Wimborne Minster
| Wimborne Minster | |
| Dorset | |
|---|---|
 Wimborne Minster | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | SU015005 |
| Location: | 50°48’14"N, 1°58’41"W |
| Data | |
| Population: | 14,884 (2001) |
| Post town: | Wimborne |
| Postcode: | BH21 |
| Dialling code: | 01202 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | Dorset |
| Parliamentary constituency: |
Mid Dorset and North Poole |
Wimborne Minster (known locally simply as Wimborne) is a market town in Dorset, whose name is taken from the parish church, a minster before the Reformation. The town stands where the Rivers Stour and Allen meet, five miles north of Poole.
The town has a well-established and large market held on a Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The market was previously located in the Town Centre but moved out several years ago to a site on the edge of town to accommodate its size.[1]
Contents
The town
The architecture of Wimborne is regarded as one of the foremost collections of 15th, 16th and 17th century buildings in Dorset. Local planning has restricted the construction of new buildings in areas such as the Corn Market and the High Street, which has preserved almost all of the original buildings.
The most interesting examples of English architecture include the centuries-old Wimborne Minster, the Town Hall, the Priest's House Museum and dozens of original 16th, 17th and 18th century fronted shops and pubs. The town is also home to the Tivoli Theatre, a 1930's art deco cinema and theatre.
Wimborne Minster Church
The parish church which gives the town its name is an Anglo-Saxon Church, with Norman and Gothic architecture. It is famed for its unique chained library and the tombs of King Ethelred of Wessex, an elder brother of King Alfred the Great, as well as the tombs of John Beaufort, Duke of Somerset, and his duchess, the maternal grandparents of King Henry VII.[2]
Wimborne Model Town
The model town is one of the largest and most established model towns in Britain. It depicts Wimborne itself at the time it was made, in the 1950s. It is at 1:10 scale, so the model of the Minster is several feet high. The shop windows accurately show the goods the shops were selling at the time. The exhibition also includes a model railway based on Thomas the Tank Engine, which was opened by Christopher Awdry. Activities for children are provided.
Events
On weekends and national holidays, the town crier can be seen and heard in the main square and around the Minster.[3] The office of the town crier dates back to the Civil War.
The town has a large civil war re-enactment society, which performs every year.
"Alive in the Park", held every two years in mid-August on Leigh Park estate, is a community event. It is held in a large marqee erected in the centre of the estate. The event is organised by The Park Initiative, an inter-church charity working on the estate.[4]
Wimborne Minster was winner of the regional Britain in Bloom Awards and Silver Gilt medallist in the national competition.[5] The town welcomes visitors each summer with a display of flowers in six large gardened areas of the town.
Folk Festival
Every summer in June the town holds the Wimborne Folk Festival.[6] Founded in 1980, the annual event of Traditional Folk Dance and Song has become the focal point for the largest gathering of dance teams and musicians in the south of England. The festival is considered by many to be the town's major event of the year and is highly regarded nationally as one of the largest events of its kind in the country.[7] The festival involves Morris Dancing. The regional festival is attended by over 15,000 people across its weekend with parts of the town being closed to traffic.
References
Outside links
- Wimborne Minster and Christchurch Priory by Rev.Thomas Perkins. A Short History of Their Foundation and a Description of Their Buildings
- Census data
- Wimborne Minster
- Wimborne Town Council
- Wimborne Drama - local amateur dramatics group
