List of liberties in Dorset
Encyclopedia
Liberties
were an administrative unit of local government
in England
from the Middle Ages
to the 19th century, co-existing with the then operative system of hundreds
and borough
s but independent of both, generally for reasons of tenure. The following were the liberties in the county
of Dorset
and the areas they contained:
Liberty (division)
Originating in the Middle Ages, a liberty was traditionally defined as an area in which regalian rights were revoked and where land was held by a mesne lord...
were an administrative unit of local government
Local government
Local government refers collectively to administrative authorities over areas that are smaller than a state.The term is used to contrast with offices at nation-state level, which are referred to as the central government, national government, or federal government...
in 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...
from the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
to the 19th century, co-existing with the then operative system of hundreds
Hundred (division)
A hundred is a geographic division formerly used in England, Wales, Denmark, South Australia, some parts of the United States, Germany , Sweden, Finland and Norway, which historically was used to divide a larger region into smaller administrative divisions...
and borough
Borough
A borough is an administrative division in various countries. In principle, the term borough designates a self-governing township although, in practice, official use of the term varies widely....
s but independent of both, generally for reasons of tenure. The following were the liberties in the county
County
A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain modern nations. Historically in mainland Europe, the original French term, comté, and its equivalents in other languages denoted a jurisdiction under the sovereignty of a count A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain...
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...
and the areas they contained:
- Alton PancrasAlton PancrasAlton Pancras is a small village in the West Dorset district of Dorset, England. It is sited at an altitude of 125 metres in the valley of the River Piddle, which has its source just north of the village. The surrounding chalk hills rise to between 230 and 260 metres...
- Bindon LibertyBindon LibertyBindon Liberty was a liberty in the county of Dorset, England, containing the following parishes:Bindon Liberty was a liberty in the county of Dorset, England, containing the following parishes:...
:
- Chaldon HerringChaldon HerringChaldon Herring or East Chaldon is a village in the Purbeck district of the county of the English county of Dorset. It is situated two miles from the coast and eight miles south east of Dorchester...
- EdmondshamEdmondshamEdmondsham is a village in Dorset, England, two miles north west of Verwood and ten miles north of Bournemouth. The village has a population of 200 . It also has Edmonsham House and Gardens which is a popular tourist place.- External links :* *...
(part) - MoretonMoreton, DorsetMoreton is a village in Dorset, England, situated on the River Frome eight miles east of Dorchester. The village has a population of 270 . It has a number of long distance foot paths and cycle ways passing through it: the Purbeck cycle way, Route 2 , the Frome valley trail, the Jubilee trail, and...
(part) - PulhamPulhamPulham is a village in north Dorset, England, situated in the Blackmore Vale seven miles south east of Sherborne. The village has a population of 211 .-External links:*...
(part) - West LulworthWest LulworthWest Lulworth is a village in the Purbeck district of Dorset, England, situated on the English Channel coast beside Lulworth Cove. The village has a population of 766 , 9.3% of dwellings are second homes...
- WoolWool, DorsetWool is a village in the Purbeck district of Dorset, England. The village has a population of 4,118 , though the population has fluctuated over the past 15 years, due to the proximity of military institutions, reaching a high of 4,300 in 1992. The village lies at a historic bridging point on the...
- BroadwindsorBroadwindsorBroadwindsor is a village in west Dorset, England, two miles west of Beaminster. The village has a population of 1,218 .Broadwindsor was also formerly a liberty, containing only the parish itself....
- Corfe Castle (also described as a hundred)
- Dewlish LibertyDewlish (liberty)Dewlish Liberty was a liberty in the county of Dorset, England, containing the following parishes:*Dewlish*Milborne St Andrew...
:
- DewlishDewlishDewlish is a village in the English county of Dorset. It is situated in the West Dorset administrative district of the county, about seven miles north-east of the county town of Dorchester. It is sited in the valley of the small Devil's Brook, amongst the chalk hills of the Dorset Downs. The...
- Milborne St AndrewMilborne St AndrewMilborne St Andrew is a village in central Dorset, England, situated in a winterbourne valley on the dip slope of the Dorset Downs, straddling the A354 road nine miles north east of Dorchester. The village has a population of 1,042...
(part)
- Fordington LibertyFordington (liberty)Fordington Liberty was a liberty in the county of Dorset, England, containing the following parishes:* Fordington* Hermitage* Minterne Magna * Stockland...
:
- FordingtonFordington, DorsetFordington is a part of the town of Dorchester, Dorset; originally a separate village, it has now become a suburb. Taking its name from a ford across the River Frome, it grew up around the church of St. George , though the parish was much larger and surrounded Dorchester on three sides...
