyne & Wear.
-
What connects Brutalism and fancy pink diamonds? The Country Life Quiz of the Day, October 17, 2025Featuring more questions on collective nouns. The perfect way to start a weekend.
-
Life on Portugal's Coast of Kings, where Ian Fleming met the triple-agent whose gambling inspired 'Casino Royale'Once a quiet fishing village west of Lisbon, Cascais became an unlikely hive of activity during the Second World War, attracting regal refugees and intelligence operatives in equal measure. Russell Higham investigates its enduring glamour — and its connection to Casino Royale.
-
An extraordinary Italian palazzo built in the heart of Oxfordshire is up for sale at £16 millionThe Palazzo Pallavicini in Genoa inspired the creation of Newington House, which is on the market for the first time in 35 years.
-
A bum deal on a bog-standard property? The former public conveniences being sold off for a songLondon has several affordable properties with enviable postcodes and great lighting... so long as you're happy spending more than a penny on a Victorian loo.
-
A castle for sale just down the road from Gleneagles, where everyone from George VI to a farmer and his pigs once roamed the grand hallsOrchil Castle has seen it all in a tumultuous century and a half — but it's getting back to its best, and now needs a brave new owner to take it on the next step of its journey.
-
Five homes with their own orchards that will be the apple of your eye (almost literally)If you've been looking enviously this year at neighbours with apple trees that have been heaving with fruit, here is the solution: five lovely homes for sale that come with their own orchards.
-
A beautiful Victorian vicarage that was home to one of the Cadbury family heiresses is on the marketPenny Churchill tells the tale of Monks Bridge in Warwickshire.
-
An outrageously opulent mansion in London's answer to Beverly Hills, with a gym that 'wouldn't look out of place in a 7* hotel''One of the finest houses in St George's Hill' is on the market. Annabel Dixon takes a look at what's on offer.
-
Six homes with fantastic features, from pools and paddocks to waterside settings, as seen in Country LifeOur look at the best homes to come to the market via Country Life this week includes a Chipping Norton farm and a Cornish dream home
