Welcome to your stay at The Castleman Hotel & Restaurant

To make the most out of your stay with us we would be grateful if you could take a few minutes to read this information folder.

We are a small team at The Castleman working hard to make sure your stay is as enjoyable as possible. If there is anything we can help you with during your stay, please ask one of us and we will do our utmost to assist you. We pride ourselves on our reputation and therefore would appreciate it if you speak to us if there is anything not to your satisfaction so we can try to resolve the situation.

We love to read the comments in our visitor’s book so please feel free to leave a comment during your stay or as you depart. Our visitor’s book is located on the hall table at the bottom of the stairs. Also, with review sites such as Trip Advisor and Facebook proving so popular we would appreciate it if you could take the time to post a review.

We hope that you enjoy your stay with us.

Thank you, Jez, Niki and the team

History & Ethos

The Chettle sound is the hoot of the owl. This is unsurprising, as it lies in the foothills of Cranborne Chase. Aside from the tractors and walkers, there isn't much in the way of traffic here. There is a bus that comes through the village, but it comes only once a week and goes as far as the bright lights of Blandford Forum. The traditional cliché for pretty little villages such as this is 'sleepy'. But there's nothing bleary-eyed about the Dorset backwater of Chettle.

Chettle is an estate village, the majority of it is owned by one family. Everybody knows everybody and there is an amazing sense of community. This is a village which defies every statistic and market trend. It has zero unemployment. Its businesses are booming. It has no problem with outsiders using houses as their second homes - because they are simply not allowed and rents are way below the market rate. Chettle is particularly interesting, though, because it owes its survival to the determination of a few strong-minded women.

Its name derived from the old English ‘Coetel’ is of Anglo-Saxon origin, meaning ‘a deep valley between hills’. It evolved into ‘Chetel’ by 1234 and that is how it has been pronounced to this day. After the dissolution of the monasteries in the 16th century The Chafins owned the village and estate. The last of the Chafin family was William Chafin who died in 1818. He wrote a book called ‘Anecdotes and History of Cranborne Chase’ and he was the last person to see and describe the flocks of great bustard (now rare birds in the UK) over Salisbury Plain, where they are now being reintroduced.

After the end of the Chafins there was a considerable period where the estate was owned and controlled by the bank and eventually in 1846, the Castleman family bought it. They were bankers and railway builders from Wimborne. The line from Southampton to Dorchester became known as the Castleman Corkscrew. One of the Castleman daughters was married to Isaac Gulliver, an infamous Dorset smuggler, adding a touch of glamour and notoriety to the Castleman family as well as an infusion of funds. They were a Dorset family on the up.

By the Edwardian era, it had passed down to Edward Castleman. He preferred hunting to managing his estate, and Chettle's fortunes were saved only by his marriage to the wealthy Jessie Morris. When she died in 1937, he was left childless, elderly and alone.

When the Second World War broke out his niece, Esther Bourke, and her young children came down to spend a few days with Edward. They came for the weekend and never left! While her husband, Leslie, went off to fight in the Far East and Edward grew frail, Esther ended up running the estate.

Edward died in 1946 and left Esther and her three siblings a beautiful Queen Anne house (Chettle House - now no longer owned by the family), just over 1000 acres, around 35 cottages, several large mortgages and no money!

Out of the four of them it was Esther who did all the work despite having to bring up her three children on her own, having divorced her Army officer husband after the war. Against the odds she held it all together, putting in bathrooms and septic tanks, working as the local log merchant and doing most of the repairs on the cottages herself. She was a strong woman and a hard worker. She auctioned off anything portable, from livestock to timber to works of art to keep the estate from destitution. It was just enough to keep the estate and the village intact. Everyone told her she was mad, but that just made her more determined. Chettle House was virtually empty, except for the 32 buckets that had to be put under the roof whenever it rained.

In time, Esther pulled Chettle back from the brink and, when she died in 1967, she left the village to her children; Susan, Teddy and Patrick.

Edward (Timothy Castleman) Bourke and his wife Barbara turned Chettle Lodge into the Castleman Hotel and Restaurant in 1996. Teddy grew up in this small estate village, he was born here in 1941.

