A CHARMING late Georgian gentleman’s residence near Dorchester offers a fascinating glimpse of times gone by.

South Close, tucked away in the picturesque village of Charminster, is believed to have started life as a farm and a group of cottages.

It developed into a large family home with 27 rooms which has remained in the ownership of the Goodman family since 1947.

The late Christopher and Joan Goodman had strong connections with archaeologist Sir Mortimer Wheeler who excavated Maiden Castle in the 1930s, the great man frequently visiting their home in later years.

His visits added another aspect to the house’s history since while there he often used the telephone to talk extensively with literary legend Agatha Christie and her archaeologist husband in Devon.

The Goodmans had spent several summers on Sir Mortimer’s dig at Maiden Castle, the largest and most complex Iron Age hill fort in Britain.

They grew to like the area and bought South Close in 1947, Sir Mortimer making many visits to their home right into the 1960s.

The couple’s family history includes Noel, Countess of Rothes, a relative of Christopher who was among those saved when the Titanic sank in 1912. She was rescued in lifeboat number eight and her family were later contacted to say she was safe on board rescue liner Carpathia.

South Close’s Green Room is a wonderful tribute to dancing in time gone by and eightsome reels were often held in its spacious interior as were formal dances in the 1950s and 1960s. The room still contains an original baby grand piano.

A spacious conservatory dates back to at least Edwardian times and it contains a Brandt grape vine originally purchased from near Kew Gardens.

Linked to it is a superb Edwardian veranda which stretches along the south and west sides of the house.

A respectful sense of history continues through the servants’ quarters which still display the original servants’ bells near the butler’s pantry and a larder with the original hooks in it for game. The area even includes an internal well long since sealed.

Upstairs more servants’ quarters hark back to another era with living areas for cooks and maids. The main oak staircase dates back to the 1930s and provides access to a variety of areas including a sewing room and a number of bedrooms while beneath the house is a large cellar area where champagne, wines and food were stored.

In the garden apple varieties including Laxton Supreme were planted back in the 1940s.

The house is being offered for sale following the death of Joan Goodman in 2007.