Shakespeare's 'All's Well That Ends Well' at Mapperton House

Visitors to Mapperton House and Gardens near Beaminster will be able to watch a Shakespeare play in the open-air on Sunday, July 18.

The Castle Theatre Company will be performing William Shakespeare's enduring comedy, 'All's Well That Ends Well' on the house's croquet lawn.

There will be two performances going ahead at 2pm and 5pm and those attending are invited to bring a chair or rug to sit on whilst they enjoy the colourful story about true love finding a way.

Garden tours will also be going ahead at Mapperton this summer, with two one hour guided walks scheduled for Thursday, July 22 and Monday, August 2. Mapperton Gardens were voted the Historic Houses' Garden of the year in 2020.

The gardens received nearly a quarter of all votes from the public out of a shortlist of eight gardens across the country - they are notorious for their romantic setting, varied planting and sense of tranquility.

The tours will be led by Mapperton's head gardener Steve Lannin and will give visitors the opportunity to see the historic grounds in their full glory.

Children will also have a fun family 'draw and explore' art and photography trail to follow in August when they are encouraged to don fancy dress and draw or use a camera to depict the gardens as they follow the trail.

Entry to the trail is free with standard garden entry tickets and it runs from 11am to 5pm each day the Gardens are open from Sunday, August 1 until Thursday, August 26.

Mapperton House has been the home of the Earl and Countess of Sandwich since the early 1980s. The Montagu family, which has owned land south of the house since the 1760s, first moved to Mapperton from Hinchingbrooke House, near Huntingdon, in 1956.

Mapperton House and Gardens has been used as the location for several feature films, most recently acting as the backdrop for the Netflix adaptation of the 1938 novel 'Rebecca', starring Lily James.

Mapperton House is also open for a limited number of small-group pre-booked tours.