Chideock
Encyclopedia
Chideock is a village in south west Dorset
, England
, situated on the A35 trunk road
between Bridport
and Lyme Regis
. The village has a population
of 597 based on the 2001 census.
The parish of Chideock includes the coastal hamlet of Seatown, which lies less than 1 mile to the south on the Jurassic Coast
, a World Heritage Site
. Seatown has a long shelving pebble beach, with views up towards the hill which forms Golden Cap
, the highest cliff (191 metres) on the south coast of England. Fossilised ammonites and belemnites can often be found on the beach due to continued coastal erosion
of the soft blue lias clays which make up the cliffs.
The population of the village is increasingly made up of retired residents and as such Chideock can be said to have an ageing population relative to the larger towns of Bridport
and Lyme Regis
nearby (Source: 2001 Census). Many tourists visit the parish in the summer and lodge either in caravan sites or in local bed and breakfast
s. Local industry is mainly composed of tourist facilities and farming (both arable
and pastoral
).
The local countryside has a long history of farming, conflict, and religious strife at the time of the English civil war
. The remains of what was once a royalist
castle are marked with a crucifix in the large field that is accessed by Ruins Lane. Notably, it is said that the 'Chideock House Hotel' was once the headquarters of General Fairfax as he planned the parliamentary overthrow of the nearby castle, culminating in its eventual destruction. Hugh Green
, who became Chideock's chaplain in 1612, was one of the many Catholic martyr
s in the events leading up to the civil war; he was executed on orders of Charles I
in 1642.
The flow of traffic on the A35 trunk road through the village has prompted calls from some residents for a bypass. Chideock was the first village in England to have two speed cameras installed in response to perceived excessive speed. The National Trust
have repeatedly refused permission for a prospective bypass to continue over land it owns to the north of Golden Cap
, citing its importance as an area of natural beauty. On 4 May 2010 a weekly hour-long protest was initiated by some residents and involved constant operation of a pedestrian crossing
at the centre of the village.
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
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, situated on the A35 trunk road
A35 road
The A35 is a trunk road in southern England, running from Honiton in Devon, that then passes through Dorset and terminates in Southampton, Hampshire...
between 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...
and Lyme Regis
Lyme Regis
Lyme Regis is a coastal town in West Dorset, England, situated 25 miles west of Dorchester and east of Exeter. The town lies in Lyme Bay, on the English Channel coast at the Dorset-Devon border...
. The village 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 597 based on the 2001 census.
The parish of Chideock includes the coastal hamlet of Seatown, which lies less than 1 mile to the south on 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 ....
, a 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...
. Seatown has a long shelving pebble beach, with views up towards the hill which forms Golden Cap
Golden Cap
Golden Cap is a hill and cliff situated between Bridport and Charmouth in Dorset, England. The cliffs are the highest point on the south coast of Great Britain. The name derives from the distinctive outcropping of golden Greensand rock present at the very top of the cliff.The hill is owned by the...
, the highest cliff (191 metres) on the south coast of England. Fossilised ammonites and belemnites can often be found on the beach due to continued coastal erosion
Coastal erosion
Coastal erosion is the wearing away of land and the removal of beach or dune sediments by wave action, tidal currents, wave currents, or drainage...
of the soft blue lias clays which make up the cliffs.
The population of the village is increasingly made up of retired residents and as such Chideock can be said to have an ageing population relative to the larger towns of 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...
and Lyme Regis
Lyme Regis
Lyme Regis is a coastal town in West Dorset, England, situated 25 miles west of Dorchester and east of Exeter. The town lies in Lyme Bay, on the English Channel coast at the Dorset-Devon border...
nearby (Source: 2001 Census). Many tourists visit the parish in the summer and lodge either in caravan sites or in local bed and breakfast
Bed and breakfast
A bed and breakfast is a small lodging establishment that offers overnight accommodation and breakfast, but usually does not offer other meals. Since the 1980s, the meaning of the term has also extended to include accommodations that are also known as "self-catering" establishments...
s. Local industry is mainly composed of tourist facilities and farming (both arable
Agronomy
Agronomy is the science and technology of producing and using plants for food, fuel, feed, fiber, and reclamation. Agronomy encompasses work in the areas of plant genetics, plant physiology, meteorology, and soil science. Agronomy is the application of a combination of sciences like biology,...
and pastoral
Pastoral
The adjective pastoral refers to the lifestyle of pastoralists, such as shepherds herding livestock around open areas of land according to seasons and the changing availability of water and pasturage. It also refers to a genre in literature, art or music that depicts such shepherd life in an...
).
The local countryside has a long history of farming, conflict, and religious strife at the time of the English civil war
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
. The remains of what was once a royalist
Cavalier
Cavalier was the name used by Parliamentarians for a Royalist supporter of King Charles I and son Charles II during the English Civil War, the Interregnum, and the Restoration...
castle are marked with a crucifix in the large field that is accessed by Ruins Lane. Notably, it is said that the 'Chideock House Hotel' was once the headquarters of General Fairfax as he planned the parliamentary overthrow of the nearby castle, culminating in its eventual destruction. Hugh Green
Hugh Green (martyr)
Hugh Green was an English Catholic priest who was beatified by the Catholic Church in 1929. He was also known as Ferdinand Brooks or Ferdinand Brown....
, who became Chideock's chaplain in 1612, was one of the many Catholic martyr
Martyr
A martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce, or accept, a belief or cause, usually religious.-Meaning:...
s in the events leading up to the civil war; he was executed on orders of Charles I
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
in 1642.
The flow of traffic on the A35 trunk road through the village has prompted calls from some residents for a bypass. Chideock was the first village in England to have two speed cameras installed in response to perceived excessive speed. The National Trust
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
have repeatedly refused permission for a prospective bypass to continue over land it owns to the north of Golden Cap
Golden Cap
Golden Cap is a hill and cliff situated between Bridport and Charmouth in Dorset, England. The cliffs are the highest point on the south coast of Great Britain. The name derives from the distinctive outcropping of golden Greensand rock present at the very top of the cliff.The hill is owned by the...
, citing its importance as an area of natural beauty. On 4 May 2010 a weekly hour-long protest was initiated by some residents and involved constant operation of a pedestrian crossing
Pedestrian crossing
A pedestrian crossing or crosswalk is a designated point on a road at which some means are employed to assist pedestrians wishing to cross. They are designed to keep pedestrians together where they can be seen by motorists, and where they can cross most safely across the flow of vehicular traffic...
at the centre of the village.