- HermitageHermitage, DorsetHermitage is a hamlet in Dorset, England, situated in the Blackmore Vale under the scarp of the Dorset Downs, six miles south of Sherborne. The village has a population of 101 .-External links:*...
- Minterne MagnaMinterne MagnaMinterne Magna is a village in west Dorset, England, situated at the source of the River Cerne in the Dorset Downs, on the A352 main road half way between Dorchester and Sherborne. The village has a population of 188 .-Minterne House:...
(part) - Stockland (part) (ie, DalwoodDalwoodDalwood is a village and county parish in the East Devon district of the English county of Devon. It is approximately 3 miles away from the nearest town, Axminster, and 5 miles away from Honiton. Dalwood can be accessed by the nearby A35 road. The village is placed within the Blackdown Hills Area...
, transferred to Devon 1844)
- Frampton LibertyFrampton (liberty)Frampton Liberty was a liberty in the county of Dorset, England, containing the following parishes:Frampton Liberty was a liberty in the county of Dorset, England, containing the following parishes:...
:
- BettiscombeBettiscombeBettiscombe is a hamlet in west Dorset, England, situated in the Marshwood Vale four miles west of Beaminster. The village has a population of 63 according to the United Kingdom Census 2001....
- BincombeBincombeBincombe is a large village in the West Dorset district of Dorset, England; situated north of Weymouth. The local travel links are located from the village to Upwey railway station and to Bournemouth International Airport. The main road running through the village is Icen Lane...
- Burton BradstockBurton BradstockBurton Bradstock is a village in south west Dorset, England. The village has a population of 979 . Situated on the Chesil Beach, east of Bridport the village nestles around the church of St...
- Compton ValenceCompton ValenceCompton Valence is a hamlet in west Dorset, England, six miles west of Dorchester. The village has a population of 63 .- External links :*...
- FramptonFrampton, DorsetFrampton is a village in west Dorset, England, situated in the Frome valley three miles north west of Dorchester at . The village has a population of 456 , 6.9% of dwellings are second homes ....
- Winterborne CameWinterborne CameWinterborne Came is a parish and small dispersed settlement in the county of Dorset in England. It lies in the West Dorset administrative district, about a mile south-east of the county town of Dorchester. The settlement derives its name from the seasonal stream by which it is sited, and from the...
(part)
- Gillingham LibertyGillingham (liberty)Gillingham Liberty was a liberty in the county of Dorset, England, containing the following parishes:Gillingham Liberty was a liberty in the county of Dorset, England, containing the following parishes:...
:
- BourtonBourton, DorsetBourton is a village in north Dorset, England, situated north of the A303 road on the border with Somerset and Wiltshire between Mere and Wincanton. The village has a population of 772 and marks the northernmost point in Dorset...
(from 1866) - GillinghamGillingham, DorsetGillingham is a town in the Blackmore Vale area of Dorset, England. The town is the most northerly in the county. It is 3 miles south of the A303 lying on the B3092 and B3081. It is near to the town of Shaftesbury which lies 7 miles to the south east. Neighbouring hamlets included Peacemarsh, Bay...
- MotcombeMotcombeMotcombe is a village in north Dorset, England, situated in the Blackmore Vale half way between the market towns of Gillingham and Shaftesbury. The village has a population of 1,404 ....
- HalstockHalstockHalstock is a village in north west Dorset, England, five miles south of Yeovil, and lies on the route of the ancient Harrow Way. The village has a population of 470 , down from a peak of over 600 in the mid-nineteenth century.-History:...
- Loders and Bothenhampton LibertyLoders and Bothenhampton LibertyLoders and Bothenhampton Liberty was a liberty in the county of Dorset, England, containing the following parishes:*Bothenhampton*Loders...
:
- BothenhamptonBothenhamptonBothenhampton is a village in south west Dorset, England, just outside the town of Bridport. It is separated from the town only by the River Asker and the A35 Bridport by-pass. The village has a population of 2,186 , of which 45.5% are retired....
- LodersLodersLoders is a village in south west Dorset, England, two miles north east of Bridport. The village has a population of 502 . It is a linear village, sitting in a long valley between Waddon Hill and Boarsbarrow Hill, following the road between Bradpole and Askerswell, with another road parallel to...
- OwermoigneOwermoigneOwermoigne is a village in south west Dorset, England, situated six miles south east of Dorchester. The village has a population of 450 .The parish was formerly part of hundred of Winfrith, and subsequently constituted a liberty by itself.-External links:...
