We are delighted to invite our Dorset Branch members to this year’s Dorset AGM at Moreton Estate, by kind permission of the Frampton Family.

Moreton Estate has been owned by the Frampton family since before 1365, representing more than six centuries of continuous ownership. The estate developed in the traditional Dorset model, with farmland, cottages and village buildings forming an interdependent rural community.

 Moreton House, built in 1744, remains the principal house of the estate. During the Second World War, it was requisitioned and occupied by the army, reflecting the wider national impact of wartime mobilisation on rural estates and part of the estate continues to form Bovington Camp to this day. Today, the house is occupied by Richard Frampton-Hobbs and his family, continuing the long standing connection between the family and the estate.

 The estate now extends to around 3,000 acres, including farmland, woodland, an equestrian centre, around fifty cottages, and a number of commercial properties. Many buildings within the village remain in estate ownership, reinforcing its integral role in village life.

 Moreton is internationally associated with the memory of T. E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia). He lived nearby at Clouds Hill Cottage and is buried in Moreton churchyard, beside St Nicholas’ Church, which is itself notable for its engraved glass windows designed by Sir Laurence Whistler. Moreton Village also boasts the widest ford in Dorset.

 The most recent addition to the estate is Employ My Ability (EMA), a forward thinking initiative, committed to providing high quality specialist education for young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.

 Guided by the principle of the “Right Support, Right Place, Right Time,” EMA places young people firmly at the centre of building their own futures as they prepare for adulthood and employment. EMA works in partnership with local businesses and organisations to provide practical work experience, training, and long term employment opportunities. Its presence within Moreton reflects the estate’s continued commitment to community and opportunity as well as making use of areas of the estate previously undervalued and utilised.

Dorset AGM 2026
Venue: Moreton Village Hall
Date: 18 June 2026
Time: 11.00am–4.00pm

 

Proposed Programme

11.00am – Registration, tea and coffee
11.30am – AGM
11.50am – CLA Vice President Eliza Ecclestone
12.30pm – Two-course buffet lunch
1.45pm – Welcome and introduction to Moreton Estate with Richard Frampton-Hobbs, followed by presentations with Paul Tory
2.15pm – Walk of Moreton Walled Gardens (delegates to use own transport)
3.30pm – Return for refreshments
4.00pm – Depart

 

Please note the AGM will held in the nearby Moreton village hall.