Monkton Wyld Court is an educational registered charity that provides courses in sustainable living and related subjects. We finance our educational activities by running a vegetarian Country Guest House.
Our History
The Grade II listed Court was built in 1848 as a rectory for the adjacent church. In 1940, pioneering educators Carl and Eleanor Urban established a co-educational boarding school to promote cooperative living and learning. Although the original Monkton Wyld School closed in 1982, the importance of leading a low-impact and sustainable lifestyle, as well as farming and acquiring practical skills, have become central to our community’s ethos.
Read more about our building’s history here.
Our Site
We are located in the hamlet of Monkton Wyld, midst the rolling hills of Dorset. Our main house accommodates up to 37 visitors in a variety of rooms. It’s communal areas, offering period features and panoramic views of the countryside, are heated by wood-burning stoves. There is a beautiful sitting room with a grand piano, and a shop selling chocolate, postcards, natural toiletries and other essentials, as well as a hall with a stage and sprung dance floor.
Terraced lawns, a fire-pit, an outdoor kitchen and classroom surround the mansion. The grounds include woodland areas, an orchard, fields leading down to a stream and a Victorian walled vegetable garden. Also, our water comes from our own wells and rainwater collection tanks, our waste is processed through our wetland filtration system, and some of our outbuildings run on solar energy.
Our Events
Monkton promotes courses in a variety of skills connected to sustainable living, like yoga, scything or hedge laying.
We organise seasonal family weeks and local lunches that are lively and popular. We also host venue bookings, educational stays and eco-conferences for schools, informal groups and national environmental organisations.
To learn more about what we have planned for this year, visit our Courses & Events page.
Our Team
A board of Trustees is responsible for the management of the Court. A residential community/workers’ cooperative, reinforced by short-term volunteers, many from abroad, help run and maintain The Court. This team can include up to twelve adult community members and six volunteers. Decisions are made by consensus, and new members can join through a process that begins with a two-week volunteering visit.
To make a donation towards the upkeep of Monkton Wyld Court, please contact us. We are a Registered Charity and especially welcome Gift-Aided Donations.
