The history of South Lytchett Manor - Dorset

South Lytchett Manor – the Dorset campsite with the stunning entrance gates and full of history

The first house was built by John Jeffries on the site of the present Manor House and was called ‘Sans Souci’ which means ‘without a care’. The Manor House has a rich and intriguing history, believed to have been connected with helping and sheltering members of the French aristocracy from the guillotine during the French Revolution.

It is thought that a secret tunnel connected the house to Lytchett Bay, which the escaping French would use to reach safety. Another theory could be that the tunnel was used for smuggling, which was rife along the Dorset coastline at that time. The tunnel is now filled in as it was deemed too dangerous for adventurous children and adults alike.

In 1821 the property was sold to Sir Claude Scott, who made some alterations before selling the property in 1890 to the Lees family. The Less were country landowners from Oldham with business interests in the Lancashire cotton industry. Elliot Lees enlarged and transformed the Manor House into the structure you can see today. In 1905, The Lodge, which can be seen at the campsite entrance, was built and in 1907 Elliot had the road moved away from the house. This is now Dorchester Road which can be found from the site entrance to St Peter’s Finger pub. The old road still exists below the campsite, straight from the middle amenity block, across the field to the cottages on the far side of the site.

 

During the Great War, the Manor House was used as a hospital for the wounded. Lady Madeline Lees was a nurse and living in the house at the time. She then converted the Manor House into a school for children of professionals throughout the 1930s until the Second World War.

From 1939-1945 British military officers commandeered the Manor for military purposes. However, the current grounds of the campsite were used as an American tank base. If you look carefully at the main driveway through the park you can see that it has been carefully reinforced with concrete to support the weight of the tanks. A local farmer states that once peace had been announced in 1945, the Americans and their tanks completely disappeared overnight!

The area around the Manor House was heavily bombed just before D-Day and if you look carefully at the side of the Lodge building on the site you can see the shrapnel holes near to the top window overlooking the shop.

Lady Lees decided to set up a campsite in the impressive driveway to the Manor to aid her Christian charities. She even sold teas at the front gates with her own china and silver teapots!

On the death of Sir John Lees, the Manor House was sold in 1957 for £10,500, together with 13 acres of land, to Dorset County Council who established a Comprehensive School.

 

Current owners Joanne and David Bridgen purchased the park in 2006 as a rundown three-star park and it was the best-kept secret in Dorset. In 2007, the natural beauty of the park was at the forefront when they invested in the development and extension of all site facilities, with every care taken to house new, modern amenities in oak-framed buildings complementing the site’s peaceful, countryside environment.

They now pride themselves as one of the top five-star parks in the country, graded by the AA and VisitBritain. The accolade of Overall UK Winner AA Campsite of the Year 2016 was a huge boost to morale. They continue to thrive on awards, winning Dorset Tourism awards many times, Loo of the Year Platinum awards, South West Tourism Awards – just missing the gold! They have built amenity blocks, fully serviced pitches, a lovely shop and reception, coffee shop, onsite bakery, site chickens, and the grounds and the staff are groomed to a high standard too!

Today the site is run as a family venture. Site Managers Deb and Phil, proprietors Joanne and David and son Matthew, and all the other members of the team work together to help make each and every holiday as special and enjoyable as possible.

Site info:
South Lytchett Manor Caravan & Camping Park
Lytchett Minster, Dorset

A five-star, award-winning, family-run park located just three miles from Poole and a 20-minute drive from   Bournemouth. The site consists of grass and hardstanding pitches with some fully serviced. The site is set in 25 acres of parkland and surrounded by countryside. The Jurassic coastline is only 13 miles   from South Lytchett Manor and Ringwood, the western gateway to the New Forest, is just half an hour away.