Milton Abbas (Model Village)

Milton Abbas is Britain’s first planned village, created in the 1770s when the Earl of Dorchester demolished the old market town to improve views from his mansion. Architect William Chambers and landscape designer Capability Brown created this picturesque model village featuring identical thatched cottages lining a single street through a beautiful valley. Each cottage housed two families with strict design uniformity creating harmonious streetscape. The village exemplifies 18th-century landscape improvement where landowners redesigned estates for aesthetic effect regardless of community disruption. Today Milton Abbas represents Georgian paternalism while providing idyllic village atmosphere. The uniform thatched cottages, village church, and valley setting create quintessentially English scenes. Milton Abbas demonstrates how planned villages differ from organic settlements. The village combines architectural interest, social history, and undeniable beauty. Essential for understanding English village development and appreciating picturesque landscapes.