Teddy was the youngest child and inherited only paintings and books, he qualified and practiced as a solicitor, started a timber yard and with his elder sister Susan poured energy, time and any money they made into doing up cottages, farm buildings and the estate.

Twenty-four years ago, Teddy, Susan and Barbara, together with a team of builders, converted a ramshackle, slightly neglected Dower house, which was then called the Lodge, into the restaurant with rooms you are in today. They’d spent the five years before that running a small restaurant called Moonacre in nearby Alderholt as a practice run.

They wanted to create a place that served good, locally sourced food and wine, in comfortable but not stuffy surroundings, with a great atmosphere and offer incredibly good value for money. The idea was to provide local employment, make enough money to keep the building in good order, repair some other buildings, restore a painting or two and pay a little something to live on.

Teddy and Barbara set the tone wisely, as a neighbourhood country restaurant rather than chintzy country house and The Castleman was lucky with early reviews from the likes of Jonathan Meades, Vogue, the Telegraph, and an entry in the Good Hotel Guide.

Sadly Teddy died in 2011 and his sister Susan in 2017.

For over twenty years Barbara has run the place in a very hands on way. That’s been part of the Castleman charm but it was time for her to hang up her apron so that she can concentrate on a full retirement and the Castleman can have a new injection of energy.

So that means keeping the rustic charm of this lovely old building but giving it a fresher edge, some sprucing up of the décor and getting some new managers in!

And that is where we, Jez and Niki Barfoot, come in. You may know us from previous ventures such as the Tickled Pig in Wimborne and Abbotts Court in Winterbourne Kingston. We share a lot of the same values and approach to looking after customers as Barbara and Teddy did, as well as having a commitment to being fully involved in Chettle. Supporting other local suppliers, making the best of this area’s fantastic food and produce will continue to be at the centre of the Castleman’s future as a creative and sustainable rural enterprise.

A short reflection from Barbara… “As I’m just about retired I’ve been thinking about how Castleman has grown over the last twenty four years to become what it is today and where it’s going next. Castleman started in the 1990’s before the countryside was taken over by gastropubs, boutique hotels and Soho House style chains that ram ‘lifestyle’ down your throat. We were never really going to be a boutique hotel, we were about growing our own herbs and some of the veg, gathering puffball mushrooms and wild garlic and stuff before the bearded hipster fraternity made “foraging” trendy, supporting our local suppliers, cooking great food, seasonally, changing our menus from day to day, buying our food and wine from people we liked and trusted and who liked and trusted us in return. Employing people who wanted to live and work in this small community, employing their children too in due course. And we had the same ethos when it came to building relationships with our customers, the only people who ever got banned from the Castleman were those who were rude to our staff or other guests. So we have a great tribe of loyal customers who say they like coming to stay somewhere which feels a million miles away from corporate hotel, where they can have proper conversations with real people. A lot of this loyalty is due to a spirit of generosity and honesty which is a precious thing in the hotel business.

So, now that I’m hanging up my apron and management hat, a new team which includes a lot of the old team needs to undertake the challenge of keeping what’s loved about Castleman and moving it forward, taking the staff and customers with it.”

EMERGENCY INFORMATION

IN THE EVENT OF THE FIRE ALARM SOUNDING In the event of the fire alarm sounding please evacuate the building as quickly and calmly as possible to the assembly point which is located IN THE CAR PARK

- Please close all doors behind you. - Do not stop to pick up belongings. - Do not re-enter the building until authorised to do so.

Please familiarise yourself with your means of escape which is as follows: There are 4 fire exits out of the building 1 - Front door (single door), the door you used to enter the building from the road. 2 - Back door (single door), at the bottom of the staircase past room 4, 5 & 6, this is by the office and back of house. 3 - Oak room double doors, in the middle of the room, exits to the garden. 4 - Dining room double doors, at the end of the room, exits to the garden. 5 - The kitchen (single door), through the kitchen and back kitchen, exits to back yard.

Please be advised that all doors normally left open will close automatically when the alarms sound.

If you have any hearing or sight problems, mobility difficulties or issues which may make it difficult to evacuate the building in the event of an emergency, please notify us upon arrival so that we can assist you.

