| Blandford Forum | |
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  Blandford Forum shown within Dorset |
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| Population | 8,745[1] |
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| OS grid reference | |
| - London | 118 miles (190 km) |
| Parish | Blandford Forum |
| District | North Dorset |
| Shire county | Dorset |
| Region | South West |
| Constituent country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | BLANDFORD FORUM |
| Postcode district | DT11 |
| Dialling code | 01258 |
| Police | Dorset |
| Fire | Dorset |
| Ambulance | South Western |
| European Parliament | South West England |
| UK Parliament | North Dorset |
| List of places: UK • England • Dorset | |
Blandford Forum is a small historic market town in the North Dorset district of Dorset, England. Dorset ( (or archaically, Dorsetshire) is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology The British national grid reference system is a system of geographic grid references commonly used in Great Britain, different from using Latitude and Longitude London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. A civil parish in the United Kingdom is a unit of local government. The districts of England are a level of subnational division of England used for the purposes of local government Settlements Towns with a population over 2500 are in bold. Anderson, Ashmore Belchalwell Metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties are one of the four levels of Subdivisions of England used for the purposes of Local government outside Greater London Dorset ( (or archaically, Dorsetshire) is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast The region, also known as the government office region, is currently the highest tier of local government sub-national entity of England, with only one South West England is one of the Regions of England. It is the largest such region in terms of area and extends from Gloucestershire and Wiltshire to Constituent country is a phrase used often by official institutions in contexts in which a country makes up a part of a larger entity or grouping England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland This list of sovereign states, alphabetically arranged gives an overview of States around the world with information on the extent of their Sovereignty. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located A post town is a required part of all postal addresses in the United Kingdom, and a basic unit of the postal delivery system UK Postal codes are known as postcodes. UK postcodes are Alphanumeric. The DT postcode area, also known as the Dorchester postcode area, is a group of postal districts around Beaminster, Blandford Forum, Bridport The UK Telephone numbering plan, also known as the National Telephone Numbering Plan, is the system used for assigning Telephone numbers in the United There are a number of law enforcement agencies in the United Kingdom. Dorset Police is the Home Office Police force with the responsibility of policing the English County of Dorset. The fire service in the United Kingdom operates under separate legislative and administrative arrangements in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Dorset Fire and Rescue Service is the Statutory Fire and Rescue Service for the area of Dorset, South West England. Divisions & Stations The trust is split into 2 divisions West - Devon and Cornwall including West Divisional HQ 999 and PTS Control at South West England is a Constituency of the European Parliament. This is a list of the 646 constituencies currently represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, as at the 2005 general election North Dorset is a County constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. A Gazetteer of place names in the United Kingdom showing each place's County, Unitary authority or council area and its geographical coordinates List of places --> List of cities in the United Kingdom List of towns in England Lists of places This is a list of settlements and other places in Dorset, England. A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system. Market town or market right is a legal term originating in the Medieval period for a European settlement that has the right to hold Markets Settlements Towns with a population over 2500 are in bold. Anderson, Ashmore Belchalwell Dorset ( (or archaically, Dorsetshire) is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland The town has a population of 8,745 according to the 2001 Census. A nationwide Census, commonly known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday 29 April 2001
Blandford is a Georgian town on the River Stour. The River Stour is a 605 Mile (97 Km) long River which flows through Wiltshire and Dorset in southern England, and Blandford is the location of North Dorset's district council, though it is situated in the far south-east of the district. Settlements Towns with a population over 2500 are in bold. Anderson, Ashmore Belchalwell Nearby is the small village of Blandford St Mary. A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet, but smaller than a Town or City. Blandford St Mary is a village and Civil parish in the North Dorset district of Dorset, England. Blandford Camp military base is also nearby. Blandford Camp is a Military base comprising some 390 Hectares of Downland lying 2 miles (3 Km) north-east of Blandford Forum in the
Thousands of people attend the Georgian Fayre which fills the town centre and is held in the first week of May each year. The arts Especially during the mid-18th century the period was marked by cultural vibrancy with the establishment of the British Museum in 1753 and the contributions The Fayre combines Georgian celebrations with cultural presentations, stalls, and a fun fair on the grassy banks of the Stour.
The nearby village of Tarrant Hinton is home to the Great Dorset Steam Fair which can attract 250,000 in the last week of August each year. Tarrant Hinton is a village in north Dorset, England, situated in the Tarrant Valley five Miles north-east of Blandford Forum. The Great Dorset Steam Fair is an annual show featuring steam-powered vehicles and machinery The fair is a showcase for steam engines from across the UK and Europe. A steam engine is a Heat engine that performs Mechanical work using Steam as its Working fluid. Craft stalls, camping, and a large carnival are among the attractions.
