Maiden Newton
| Maiden Newton | |
| Dorset | |
|---|---|
 Maiden Newton parish church of St Mary | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | SY597977 |
| Location: | 0°46’39"N, 2°34’22"W |
| Data | |
| Population: | 1,119 (2011) |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | Dorset |
| Parliamentary constituency: |
West Dorset |
Maiden Newton is a village in Dorset, in the west of the county about nine miles north-west of the county town, Dorchester. The 2011 census reported a parish population of 1,119.
The village stands at the meeting of the River Frome with its tributary of equivalent size, the Hooke. Both these rivers have cut valleys into the surrounding chalk hills of the Dorset Downs.
Maiden Newton railway station, which serves the village, is on the Heart of Wessex Line. The A356 main road also passes through the village.
History
In the vicinity of the village is evidence of Roman occupation and early British settlements.[1]
In 1086 in the Domesday Book, Maiden Newton was recorded as Newetone;[2] it had 26 households, 7 ploughlands, 18 acres of meadow and 2 mills. The lord and tenant-in-chief was Waleran the hunter.[3]
The parish church of St Mary contains much Norman work, with additions from the 14th and 15th centuries.[1]
Maiden Newton is also home to one of the country's oldest fire engines, restored and in full working order.
Hardy Country
In the 'Wessex Novels' of Thomas Hardy, Maiden Newton was the basis for the fictional village of 'Chalk-Newton'.
Outside links
 |
("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Maiden Newton) |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 West Dorset District Council, Holiday and Tourist Guide, c.1983, p13
- ↑ "Dorset H-R". The Domesday Book Online. domesdaybook.co.uk. http://www.domesdaybook.co.uk/dorset2.html. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
- ↑ "Place: [Maiden Newton"]. Open Domesday. domesdaymap.co.uk. http://domesdaymap.co.uk/place/SY5997/maiden-newton/. Retrieved 2 March 2015.