Larmer House
I took a trip on Sunday to Shaftesbury a town about 30 miles from where I live. It was one of those occasions where I just picked a place at random and decided to visit.
On the way to Shaftesbury I saw signs for the Larmer Tree Gardens and decided to investigate. The gardens takes its name from a landmark tree (apparently a Wych-elm) that had stood on the site in the 10th century. “The origin of the word ‘Larmer’ is so ancient that it can only be guessed at” Originally spelt Lavermere, ‘Mere’ would certainly mean a boundary, while ‘Laver’ might have come from the Anglo-Saxon ‘Laur’ perhaps meaning Laurel. King John (1189-1216) hunted in the area many times and tradition states he met with huntsmen under the branches of the Larmer Tree.
Unfortunately there is no more Larmer tree but some splendid gardens now take its place. The brochure told us that in 1880, General Lane Fox inherited the Rushmore Estate, a condition of the will that he change his name to Pitt Rivers. With his keen interest in archeology he was apparently the perfect choice to inherit the vast area. General Pitt Rivers set about building the gardens that are still there and preserved to this day.