One less pleasant local resident is 'The Blandford Fly', a local biting insect which has caused several fatalities. The Blandford Fly ( Simulium posticatum) a species of Black fly, is a biting Insect found locally around Blandford Forum and villages bordering In recent years the weed beds in the river have had to be sprayed to stop it breeding.
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Location and travel
Blandford is situated between Cranborne Chase and the Dorset Downs, at the south eastern corner of the Blackmore Vale, 24 km (15 miles) northwest of Poole and 35 km (22 miles) southwest of Salisbury. Cranborne Chase ( is a Chalk Plateau in central southern England, straddling the counties Dorset, Hampshire and Wiltshire The Dorset Downs are an area of Chalk Downland in the centre of the county Dorset in south west England. The Blackmore Vale (less commonly spelt Blackmoor) is a Vale, or wide Valley, in North Dorset, and to a lesser extent South Poole ( is a large coastal town and seaport in Dorset on the south coast of England Salisbury (ˈsɒlzbri ˈsɔːlzbri ('Solzbry' or ˈzɔːwzbri ('Zawzbry' — moving from RP to local dialect) is a cathedral city in the The town lies at the junction of the A350 and A354 main roads but is skirted by an eastern bypass. The A350 is a north-south Primary route in southern England, that runs from the M4 motorway in Wiltshire to Poole in Dorset The A354 is a Primary route in England which runs from Salisbury in Wiltshire to the Isle of Portland in Dorset, a A bypass is a Road or Highway that avoids or "bypasses" a built-up area town or village to let through Traffic flow without interference from
The main road running through the town is the B3082, connecting Blandford Forum to Wimborne Minster. This article is about the town Wimborne Minster For the church of Wimborne Minster see Wimborne Minster. The local travel links are located 11 miles from the town to Holton Heath railway station and 16 miles to Bournemouth International Airport. Holton Heath railway station serves the area of Holton Heath in Dorset. For the World War II use of this facility see RAF Hurn Bournemouth Airport (previously known as Hurn Airport) is an airport
History
Blandford has been a fording point since Anglo-Saxon times, when it was recorded as Blaen-y-ford and as Blaneford in the Domesday Book, meaning ford of the river of blay or gudgeon. A ford is a place in a Watercourse (most commonly a stream or River) that is shallow enough to be crossed by wading on Horseback or in a wheeled The History of Anglo-Saxon England covers the history of Early medieval England from the end of Roman Britain and the establishment of Anglo-Saxon The Domesday Book (ˈduːmzdeɪ bʊk also known as Domesday, or Book of Winchester) was the record of the great survey Gudgeon is a common name for a number of small Freshwater fishes of the families Cyprinidae, Eleotridae or Ptereleotridae. By the 13th century it had become an important market town, with a livestock market serving the nearby Blackmore Vale with its many dairy farms. Market town or market right is a legal term originating in the Medieval period for a European settlement that has the right to hold Markets The Blackmore Vale (less commonly spelt Blackmoor) is a Vale, or wide Valley, in North Dorset, and to a lesser extent South The Latin word Forum, meaning market, was recorded in 1540. Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. [2] It was an important break on the journey between the port of Weymouth and the capital London. Weymouth (ˈweɪməθ is a town in Dorset, England situated on a sheltered bay at the mouth of the River Wey on the English Channel coast London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. There is still a bi-weekly market held in the town.
In 1731 much of the town was destroyed in a fire. John and William Bastard rebuilt the town over the following 30 years and the town centre is an excellent example of Georgian architecture from the 1730s to 1760s. John (ca 1668–1770 and William Bastard (ca 1689–1766 were British surveyor-architects and civic dignitaries of the town of Blandford Forum in Dorset Georgian architecture is the name given in most English -speaking countries to the set of Architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840
Architecture
Blandford Forum is often given as an example of a Georgian town, as the entire centre was rebuilt at once in the 1700s, due to a fire, and is hence uniformly Georgian. All facades remain in fair to good condition, and notable buildings include The Corn Exchange, and the 1732 parish church of St Peter and St Paul, a classical building with a cupola on top of the tower. To the south of the town a six arch stone bridge spans the slow-moving River Stour.
