An intriguing theory has been shared about Dorset's lost tourist attraction Rhododendron Mile.
As interest grows in its legacy, one reader has shared a fascinating theory linking the famous blooms to historic estates and a second hidden stretch across the county.
Leslie Allard, from Christchurch, got in touch after hearing about the rise and fall of the colourful attraction at Puddletown Forest, which once drew in coachloads of visitors each year.
Known simply as “The Mile”, the stretch of vivid rhododendrons became one of Dorset’s most eye-catching seasonal sights before its eventual removal.
For Mr Allard, its disappearance still jars.
He described it as “an iconic bit of Dorset history” and said its loss felt dramatic.
“To be destroyed and literally removed from the map — some may even say it was an act of vandalism,” he said.
But it’s what he uncovered while looking into its past that adds a new layer to the story.
Mr Allard noticed there is another, lesser-known stretch of rhododendrons across the county — running along the B3073 between Hurn and Christchurch.
The route, passing Ramsdown Plantation, Blackwater and St Catherine’s Hill, offers what he describes as a similar spectacle — and, intriguingly, over a very similar distance of just over a mile.
Like the Puddletown display, parts of this stretch have also been thinned over time, through a mix of road improvements and the removal of invasive species.
That similarity got him thinking.
Could the two locations somehow be connected?
Digging into local history, Mr Allard found a possible — if speculative — link through John Draper II, a historical figure associated with both areas.
Draper, known as the last Prior of Christchurch Priory at the time of the Reformation, was also referred to as the Vicar of Puddletown.
He is understood to have lived at Heron Court, later known as Hurn Court — placing him firmly in both parts of the county that now host, or once hosted, these striking rhododendron displays.
Mr Allard points out that both locations linked to Draper feature long avenues of the plant, raising the question of whether there could be a deeper historical connection.
“Is it not a rather strange coincidence?” he asks.
READ MORE:
The rise and fall of Dorset tourist attraction Rhododendron Mile
History of Rhododendron Mile in Puddletown Forest
There is, however, a clear gap in the timeline.
The Rhododendron Mile at Puddletown is widely believed to have been planted in the 1920s — far later than Draper’s time.
Even so, Mr Allard suggests there could be a longer horticultural story behind it.
Rhododendrons were first introduced to the UK in the 18th century and were widely used in large estates as ornamental planting — and sometimes as cover for game birds.
There are also records of earlier varieties being brought over by Huguenot refugees, adding another possible thread to their spread across southern England.
That raises the possibility — albeit a romantic one — that rhododendrons may have been established in places like Athelhampton House long before the 20th-century planting at Puddletown.
From there, the idea goes, later developments could have built on those earlier plantings, eventually creating the dramatic mile-long display that became so well known.
Whether rooted in fact or simply coincidence, it’s a theory that adds fresh intrigue to a story that has already struck a chord with many.
