Easton, Dorset

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Easton
Dorset
Portland, Easton Methodist Church - geograph.org.uk - 1093163.jpg
Easton Methodist Church facing the village square.
Location
Location: 50°32’43"N, 2°26’11"W
Data
Post town: Portland
Postcode: DT5
Dialling code: 01305
Local Government
Council: Dorset
Parliamentary
constituency:
South Dorset

Easton is a village on the Isle of Portland in Dorset. The village is situated at Tophill, within the centre of the island. As with the rest of Portland's villages and settlements, Easton, including the settlements Reforne and Straits, has been designated as a conservation area, as it is a place of special architectural and historic interest. Easton, Wakeham and Reforne were designated pre-1974.[1][2]

The village has a small square with many shops and shopping arcade, three churches, a small park, and other amenities, including various pubs, as well as the nearby Secondary school Royal Manor Arts College. Along with Fortuneswell, Easton is the main hub of the Isle of Portland's activities. St George's Centre and The George Inn lies within the Reforne area of Easton, and provides facilities for many local events.

History

Easton was established around a natural watercourse and various springs, of which there are indications of mediæval inhabitants. The village pond was situated at Easton Square, and a well head and pump were later installed in 1775. Easton largely developed through Tophill's prime industry of agriculture.[3] By 1782, Easton was the island's second largest settlement.[4] The island's first school, Maister's School, opened in Straits during 1720.[5][6] St. George's Church was built as the island's parish church within Reforne, between 1754 and 1766, replacing St Andrew's.[7]

The village saw an infamous event during 1803, known as the Easton Massacre, which saw British armed forces shot and killed three citizens, when trying to press males of Portland into service. The press gang arrived at Easton Square where they were met by a group of citizens who had gathered to stop them. When one man was taken and the crowd attempted a rescue, the captain fired on them. The marines under his command also opened fire. There were three people killed, and another two wounded, one of whom, Mary Way, later died of her wounds.[8] From the 1840s onwards Portland saw a large increase in its population,[9] leading to Easton expanding, and becoming more urbanised. Both Reforne and Wakeham were separate hamlets until this time, when they merged into Easton.[10]

During the 19th-century, the Easton & Church Hope Railway put forward plans to extend the Weymouth and Portland Railway Line to Easton. On 1 October 1900 Easton station was opened to goods trains, and to the public on 1 September 1902.[11] The line closed to passengers in 1952 and goods trains in 1965. The station site was demolished in 1970,[12] and is now the site of a residential home.[13] In 1904, Easton Square, which had long been barren land, was transformed into Easton Gardens.[14] All Saints Church was built at Straits between 1914–17, and became the new parish church for Tophill.[15] Easton remains one of Portland's main hubs of activity to date.

Features

The area of Easton is surrounded by quarries, both working and non-working.[16] To the south of the village, and near Weston, are the two Portland Windmills. The disused and historic stone towers date from as early as 1608. Both windmills have been separate Grade-II Listed monuments since September 1978, and are the only historic windmill remains to survive in Dorset.[17][18] In early 2011, a Tesco, Portland's first major supermarket was opened in Easton.[19]

The Portland Museum is located near to Easton, in Wakeham, close to Church Ope Cove. The museum was founded by Marie Stopes and opened in 1930.[20] The castellated building at Easton Lane is the Drill Hall of 1868. It was once the home of the Portland Volunteers.[21]

Listed Features

Easton has a wide array of architecture and buildings, a number of which are Listed.

4 Easton Square, 30 Easton Square, 31 Easton Square, a fish house to the north of No. 31 Easton Street, 28 Easton Street, 32 Easton Street, 42 and 44 Easton Street, 41 Easton Street, as well as 23 Delhi Lane and its railings, are all Grade-II Listed.[22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30] Easton Methodist Church, along with its former manse and boundary walls, has been Grade-II* Listed since May 1993. The church dates from 1906 and opened in September 1907.[31] The church hall of the church was formerly a Wesleyan school, dated 1878 on porch. It was also designated Grade-II.[32] The church is still active today, alongside Underhill Methodist Church, as part of the Portland Methodist Circuit.[33] Within Straits, the area of Easton linking to the hamlet of Wakeham, is the 20th-century Anglican church All Saints Church. It is Grade-II Listed.[34]

At Easton Gardens, the prominent Clock Tower, completed in 1907, is Grade-II Listed.[35] At Easton Lane is one of various lime kilns remaining on Portland. At the time of becoming Grade-II Listed in November 1984, it was abandoned, and in poor condition.[36] It lay in ruin for decades, but by 2002 was turned into a residence and craft workshop. Opposite this lime kiln is another which is larger and more complete, but not Listed.[37]

