Bingham's Melcombe House near Dorchester was the second Headquarters for Dorset. Captain Victor Goss approached the owner, Lady Grogan about using it on 20 Jul 1941 and it was in use for 20 months. Initially both Scout Sections were based here but later moved elsewhere. The wartime phone number was Milton Abbas 239.
The estate dates back to at least 1056, but came into the ownership of the Bingham family by 1246 when Robert Bingham nephew of the Bishop of Salisbury married into the Tuberville family who owned the estate. Students of author Thomas Hardy may recognise the Tuberville name and the house and the Reverend Charles Bingham were featured in the book (the latter as Parson Tringham).
By the Second World War, the house was in the hands of the Grogan family, and Lady Grogan remained in residence with the Auxiliary Units staff occupying the Gatehouse and School House. The officers slept on the upper floor of the Gatehouse with the lower floor used as offices and an explosive store. The Scout Section used the School House which had been refurbished in 1939. It is thought that parts of the estate were used for training.
The house remains Privately Owned and is not open to visitors. It can be viewed from a nearby footpath.
References
https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1000710
https://www.dorsetlife.co.uk/2010/11/in-the-footsteps-of-treves-%E2%80%…
https://www.dorsetlife.co.uk/2014/10/the-dorset-life-walk-melcombe-bingham/
2024 sales brochure
https://media.rightmove.co.uk/66k/65851/146294816/65851_CHO012360372_DOC_01_0007.pdf
Lady Grogan archive, Dorset History Centre
Melcombe Bingham
Near Dorchester
Dorset
DT2 7PZ
| Role | Name | Posted from | Until |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intelligence Officer | Captain Richard John Victor Goss | 21 Jun 1941 | 29 Jan 1942 |
| Intelligence Officer | Captain Nils Patrick Francis Leander | 22 Aug 1942 | 12 Dec 1942 |
| Royal Engineers Non-Commissioned Officer | Corporal John Horne | unknown | Jan 1944 |
50.8183384, -2.3273267
