Editing Milton Abbey School (section)

==History==
[[Image:MiltonAbbeyMorris edited.jpg|thumb|Milton Abbey in the late 19th century]]

'''Milton Abbey''' (fully, the '''Abbey Church of St Mary, St Samson, and St Branwalader''') in [[Dorset]] was a [[Benedictine]] foundation, but only part of the church now survives and is used as the Milton Abbey School chapel. A college of secular canons was founded here by [[Athelstan of England|King Athelstan]], in 933,<ref name=history/> and there are two medieval paintings of the king and his mother in the chancel. This foundation was replaced in 964 by a Benedictine monastery by King Edgar.<ref>Betjeman, John, ed. (1968) ''Collins Pocket Guide to English Parish Churches; the South''. London: Collins; p. 175</ref> The medieval church burned down in 1309,<ref name=history/> and although rebuilding started straight away it did not reach its present size until about 1400.<ref name=history/>

One of the church's benefactors was [[John Tregonwell|Sir John Tregonwell]], whose family came into the possession of the buildings in 1540 following the [[Dissolution of the Monasteries]] in 1539.<ref name=history>[http://www.miltonabbey.co.uk/Culture/history.aspx Milton Abbey: History] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090617071605/http://www.miltonabbey.co.uk/Culture/history.aspx |date=17 June 2009 }}</ref> Tregonwell fell from the roof of the church in a childhood accident, but his life was saved when his wide pantaloons filled with air and broke his fall. In thanks, he bequeathed his library to the church. Sir John also was buried in an altar tomb in the Abbey Church.

In 1752, the buildings were bought by the Damer family:<ref name=history/> in 1771, to make way for a new house and landscaped estate, the [[Joseph Damer, 1st Earl of Dorchester|1st Baron Milton]] (later 1st Earl of Dorchester) demolished the remaining abbey buildings, keeping only part of the church as a private chapel, and the adjacent [[market town]] of [[Milton, Dorset|Milton]] (creating [[Milton Abbas]] to rehouse the former inhabitants) in 1780. The new house was designed by [[William Chambers (architect)|William Chambers]] and the gardens by [[Capability Brown]].<ref name=history/> Several members of the Damer family were buried in the family vault in the Abbey Church.

In 1852, the merchant banker [[Carl Joachim Hambro (banker)|Carl Joachim Hambro]] acquired Milton Abbey to make it his family home.<ref name=history/>
He set about a major restoration programme, including an extensive refurbishment of the Abbey itself. The Hambro family developed and lived at Milton Abbey until 1932,<ref name=history/> when it was sold and for a while they moved to Hedge End Farm nearby, followed by a permanent move to [[Dixton Manor]] in [[Gloucestershire]].

Milton Abbey School was the setting for "Bamfylde School" in the 1980 13-part TV series of [[R. F. Delderfield]]'s ''[[To Serve Them All My Days (TV series)|To Serve Them All My Days]]''. It also featured in the first of the ''[[Ripping Yarns]]'' by [[Michael Palin]] and [[Terry Jones]], titled ''Tomkinson's Schooldays'' and in the [[The Browning Version (1994 film)|1994 film version of ''The Browning Version'']] with [[Albert Finney]] and [[Greta Scacchi]].

===Burials===
*[[Joseph Damer, 1st Earl of Dorchester]]
*[[John Tregonwell]]
*[[John Damer]]
*[[Carl Joachim Hambro (banker)]]
*[[Angus Hambro]]

===Grounds===
The parklands were landscaped in the late 18th century by Capability Brown. They are Grade II* listed in the [[National Register of Historic Parks and Gardens]].<ref name=garden>{{NHLE |num=1000721 |desc=Milton Abbey |access-date=11 February 2016 |fewer-links=x}}</ref>

In 2009, the school started to develop a farm, which is worked on by staff, to promote environmental awareness and work towards an element of self-sufficiency. Traditional vegetables are grown, in addition to herbs, cutting flowers, fruit and some crops. The estate also has a small number of pigs, sheep, chickens and ducks.

The school has a golf course which winds around the main house and the Abbey Church. Designed by [[Peter Alliss]] and opened in 1972, it is a nine-hole course with par-3 and par-4 hours, which is used by pupils and by visitors, who are required to pay a small green fee. The school employs a PGA Professional, who helps to tutor the students.<ref>[https://www.miltonabbey.co.uk/Sport/Available-sports.aspx Milton Abbey School] Publisher: The Council of Milton Abbey School. Published: 9 September 2019. Retrieved 14 October 2019.</ref>