- mail@fernhill-hotel.co.uk
- 01297 560492
- Fernhill Hotel, Charmouth, DT6 6BX
We are fortunate to have benefitted from the help of Neil Mattingly in researching the history of Fernhill. What follows is a condensed version of his detailed research, which can be seen in full here
Fernhill House, now a hotel near Lyme Regis on the western edge of Charmouth, has a rich history tied to notable 19th-century figures:
The land dates back to the 13th century, once owned by the monks of Forde Abbey. Known historically as Langmoor, it changed hands many times after the Abbey’s dissolution in 1539. Owners included the Mabell, Rose, Burrow, Oke, Farr, and Shute families, with records tracing sales and inheritances into the 18th century.
By the early 19th century, the orchard where Fernhill now stands—then known as Farr’s Orchard—was part of the Oke estate, later passed to Rev. Samuel Alford and eventually sold to Rev. Richard John Marker. In 1837, Marker conveyed the land to a charitable trust (Markers Charity) to benefit the poor. “Mr. and Mrs Marker derived so much benefit to their health by living in Charmouth that they left the Fernhill Orchard to the Ecclesiastical Commissioners to form a trust for some local charity. The rent was to be applied annually in supplying blankets and clothing to the old and infirm poor, who were not in receipt of parochial benefit”
The house was likely built between 1841-1845, by Miss Ellen Marryat, who leased the land for 50 years. She opened a school there, which was attended by Annie Besant.
It was one of a number of Villas to be built in Charmouth at the beginning of the 19th century when with Lyme Regis it became very fashionable. It is very similar to 3 Hillside, designed by Sir Jeffry Wyatville, especially the curved stairwell that feature in them.
James Harrison, a fossil collector, lived at Fernhill in the 1850s. He discovered the first British dinosaur, Scelidosaurus, in the nearby cliffs. He built a Billiard room (now the Dining Room) with two bedrooms above.
After Harrison, the house was occupied by Ellen Marryat, who was connected to her brother, Captain Frederick Marryat, and helped raise his daughters. One daughter, Emilia, married Dr. Henry Norris, a local surgeon.
From 1867, Fernhill was occupied by Captain Campbell Munro, who added the West Wing, a nursery wing to accommodate his 10 children.
Rev. John Kennedy was another significant inhabitant of Fernhill, who lived there from 1901 and whose family remained until 1950, when the building ceased to be a private residence, and transformed into guest accommodation.
The 1957 auction brochure described a 15-bedroom residence with modern amenities and 12.5 acres of land. Over the years, various owners ran the hotel, including the Langs, Carmichaels, Wickhams, Colbys, Maces, Dungeys, Mackinnons, and Illingworths.
Fernhill has welcomed guests as a guest house, a field study centre, and now as a Hotel. It has hosted countless special events, notable celebrities, and guests, many of whom return again and again, with the next generation continuing the tradition and bringing their own children to learn to swim in the pool and fossil hunt at the beaches.
Anecdotal stories have placed Churchill playing backgammon in the bar, and the Goodies Christmas Special filmed in the grounds! As time marches on, there will be more memories made and new stories to tell, as this warm and welcoming building continues to take care of its guests.
We’re on the Jurassic Coastal path with lovely walks into Charmouth, Lyme Regis and beyond.
A peaceful, relaxed base to explore East Devon & West Dorset.
Bar, Restaurant & outdoor heated pool on-site for you to enjoy.
Open May-October, you can check availability here