IN THE EVENT OF FINDING A FIRE - If the alarm has not already been activated, press one of the fire alarm call points (first floor landing and by all exit doors). - Dial 999 or 112 from any telephone and ask for the Fire Brigade. - The address is Castleman, Chettle, DT11 8DB - Evacuate the building in line with the instructions above.

FIRE ALARM TEST Our weekly test of the fire alarm system will take place around 3.00 pm every Monday and it takes about 20 mins to do this so you may hear the alarm sound a few times.

Thinking About the Environment…

We strive to offer comfortable accommodation without effecting our surrounding environment by understanding how we can exist with our environment rather than working against it.

In light of this we have introduced a number of policies which we feel reduces our impact.

- During your stay we will change bedding every four nights or earlier if requested.

- We encourage guests to only get towels washed when they need to.

- The heating and hot water is provided by a biomass boiler. A biomass boiler burns wood pellets (naturally compressed wood shavings from sustainable forests) at a high temperature meaning a very small amount of ash is created from this process.

- Heating is thermostatically controlled by each radiator. Hot water is always available. Please do not leave your radiator on and then open the windows!

- We request that guests turn their room and bathroom lights off when they leave the room.

- Cavities in floors, ceilings and walls (where possible) have been insulated. In time we would like to replace windows to make them all double glazed and draft proof but this is a great expense.

- Chemicals used to clean the bedrooms and ensuites are biodegradable and environmentally friendly to reduce the impact on our septic tank and the water systems of Dorset.

- As much of our food is locally sourced, to reduce food miles, and we try and grow as many vegetables ourselves as we can, feel free to go and have a nosey in our veg garden behind the car park.

- When carrying out the refurbishment we bought as many of the ‘new’ things second hand as we could.

- We pull out the most obvious bits of rubbish from room bins that are recyclable - bottles, cans, newspapers etc - and put them in our back of house recycling bins.

Useful Info

If you require assistance during the day, please either come to the reception desk located at the bottom of the main stairs or call 250 from the phone in your room.

Overnight, there will always be a member of staff in the building. In an emergency, please call them using the phone at reception by dialing 254 or 07934 936696 which will put you through to the night porters who live in the flat next door.

In alphabetical order…

Alarm Clock We have one available at reception for you to borrow whilst staying with us. These are on a first come first served basis.

Baby Sitter There is an option of a baby monitor that you can use if you want to leave a child asleep upstairs and have the monitor at your table to be able to hear if they stir. There is only one available so this will be on a first come first served basis.

Bedding All our pillows and duvets are feather, however we do hold a number of synthetic bedding. Extra blankets are stored in the wardrobe or chest of draws. As part of our quality grading, we will change your bedding every four days during your stay. But if it is absolutely necessary we will change it outside this window.

Breakfast Breakfast will be served in the dining room from 8.00am - 10.00am. If you require breakfast earlier then we can sort this for you so please just let us know.

Chargers & Adaptors We have a few spare chargers, plugs and adaptors on site so please let us know if you would like to borrow one for the night.

Check Out Check out is between 8.00am - 11.00am.

Dinner Dinner will be served between 7.00pm and 9.00pm. Last orders at 8.45pm. You can come down for pre-dinner drinks from 6.00pm onwards.

Dress Code There is no official dress code for diners but smart casual or formal is preferred.

Dressing Gowns Luxury toweling dressing gowns can be hired for £2.50 each. Please ask at reception if you would like some placed in your room.

Drinks All beverages supplied in you room are with our compliments and are replenished daily. We actively support fair trade and local suppliers and use their products wherever possible. Please note room beverage trays are for use in your room only. Drinks from these trays are not to be taken into the lounges or outside. If you would like a beverage in the lounges or outside, please see our lounge menu. The tap water in your room is drinking water, we do not have water storage tanks and our cold water comes straight from the mains. Fresh milk is available on request and should you need more supplies during your stay, please feel free to ask.

We are licenced to serve alcohol for consumption on the premises only. We offer a selection of spirits, wine by the bottle, soft drinks, lager, local real ale and local cider. These can be served either in your room, the lounges or outside in the garden. Please do not hesitate to ask if you require a drink and we shall bring it to you. Our bar tariff is priced to offer good value. There is a drinks menu at the back of this folder.

