The houses pick on the Dorset vernacular with simple building forms and rich brick detailing.
A new addition to Fontmell Magna
On the southern edge of the historic village of Fontmell Magna, located between Blandford Forum and Shaftesbury, this collection of 30 new family homes has been carefully woven into the adjacent village and countryside. The design takes its cue from the traditional buildings of this part of Dorset, ensuring the new homes feel rooted in their setting.
Local character is reflected in the details, such as arched brick window heads, simple casement windows with glazing bars, flint and brick banding, and varied rooflines that echo the gentle rhythm of the village streets. The houses are purposefully modest in form, free from unnecessary projections, with gable dormers and rich brickwork adding depth and texture.
Community benefits include a safe drop-off space for St Andrew’s Primary School and new footpath connections to the surrounding countryside.
New homes set in a rural edge landscape
The development offers community benefits for the local village. A safe drop-off space has been created for the neighbouring St Andrew’s Primary School, while new footpath connections open up routes from the heart of the village to the surrounding countryside.
Homes are set back along traditional streets with generous, well-planted front gardens. At the centre lie green open spaces with a wildlife pond, meadows, and planting that encourages biodiversity—creating both a gathering place and a natural focal point for the development.
Along the main road, a soft edge of native trees, hedgerows and woodland planting preserves the soft rural approach into the historic village.
A mix of two, three and four-bedroom houses, including a pair of bungalows, provide homes for all ages and stages of family life, with 40% offered as affordable housing for the local community. Completed in 2023, the houses now sit within a maturing landscape that will help the new development become part of Fontmell Magna’s village story.
