Mottistone Manor on Isle of Wight set to open to public

The manor gardens are already an established tourist attraction

One of the Isle of Wight's most prestigious manor houses could soon open its doors to the public for the first time.

The National Trust has put forward plans to open a visitor spaces and exhibition area in buildings at Mottistone Manor.

The property's gardens are already a popular attraction on the south coast of the island.

The trust said the plans would "further enhance the visitor experience".

The manor near Brighstone was first mentioned in documents relating to the Domesday Book in 1086.

The current building was erected in phases by the the Cheke family in the 15th and 16th Centuries.

The manor and estate was gifted to the National Trust in 1963, on the death of its former owner John Seely, the 2nd Baron Mottistone and great-uncle to current MP Bob Seely.

Benedict Cumberbatch and Sophie Hunter held their wedding reception t the manor in 2015.

More recently it was the venue for the wedding reception of actor Benedict Cumberbatch and his wife Sophie Hunter in 2015.

The manor is subdivided into three separate dwellings, and until 2020 two of the three properties — Mottistone Magna and Dower House — were leased as one.

It is those two units the National Trust is looking to turn into exhibition and visitor space while the third, The Old Rectory, would remain in private residential use.

In planning documents, submitted to the Isle of Wight Council, the National Trust explained an exhibition area would tell the manor's history, as well as showcasing work from mainly Island artists.

"The property is an established visitor attraction and the opening of part of the Manor for visitors as an exhibition space will further consolidate and enhance the visitor experience," it said.

The former residential spaces would also be used as storage for the National Trust's archive and collection.

The plans are open to public consultation until 11 September.