(formerly part of Winfrith HundredWinfrith (hundred)Winfrith Hundred was a hundred in the county of Dorset, England, containing the following parishes:*Coombe Keynes*East Lulworth*East Stoke*Moreton *Owermoigne *Poxwell*Warmwell*Watercombe *Winfrith Newburgh...
)
- PiddlehintonPiddlehintonPiddlehinton is a village in west Dorset, England situated in the Piddle valley five miles north of Dorchester. The village has a population of around 600 .Piddlehinton formerly constituted a liberty containing only the parish itself....
- Piddletrenthide LibertyPiddletrenthide (liberty)Piddletrenthide Liberty was a liberty in the county of Dorset, England, containing the following parishes:Piddletrenthide Liberty was a liberty in the county of Dorset, England, containing the following parishes:...
:
- Gorewood (from 1858)
- Minterne MagnaMinterne MagnaMinterne Magna is a village in west Dorset, England, situated at the source of the River Cerne in the Dorset Downs, on the A352 main road half way between Dorchester and Sherborne. The village has a population of 188 .-Minterne House:...
(part) - PiddletrenthidePiddletrenthidePiddletrenthide is a village in west Dorset, England, situated in the Piddle valley on the dip slope of the Dorset Downs, eight miles north of Dorchester. The village has a population of 691...
- PortlandIsle of PortlandThe 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...
- Powerstock Liberty:Powerstock (liberty)Powerstock Liberty was a liberty comprising part of the parish of Powerstock in Dorset, England....
- PowerstockPowerstockPowerstock is a village in south west Dorset, England, situated in a steep valley on the edge of the Dorset Downs, five miles north east of the market town of Bridport. The village contains many cottages and 2 inns: The Three Horseshoes near the church and The Marquis of Lorne Inn on the other...
(part)
- Ryme IntrinsecaRyme IntrinsecaRyme Intrinseca is a village in north west Dorset, England, four miles south of Yeovil, and a mile west of Yetminster. The village has a population of 130 . The name means the inner, or home, part of the Ryme manor as opposed to the outer parts, once called Ryme Extrinseca.The church at Ryme...
- Stour ProvostStour ProvostStour Provost is a village in the Blackmore Vale area of north Dorset, England, situated on the River Stour between Sturminster Newton and Gillingham. The village has a population of 560 . 5.6% of dwellings are second homes....
- Sutton Poyntz LibertySutton Poyntz (liberty)Sutton Poyntz Liberty was a liberty in the county of Dorset, England, containing the following parishes:*Chickerell *Preston*Stockwood...
:
- ChickerellChickerellChickerell is a small town and parish in the West Dorset district of Dorset, England. The parish has a population of 5,282 .-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...
(part) - PrestonPreston, DorsetPreston is a coastal village and suburb of Weymouth in south Dorset, England. It is approximately north-east of Weymouth town centre and west of the village of Osmington....
- StockwoodStockwoodStockwood is a residential area and council ward in south Bristol, between Whitchurch and Brislington.It is served by bus routes, 54, 54A, 57 and A4....
- Sydling St NicholasSydling St NicholasSydling St Nicholas is a village in the county of Dorset in southwest England. It is situated in the West Dorset district of the county, about nine miles northwest of the county town of Dorchester. It is sited on Sydling Water, a tributary of the River Frome. Sydling Water divides upon entering the...
- Waybayouse or Wabyhouse LibertyWaybayouse LibertyWaybayouse Liberty or Wabyhouse Liberty was a liberty in the county of Dorset, England, containing part of the parish of Upwey....
:
- UpweyUpwey, DorsetUpwey is a village in south Dorset, England. The village is situated on the A354 road in the Wey valley and has been absorbed into the Weymouth built-up area and is four miles north of the town centre in the outer suburbs...
(part)
- Wyke Regis and Elwell LibertyWyke Regis and Elwell LibertyWyke Regis and Elwell Liberty was a liberty in the county of Dorset, England, containing the following areas:*Elwell, part of the parish of Upwey*Wyke Regis...
:
- Upwey (part) (ie, Elwell)
- Wyke RegisWyke RegisWyke Regis is a village in south Dorset, England. The village is part of the south western suburbs of Weymouth, on the northern shore of Portland Harbour and the south-eastern end of Chesil Beach. Wyke is south of the county town, Dorchester...
Sources
- Boswell, Edward, 1833: The Civil Division of the County of Dorset (published on CD by Archive CD Books Ltd, 1992)
- Hutchins, Rev John, History of Dorset, vols 1-4 (3rd ed 1861-70; reprinted by EP Publishing, Wakefield, 1973)
- Mills, A D, 1977, 1980, 1989: Place Names of Dorset, parts 1-3. English Place Name Society: Survey of English Place Names vols LII, LIII and 59/60