Within Reforne there are various notable buildings. The Sugar Loaf Cafe, 26 Reforne, 30 Reforne, 107 and 109 Reforne, 135 Reforne, Apsley House (54 Reforne), 111 and 113 Reforne, and 28 Reforne, are all Grade-II Listed.[38][39][40][41][42][43][44][45] St George's Church is found at the far end of Reforne - a Church of England church. The church was designated as a Grade-I listed building in January 1951, and is one of three buildings on Portland to be Grade-I.[46] Its graveyard wall also became Grade-II Listed in September 1978,[47] and in May 1993 the church's lych gate entrance became Grade-II Listed too.[48] The George Inn is a public house at Reforne. It is one of the oldest inhabited buildings on the island, and has been Grade-II Listed since May 1993.[49] St George's Centre, also in Reforne, was a former school opened in 1857, and now a community information and activity centre. It is Grade-II Listed.[50] The centre's community hall and boundary walls to the south are also Grade-II listed.[51][52]

References

  1. https://www.dorsetforyou.com/416983
  2. https://www.dorsetforyou.com/media/199172/Portland-conservation-area-appraisal/pdf/Appraisal_of_the_Conservation_Areas_of_Portland.pdf
  3. https://www.dorsetforyou.com/media/199172/Portland-conservation-area-appraisal/pdf/Appraisal_of_the_Conservation_Areas_of_Portland.pdf
  4. http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~pbtyc/Portland/PYB/Chronology.html
  5. http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~pbtyc/Portland/PYB/Maisters_School.html
  6. http://www.geoffkirby.co.uk/Portland/690715/
  7. National Heritage List 1203132: Easton, Dorset
  8. http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~pbtyc/Portland/PYB/Easton%20Massacre.html
  9. http://www.pbenyon.plus.com/Portland/PYB/Population.html
  10. https://www.dorsetforyou.com/media/199172/Portland-conservation-area-appraisal/pdf/Appraisal_of_the_Conservation_Areas_of_Portland.pdf
  11. http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/e/easton/index.shtml
  12. http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/e/easton/index.shtml
  13. "Easton, Portland". Geoffkirby.co.uk. 11 August 2007. http://www.geoffkirby.co.uk/Portland/690715/. Retrieved 20 August 2012. 
  14. http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~pbtyc/Portland/PYB/Gardens.html
  15. National Heritage List 1281831: Easton, Dorset
  16. http://learningstone.org/?page_id=254
  17. National Heritage List 1203067: Easton, Dorset
  18. National Heritage List 1281885: Easton, Dorset
  19. "800 apply for 100 jobs at the new Tesco on Portland (From Dorset Echo)". Dorsetecho.co.uk. 14 February 2011. http://www.dorsetecho.co.uk/news/8851653.800_apply_for_100_jobs_at_the_new_Tesco_on_Portland/. Retrieved 20 August 2012. 
  20. "Portland Museum". Portland Museum. 15 August 2012. http://www.portlandmuseum.co.uk/. Retrieved 20 August 2012. 
  21. Portland Urban District Council (1950s). Isle of Portland Official Guide. Ed. J. Burrow & Co. Ltd., Publishers - Chelternham and London. p. 23. 
  22. National Heritage List 1203080: Easton, Dorset
  23. National Heritage List 1205457: Easton, Dorset
  24. National Heritage List 1205461: Easton, Dorset
  25. National Heritage List 1281855: Easton, Dorset
  26. National Heritage List 1205481: Easton, Dorset
  27. National Heritage List 1203082: Easton, Dorset
  28. National Heritage List 1203083: Easton, Dorset
  29. National Heritage List 1280683: Easton, Dorset
  30. National Heritage List 1280701: Easton, Dorset
  31. National Heritage List 1280713: Easton, Dorset
  32. National Heritage List 1203081: Easton, Dorset
  33. http://portlandmethodist.co.uk/wordpress/
  34. National Heritage List 1281831: Easton, Dorset
  35. National Heritage List 1205449: Easton, Dorset
  36. National Heritage List 1281854: Easton, Dorset
  37. "The Grove, Portland, Dorset". Geoffkirby.co.uk. 29 June 1993. http://www.geoffkirby.co.uk/Portland/690725/. Retrieved 26 June 2014. 
  38. National Heritage List 1203109: Easton, Dorset
  39. National Heritage List 1203110: Easton, Dorset
  40. National Heritage List 1203111: Easton, Dorset
  41. National Heritage List 1203112: Easton, Dorset
  42. National Heritage List 1206077: Easton, Dorset
  43. National Heritage List 1281828: Easton, Dorset
  44. National Heritage List 1281829: Easton, Dorset
  45. National Heritage List 1281867: Easton, Dorset
  46. National Heritage List 1203132: Easton, Dorset
  47. National Heritage List 1280219: Easton, Dorset
  48. National Heritage List 1281838: Easton, Dorset
  49. National Heritage List 1203113: Easton, Dorset
  50. National Heritage List 1203114: Easton, Dorset
  51. National Heritage List 1206092: Easton, Dorset
  52. National Heritage List 1281830: Easton, Dorset
The Isle of Portland, Dorset

CastletownChiswellEastonFortuneswellThe GrovePortland BillPortland HarbourSouthwellWakehamWeston