We always consider ourselves lucky when being commissioned for a bespoke kitchen design in Sherborne, Dorset.
Sherborne is considered one of the prettiest market towns in the whole of the UK, it is like stepping in to a period drama as you walk the length of Cheap Street. Located on the Dorset and Somerset border and sitting on the River Yeo, on the edge of the Blackmore Vale, it is full of beautiful honey coloured sandstone buildings, as well as the magnificent Sherborne Abbey.
Dating from Saxon times the Abbey has the heaviest peal of eight bells in the world. The stone, fan-vaulted ceiling, is stunning and is the earliest fan-vaulted ceiling in existence. An engraved glass reredos by the artist Whistler can be found in the Lady Chapel.
Boasting not one, but two castles. One a romantic ruin which was gifted to Sir Walter Raleigh by Queen Elizabeth I and modernised until he then built a second “new” castle in 1594 with Grade I listed grounds designed by Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown.
The town is full of independent stores and boutiques such as Circus, contemporary art galleries such as The Jerram Gallery and excellent coffee shops and tea houses. The Pannier Market is a weekly market situated on The Parade every Thursday and Saturday, with a more recent monthly Artisan Market held on the 3rd Sunday each month.
The surrounding rural countryside is home to some thriving villages and excellent pubs such as The Queens Arms at Corton Denham attracting customers for its great food as well as providing locals with essentials such as pastries and coffee from its mini village shop/hub.
Although further west for those wishing to relocate from London, it is a beautiful town to find your forever home. Guild Anderson have seen a significant increase in clients wanting to modernise and extend their period country homes. Our Dorset Retreat project allowed Nick and our design team to make the most of the period features by designing a Guild Anderson modern shaker kitchen with flush plinths for this space.