Chickerell
Encyclopedia
Chickerell is a small town and parish in the West Dorset
district of Dorset
, England. The parish has a population
of 5,282 (2001).
and Langton Herring
. To the north-west is Portesham
, to the east Weymouth, and to the south the Isle of Portland
. Chesil Beach
runs alongside to the west of the village which is part of the Jurassic Coast
World Heritage Site
. A major attraction in Chickerell is the Bennetts Water Gardens
which is situated next to Chickerell Downs, a Woodland Trust
wood.
which contain ten councillors who are elected to the Town Council. For local government elections which take place every four years, Chickerell returns three councillors for the West Dorset District Council
,
and one councillor, for the Chickerell & Chesil Bank ward, to Dorset County Council
.
Chickerell is situated within the West Dorset parliamentary constituency and the Member of Parliament
is Oliver Letwin
(Conservative
) who was elected with 47.6 per cent of the vote at the 2010 general election.
Chickerell's population has grown considerably since 1960. Between 1961 and 1971 it increased by 43% from 2,300 to 3,300 and has continued to grow ever since, although at a slower rate.
, 2 miles (3.2 km) away from the town. The nearest coach station is at Weymouth, the nearest airport is Bournemouth Airport.
The B3157 Chickerell Road connects Chickerell to Weymouth east bound, and Bridport
along the coast to the west. This is the only major road in or near the town.
West Dorset
West Dorset is a local government district and parliamentary constituency in Dorset, England. Its council is based in Dorchester. The district was formed on 1 April 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, and was a merger of the boroughs of Bridport, Dorchester and Lyme Regis, along with...
district of Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
, England. The parish has a population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
of 5,282 (2001).
History
Although Roman remains have been found, indicating that there has been settlement in the area for many years, as a modern town, Chickerell is recent and one of Dorset's newest towns. Chickerell has seen much development over the last twenty years.Geography
The parish of Chickerell has to the west the Fleet lagoon, East FleetMoonfleet
Moonfleet is a tale of smuggling by the English novelist J. Meade Falkner, first published in 1898. The book was extremely popular among children worldwide up until the 1970s, mostly for its themes of adventure and gripping storyline...
and Langton Herring
Langton Herring
Langton Herring is a village in west Dorset, England, situated beside The Fleet Lagoon , four miles north east of the town of Weymouth....
. To the north-west is Portesham
Portesham
Portesham is a village in the English county of Dorset, situated close to the south coast, between the towns of Weymouth and Dorchester. The village has a population of 708...
, to the east Weymouth, and to the south the Isle of Portland
Isle of Portland
The Isle of Portland is a limestone tied island, long by wide, in the English Channel. Portland is south of the resort of Weymouth, forming the southernmost point of the county of Dorset, England. A tombolo over which runs the A354 road connects it to Chesil Beach and the mainland. Portland and...
. Chesil Beach
Chesil Beach
Chesil Beach, sometimes called Chesil Bank, in Dorset, southern England is one of three major shingle structures in Britain. Its toponym is derived from the Old English ceosel or cisel, meaning "gravel" or "shingle"....
runs alongside to the west of the village which is part of the Jurassic Coast
Jurassic Coast
The Jurassic Coast is a World Heritage Site on the English Channel coast of southern England. The site stretches from Orcombe Point near Exmouth in East Devon to Old Harry Rocks near Swanage in East Dorset, a distance of ....
World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
. A major attraction in Chickerell is the Bennetts Water Gardens
Bennetts Water Gardens
Bennetts Water Gardens is an garden in Chickerell, near Weymouth, Dorset, in southern England. It holds national and international collections of water lilies which flower from late May through to September. The plants are diplayed in a series of ponds and lakes...
which is situated next to Chickerell Downs, a Woodland Trust
Woodland Trust
The Woodland Trust is a conservation charity in the United Kingdom concerned with the protection and sympathetic management of native woodland heritage.-History:...
wood.
Governance
Chickerell is a civil parish. Its parish council is Chickerell Town Council. The parish is divided into two wardsWards of the United Kingdom
A ward in the United Kingdom is an electoral district at sub-national level represented by one or more councillors. It is the primary unit of British administrative and electoral geography .-England:...
which contain ten councillors who are elected to the Town Council. For local government elections which take place every four years, Chickerell returns three councillors for the West Dorset District Council
West Dorset
West Dorset is a local government district and parliamentary constituency in Dorset, England. Its council is based in Dorchester. The district was formed on 1 April 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, and was a merger of the boroughs of Bridport, Dorchester and Lyme Regis, along with...
,
and one councillor, for the Chickerell & Chesil Bank ward, to Dorset County Council
Dorset County Council
Dorset County Council is the county council of the Dorset in England. It provides the upper tier of local government, below which are district councils, and town and parish councils...
.
Chickerell is situated within the West Dorset parliamentary constituency and the Member of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
is Oliver Letwin
Oliver Letwin
Oliver Letwin MP FRSA is a British politician. A member of the Conservative Party, he is currently the Minister of State at the Cabinet Office, and a Member of Parliament representing the constituency of West Dorset...
(Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
) who was elected with 47.6 per cent of the vote at the 2010 general election.
Demography
Chickerell's population of 5,290, as of the 2001 census, comprises 2,540 males and 2,750 females. Most of the residents (97.4%) consider themselves to be of a white, British ethnicity. Some 18% of the population are under 15, 2.8% are 16 or 17, 25.9% are between 18 and 44, 22.3% are 45 to 59, and the largest proportion (32.3%) are over 60 years of age. The birth rate in Chickerell exceeds the death rate and there is a net inward migration resulting in a steady increase of the population.Chickerell's population has grown considerably since 1960. Between 1961 and 1971 it increased by 43% from 2,300 to 3,300 and has continued to grow ever since, although at a slower rate.
| Historical population of Chickerell | |||||||||||
| Year | 1921 | 1931 | 1951 | 1961 | 1971 | 1981 | 1991 | 2001 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 1,130 | 1,320 | 2,450 | 2,300 | 3,300 | 3,680 | 4,160 | 5,280 | |||
| Source: Census 1921–2001 | |||||||||||
Economy
There are two industrial estates: Granby Industrial Estate and the Lynch Lane Industrial Estate. Blundell Harling Ltd, BHC Aerovox Ltd, DEK Printing Machines Ltd, Tecan Components Ltd, Ultra Electronics, Weymouth Land Registry are some of the area's major employers.Transport
The nearest railway station to Chickerell is WeymouthWeymouth railway station
Weymouth railway station is a railway station serving the town of Weymouth, Dorset, England. The station is the terminus of both the South Western Main Line from London Waterloo and the Heart of Wessex Line from and .-History:...
, 2 miles (3.2 km) away from the town. The nearest coach station is at Weymouth, the nearest airport is Bournemouth Airport.
The B3157 Chickerell Road connects Chickerell to Weymouth east bound, and Bridport
Bridport
Bridport is a market town in Dorset, England. Located near the coast at the western end of Chesil Beach at the confluence of the River Brit and its Asker and Simene tributaries, it originally thrived as a fishing port and rope-making centre...
along the coast to the west. This is the only major road in or near the town.