Economy
One of the largest industries in the town is the Badger Brewery which supplies beer and ale to public houses across the region. Hall and Woodhouse is a British Regional brewery founded in 1777 by Charles Hall in Blandford Forum, Dorset, UK. Beer is the world's oldest and most widely consumed Alcoholic beverage and the third most popular drink overall after water and tea Ale is a type of Beer brewed from Malted Barley using a top-fermenting Brewers' yeast. There has been talk for some years of redeveloping the old brewery for residential use. Tesco, Bryanston School and North Dorset District Council also employ a large number of residents.
Some 2 km northeast of the town lies Blandford Camp, which has long been home to the Royal Corps of Signals, the communications wing of the British Army. Blandford Camp is a Military base comprising some 390 Hectares of Downland lying 2 miles (3 Km) north-east of Blandford Forum in the The Royal Corps of Signals (often simply known as the Royal Signals is one of the combat support arms of the British Army. The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. The base incorporates a modern technology training college plus a cinema for military personnel, and the National Signals Museum (a museum of items relating to the history of the Royal Signals since its inception) which is open to the public. The museum contains many items of interest including uniforms, medals, signals equipment, (some of which is interactive) and not least, an Enigma cryptographic machine, famous for cracking the German High Level ciphers during World War 2. The Enigma machine is any one of a family of related electro-mechanical Rotor machines used to generate Ciphers for the Encryption and decryption of
There are a number of busy industrial estates (with, for example, builder's supply yards) on the bypass road to the North-East of Blandford.
The early 2000s saw a number of private housing development projects in and around Blandford. These developments were built somewhat sensitively with faux-traditional architectural styles (such as "half-brick" fascias, period-looking eaves, etc. ) for a more pleasing, architecturally "vernacular" result than the usual cookie-cutter new home developments seen in most of the UK.
Education
Blandford Forum has two primary schools, Archbishop Wake and Milldown schools. A new Archbishop Wake school is currently under construction on the old St Leonards First School site at the bottom of Black Lane, and is due to open in September 2008. The other feeder schools for The Blandford School are Pimperne, Blandford St Mary, Downlands, Spetisbury, Dunbury and Durweston Primary Schools. Students move at age 11 to The Blandford School which is a specialist technology college lying in the West of Blandford; the School also has a sixth form.
A number of renowned private schools are located near Blandford, such as Knighton House, Hanford, Bryanston School, Canford School. The term public school has two distinct (and virtually opposite meanings depending on the location of usage in the United States, Australia and Knighton House is a fee-paying, girls' boarding prep school in Dorset, England. Bryanston School is a Co-educational independent boarding school in Blandford, north Dorset, England, near the village of Bryanston Canford School is a full boarding, Coeducational independent private school with a significant minority of day pupils in the village of Canford Magna
Shopping & Places of interest
Blandford has a blend of small unique shops as well as well known chain stores. The town also has a number of banks, none of which open on Saturday. Very few shops open Sundays. For a town of Blandford's size there are a surprising number of barbers, owing to the nearby military base. There are also large number of cafés, pubs and bars within walking distance of the town centre.
Places to stay
There are two hotels and several bed and breakfast establishments.
The Crown is the largest hotel in the town, located in the town centre next to the river Stour. An old Georgian Coaching House with an interesting history, the Crown was originally an old galleried inn, but burnt down in the fire of 1731. The subsequent Georgian building was damaged by fire in 1937 requiring further rebuilding.
Literature
Blandford features in Thomas Hardy's novels as the Wessex town of "Shottesford Forum". Thomas Hardy OM (2 June 1840 – 11 January 1928 was an English novelist Short story writer and poet of the naturalist movement though he saw West Saxon redirects here For other meanings of Wessex or West Saxon see Wessex (disambiguation.
In 1590, Edmund Spenser mentioned the town in The Faerie Queene. Edmund Spenser (c 1552 &ndash 13 January, 1599) was an important English Poet and Poet Laureate best known for The The Faerie Queene is an English epic poem by Edmund Spenser, published first in three books in 1590 and later in six books in 1596
Blandford Forum railway station which is now gone - the train line to Blandford was removed in the 1960s - was mentioned in the song "Slow Train" by Flanders and Swann. Blandford Forum railway station was a station on the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway between Templecombe and Broadstone, England. "Slow Train" is a song by the British duo Flanders and Swann, written in 1963 The British duo "Flanders and Swann" were the actor and singer Michael Flanders (1922&ndash1975 and the composer pianist and linguist Donald Swann
References
- Blandford Forum Information at Dorset County Council (pdf) - Accessed January 2006
External links
Photographs
- Images of Dorset: Blandford
- Photographs of Blandford Forum by a local photographer (Includes images of monuments to the Bastard Brothers)
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