Historic coastal house on market

Encombe House lies in a valley

A 2,000-acre estate in Dorset, designated as a word heritage site, has gone on sale for the first time in 200 years.

Trustees of the Encombe estate, on the Isle of Purbeck, have decided to sell it for £15m.

The property contains two and a half miles of coastline, a grade-two listed 18th Century mansion, 12 estate houses, and listed follies.

Rupert Sebag-Montefiore, managing director of FPD Savills, agents for the sale, said: "Encombe is without doubt one of the finest estates to come to the market in many years."

Extended property

The main property, Encombe House, is in a secluded valley.

It was re-modelled and extended by Wareham MP John Pitt when he inherited the estate in 1735.

In 1806 the estate then came into the hands of Lord Eldon.

The whole site must be sold as one unit and cannot be split up.

Mr Sebag-Montefiore said: "It is rare for a traditional family estate with a house and location of this calibre to come to the market.

"The property is a perfect example of its kind, and we expect intense market interest."