As we are a restaurant with rooms (rather than a full hotel) there is not always someone around and on duty but we will do our best to accommodate your needs.

If you have brought your own celebratory drinks, we respectfully request that consumption is confined to your room. We are more than happy to provide an ice bucket and glasses should you need them but suggest a donation of £5.00 be made to one of our local charities in lieu of this service. You will find the charity pot in reception.

Extra Pillows We can usually supply these on request. But they are on a first come, first served basis.

Food in Rooms Please note that takeaways cannot be consumed in your room or on our premises. As we don’t currently offer lunch, you can either go to one of the recommended local places or pop down to our well stocked village shop and bring a picnic back!

First Aid There is a first aid kit in the building.

Forgotten Something? Whilst we can’t keep extras of everything in the hotel, it is worth asking as we can either tell you whether they sell it in the shop (it’s like a tardis in there) or we can potentially borrow one from someone who lives in the village.

Heating & Cooling If you are too hot then the windows open and the radiators can be turned down individually. There are fans available on request, these are on a first come, first served basis. If you are too cold you can find extra electric radiators in your wardrobe which can be plugged in and there are spare blankets in the cupboard in your room. Please don’t leave radiators on when you leave the room for long periods of time.

In Room Entertainment We have a TV in all bedrooms. We aren’t massive TV people so we have left in the basic units which have freeview and a DVD player built in. We have a selection of DVDs which you can browse through and borrow for the time you are here.

Internet We have internet throughout the hotel. It is a local firm called Wessex Internet. There should be an open connection that doesn’t require a password. The up and download speeds are very good. Much better than BT.

Ironing Please let us know if you wish to use an iron and ironing board.

Hairdryer You can find a hairdryer in the cupboard or wardrobe in your room.

Housekeeping We will make up your bed, replenish your tea tray and clean your bathroom every day during breakfast or between the hours of 9.00am and 1.00pm. We will knock on the door to check. If you would prefer us not to clean your room or to not be disturbed, please just let one of the team know. Please leave any towels you want changed in the bathtub.

Laundry If you are staying more than 4 days we can do some washing if you need to. If there any other circumstances where you need an emergency wash then let us know and we can try and help.

Lost Property If guest property is found after departure, we will endeavour to contact you. If you would like your items returning, we are happy to send them back to you. We simply ask for you to cover the costs of postage, packaging and handling. Unclaimed items will be disposed of after 4 weeks.

Noise While every effort has been made to reduce the impact of noise travelling (insulation in floors and walls), this is an old house and inevitability there will still be some. As guests come to relax, we request that you do not play music or use the television on a high volume especially after 10.30pm.

Phone There is a phone in your room. You need to press 9 to get an outside line and you can only make national calls from it.

Power Failure If there is a power failure there are torches in your room so you can get about. We will put candles in the downstairs rooms. Luckily our cooker is gas so we can still serve food, it may just be a reduced menu. We are in the process of installing a generator which will power the pump (to get the water round the building) and keep the biomass heating going.

Map of the Area There are several at reception for guests to borrow for walking or cycling.

Taxis Oakwood Taxis - Pimperne. Tel 01258 455 555 Tacon - Blandford. Tel 01258 453 022 Riverside Taxis - Blandford. Tel 01258 453 512 S&G Taxis - Shaftesbury. Tel 01747 822 215 M&J Taxis - Local. Tel 01725 516 334 (It is also worth noting that it is very difficult to get a last minute taxi ride in this part of the world, if you think you will need a taxi you need to book with plenty of notice)

Toilet & Septic Tank Our wastewater is serviced by a septic tank. Please do not flush anything other than toilet paper down the toilet. All other items should be placed in the bathroom bin (which we empty daily).

Towels Please help us maintain our commitment to being environmentally friendly, by using the following system to prevent the unnecessary washing of towels: - If you leave your towels in the bath/shower, we will gladly change them - If you leave your towels on the rail, you are happy to re-use them

Zebras We just wanted to end on a Z.

