History of The Royal Chase

In 1876 Belmont House, Shaftesbury was owned by George Nunn Thomas. The house probably dated from Tudor times but was rebuilt about 1750. In 1882 a huge box tree that stood beyond the road (which passed by a new wing added to the house) was blown down.

Young Arthur Thomas and his brother Charles looked into the hole left by the fallen tree and found a larger hole. He climbed into the hole and found that it was a masonry tunnel which went some distance. After a while he became fearful so returned and climbed out. The boys went to alert their father who was then busy. By the time he found time to explore the hole, workmen had filled it in and, on enquiring, reported that nothing unusual had been noticed. However, both Arthur and Charles Thomas remained convinced that the hole had led to a secret passage linking to one of many found in Shaftesbury.

As A Monastery

Around 1894 Fathers Dodard and Feron were at the convent in Marnhull. They belonged to a group of English and French priests trying to found a new "Religious Order of Late Vocations and for the Missions", but the health of the members of the Society was affected by the damp atmosphere of the Stour Valley.

In order to survive as an order, they amalgamated with the French Benedictine Fathers from En-Calcat, Dourgne in Southern France. Towards the middle of 1897, the very Reverend Father Louis Beaud, O.S.B. came to Shaftesbury with Fathers Feron, Rouvier and Baron. Two Fathers from Shaftesbury were sent to France to make their noviciate, two further followed but changed their minds. So ended the new order for late Vocations and Missions, also the attempt by the French Benedictines at founding a Monastery in Shaftesbury, closing Belmont House on April 9 1898. A Father Jerome Boutin purchased Belmont House on November 23 1898 as a refuge house for the order of the French Fathers, Sons of Mary Immaculate for French Priests escaping persecution from the French Government. This order had links in the West Indies, and was founded to train missionaries and teach them English. Father Jerome Boutin celebrated Mass in the chapel of Belmont House on December 8 1898. Baptisms, confirmations and funerals took place there, but not weddings as the chapel was not registered for them.

On 15 October 1903 the Superiors of the Sons of Mary Immaculate were expelled from France because they were members of a Religious Community. Twenty-one priests and lay-brothers came to Shaftesbury. Belmont House was then the headquarters and training school of a busy Order of Missionary Priests until its gradual demise and sale in 1921.

As A Hotel

Purchased in 1922 for use as a hotel by the Johnson family, local butchers and property owners, Belmont House has since been run as a hotel, changing its name to the Royal Hotel, then the Royal Chase Hotel.

History of the Byzant

From the outset one of the greatest problems for the inhabitants of Shaftesbury was the necessity to provide a water supply. The few wells were quite inadequate. The sandstone rock is very porous and no doubt in the early history of the town a certain amount of rain water would have been collected and stored. There is a residual clay overlying the sandstone just to the east of the town and this could have been used to line the storage tanks or ponds. With the growth of the town a much greater volume was needed and the Corporation made a bargain with the Lord of the Manor of Gillingham enabling townspeople to draw water from the springs which issue from the Northwest of castle Hill in Enmore Green. To retain this right the Mayor and Burgesses, with a gathering of townspeople, had to descend to Enmore Green annually carrying "The Byzant" (Prize Besom) which was decked with feathers, ribbons and jewels, sometimes said to be to the value of £2,000. All were received by the Lord of the Manor or his Steward at 1.00 o’clock in the afternoon on the first Sunday after Holy Cross Day, whereupon dancing took place for an hour followed by the Mayor’s presentation of a pair of gloves, two wheaten loaves, a calf’s head and a gallon of ale. After these rites the Mayor and assembly returned to the town to spend the rest of the day in revels and feasting.

During the 18th century it was customary for two people to dress handsomely and act the part of the Lord and Steward of the Manor at the ceremony, the date having been changed in 1622 to the Monday before Ascension Day each year. By agreement Earl Grosvenor, who held the Lordship of the Manor in 1830, allowed the ceremony to be discontinued as the expense to the town of £30 was felt to be too great. The last Byzant came into the possession of Lady Theadora Guest and after her death it was given by Miss Augusta Guest of Inwood to the Shaftesbury Town Council who now preserve it in the Mayor’s Parlour. The ceremony was revived in 1972 and takes place near the Fountain Inn, which may have been so named as a reminder of the springs in Enmore Green.