West Stour, Dorset
| West Stour | |
| Dorset | |
|---|---|
 The Ship Inn, West Stour | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | ST785226 |
| Location: | 51°0’9"N, 2°18’27"W |
| Data | |
| Population: | 200 |
| Post town: | Gillingham |
| Postcode: | SP8 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | Dorset |
| Parliamentary constituency: |
North Dorset |
West Stour is a village in the Blackmore Vale area of northern Dorset, and is one of a group of villages known as 'The Stours', located in the River Stour Valley. West Stour stands five miles south of Gillingham.
The village has a village hall, one public house and a service station on the main A30 road.
History
In 1086 in the Domesday Book two settlements are recorded in the parish: West Stour and Little Kington. The latter remained small but West Stour developed into a village.
West Stour's open fields were enclosed in 1779.[1]
St Mary's Church
The parish church, St Mary's, stands at the north end of Church Street in the village.
The chancel dates from the 13th century, with some alterations in the late 18th century. The nave and the tower (south of the nave) were rebuilt in 1840; the rebuilding used the original foundations, and so the chancel is not quite aligned with the nave, being slightly to the south. The stone font is of the 13th century. The tiled floor and seating were fitted in 1912.[1][2]
The church is a Grade II* listed building.[3]
There are three bells in the tower, one of the late 15th century, the others dated 1635 and 1733.[1]
A commemorative plaque in the north wall records the names of three men from the village – George Beale, Charlie Trim and Tom Wilson – who died in the Great War.[2]
Outside links
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("Wikimedia Commons" has material about West Stour, Dorset) |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 West Stour: An Inventory of the Historical Monuments in Dorset, Volume 4, pages 116-117
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 St Mary's West Stour: Stour Vale Churches
- ↑ National Heritage List 1152142: Church of St Mary (Grade II* listing)