Things To Do in the Area

There are lots of lovely walks in and around Chettle (as well as some great cycling) and we have some OS maps at reception for you to borrow. There are also lots of great things to do and places to visit nearby, we have listed all the local towns and added a few ‘things to visit’ but a quick look at Visit Dorset’s website www.visit-dorset.com is a good idea if you are looking for inspiration. We have also put together a few lunch suggestions and other places to eat that aren't too far away…

TOWNS

We are located almost equidistant and in the centre of a diamond of 4 towns. We thought we would give you a low down of each one. They all have their plus points and are worth a visit.

Salisbury - 25 mins drive (or a bus from the main road) A Cathedral city of ageless beauty and captivating history, Salisbury has been welcoming travellers since 1227. At the city’s heart is Salisbury Cathedral, a beacon that has attracted visitors for centuries and continues to do so today. Gathered around the Cathedral is a modern medieval city, full of beautifully crafted buildings. Salisbury has a lovely cinema, good shopping with some independent stores and a few places to eat, although not many. We highly recommend the Indian there, Anooka, it’s better than some Michelin starred places we have been to in Birmingham!

Blandford - 15 mins drive (or a bus from the main road) Located on the banks of the River Stour, Blandford Forum is the most complete, small Georgian town in England and is located in the north of Dorset. In the early 18th century, fires decimated much of the town, but it was largely rebuilt and is a wonderful example of Georgian architecture. Make sure to look up when you go there, it’s stunning. There are a few good independent cafés called Yellow Bicycle Club and Forum Café and the food and bar at The Crown Hotel is also nice. There are a few good independent shops up Salisbury Street for clothes and gifts. There is a good gun shop too, Conyers.

Wimborne - 20 mins drive The beautiful, historic market town of Wimborne Minster has a gorgeous Minster Church, pretty streets, picturesque heritage and a cracking location on the banks of the rivers Stour and Allen. It is regular winner in the regional and national ‘In Bloom’ awards. You can eat in our old restaurant, The Wimborne Pig, which still has the same team behind the scenes so it’s still good! And there is a great wine bar, Renoufs which has great wine and simple food. The Dancing Moose is also a lively pub with good food and great cocktails. There are a few good independent shops in the town too.

Shaftesbury - 20 mins drive Shaftesbury is quintessential Dorset, with thatched cottages, quaint tea shops, that famous Gold Hill, made famous by that Hovis advert, and it is one of the oldest and highest towns in England. Take a stroll along Park Walk and admire the seemingly endless panoramas. Sit and enjoy a coffee and a snack in the café at the top of Gold Hill whilst taking in magnificent views over the Blackmore Vale. Here, you will also find the Gold Hill Museum set in two historic buildings with an award-winning cottage garden. There are some quirky independent shops here and a great wine shop with a very knowledgeable and friendly owner. Eat or drink in the Grosvenor Arms or the Ugly Duckling Café for something cheaper and more simple.

THINGS TO DO

Kingston Lacy House - near Wimborne - 20 mins drive Kingston Lacy is home to one of the National Trust’s most important art collections. Rubens, Titian and Sebastiano are among the great Western artists whose works decorate the walls. But it is much more than a house and art collection. It is a garden that was celebrated in the early 20th century as a horticultural masterpiece; an 18th-century parkland and a living landscape rich in wildlife and nature.

Compton Abbas Airfield - 15 mins drive Watch the biplanes, piper warriors, old military planes and harvards come and go from the café overlooking the airfield. A great experience for young and old, all accompanied by some great café food and nice coffee. You can even book your own flying or wing-walking experience here.

Purbeck Shooting School - 30 mins drive Purbeck Shooting School occupies one of the best sites in the UK and has been voted as the ‘Best Shooting Ground’ in the UK. The site occupies around 80 acres of mixed heath land and conifer plantation. The unique contours of the site enable us to set naturalistic sporting targets in a variety of scenarios. They can offer a large variety of target presentation for practice and tuition, whether you are a clay or a game shooter, you will not be disappointed.

Moors Valley Country Park & Go Ape - near Verwood - 20 mins drive Moors Valley is an abundance of forest fun. With Treetop Challenge, Treetop Adventure+, Forest Segway and Nets Adventure, all thrill-seeking, family entertainment boxes are firmly ticked. Push yourself to climb 11-metres skywards and features a massive 166-metre zip wire. There’s also a great family café there and some lovely walks through the forest and round the lake and a great kids playground and model railway to ride on.

And many more things towards and on the Purbeck Coast. We could go on for pages…

OTHER PLACES TO EAT

If you’re going to venture out to eat anywhere else (we will try not to be jealous), we have put together a list of suggestions to make your journey worthwhile.

The Museum Inn, Farnham - 5 mins drive (or 35 mins walk across the fields) This is a lovely village pub with a good wine and beer selection. It’s cosy too. Their food is good. The menu is local and seasonal with a good selection of game. To book a table call 01725 516 261.

King John Inn, Tollard Royal - 10 mins drive Owned by the same people as the Museum, it’s similar but has a different and equality good food and drinks menu, if not sometimes better! Tel: 01725 516207

Chutney’s, Shaftesbury - 20 mins drive This is the sister restaurant of Anooka in Salisbury that we mentioned earlier. It’s good Indian food. Tel: 01747 852585

Pyt House Kitchen Garden, Tisbury - 25 mins drive The restaurant is set in an enchanting 18th century walled garden. A lot of their produce comes from the garden and the food is simple yet inventive and interesting. This is well worth a visit. Tel: 01747 870444

The Compasses Inn, Lower Chicksgrove - 25 mins drive Built in the 14th century, the pub retains many of its original features; an old flagstone floor, open inglenook fireplace and gorgeous wooden beams. Walking into The Compasses is like stepping back in time. The food is honest and very good and are accompanied by fine local ales and a broad, refined wine list. Tel: 01722 714318

The Drover’s Inn, Gussage All Saints - 10 mins drive (or around 1.5-2 hours walk) Simple but well cooked pub food with a pleasant pub garden. Even better it’s a community run pub so you are supporting a good cause. Tel: 01258 840550

Home Farm Tea Rooms, Tarrant Gunville - 10 mins drive (or 1 hour walking) A lovely farm shop and tea room that you can walk to out of the village, past the church and Chettle House, through the parkland and over the brow of the hill and down into the village of Tarrant Gunville. You can make this part of a circular walk. They sometimes do savoury food too. Maybe call before you set off to check what they have on. Tel: 01258 830083

LOCAL AMENITIES

Chettle Stores Chettle Stores is amazing. It’s a tardis. It’s housed in a falling down WWII Nissen Hut. You can buy loads of organic veg grown a few miles away, organic bread from the bakery in Long Crichel, milk in refillable bottles from a local dairy, local meat (inc game when it’s in season), local organic eggs and award winning pies… bit of trivia for you, we sold 20,000 pies in 2019! There is also local cider and beer for sale and a well curated wine selection. On top of food and booze you can also buy a lot of random things - presents, cards, safety pins, eco household products. We don’t actually shop anywhere else now, it’s been about 3 years since we went to a supermarket for our weekly shop! So please pop in a support the shop.

Post Office Our village post office is open Monday’s from 11am - 1pm Otherwise head into Blandford for normal post office opening times there.

Banks There are different banks in the various towns. Check before you head off as they have been shutting local branches so Blandford and Shaftesbury are now lacking some of the main high street banks!

Nearest Cash Machines We can do cash back at the shop if desperate but we prefer not to. Otherwise the nearest cash point is in Sixpenny Handley or Blandford Forum.

Chemists Again, Blandford is the nearest place. There is a Boots in town.

Local Doctors Sixpenny Handley Surgery, Dean Lane, Sixpenny Handley, SP5 5PA. Tel 01725 552500 or Whitecliff Surgery, Whitecliff, Mill Street, Blandford, DT11 7BH. Tel 01258 452 501

Hospitals Blandford Hospital - Minor Injuries Unit. Milldown Road, Blandford Forum, DT11 7DD. Tel 01258 456 541. Opening hours 9.00am - 6.00pm Mon - Fri, 10.00am - 4.00pm Sat & Sun.

Salisbury Hospital - A&E, Oddstock Road, Salisbury, SP2 8BJ. Tel 01722 336 262.

Dentists National Dental, Blandford.14 East Street, Blandford, DT11 7DR. Tel 01258 450 019.