Powerstock
Encyclopedia
Powerstock is a village in south west Dorset
, England
, situated in a steep valley on the edge of the Dorset Downs
, five miles (8 km) 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 side of the valley in a small hamlet
called Nettlecombe
. The small Mangerton River runs through the valley.
Powerstock has a population
of 415 . It was originally known as 'Poorstock' but this was changed to 'Powerstock' when the Bridport Railway was built in 1857, possibly to avoid connotations of 'poor (rolling) stock' Powerstock railway station
(and the entire Bridport branch line) closed on 5 May 1975.
Panorama of Powerstock, December 2010
Poorstock Forest
was one of the 80 royal forest
s created by the Normans
in the 11th, 12th and early 13th centuries. A 'forest' originally meant land where certain rights (usually hunting
) were reserved for a monarch
or the aristocracy
(see medieval hunting
).
The nearby Eggardon Hill
(height 252 metres) lies about 1.5 miles south-east of the village. On the summit is a 14 hectare Iron Age hill fort, from which can be viewed a wide panorama of the west Dorset countryside. Just over a mile to the east of the village lies the nature reserve
of Powerstock Common
.
Powerstock was used as the filming location for the BBC
productions of Agatha Christie
's "A Murder is Announced" and the 2010 "Spring Watch" series.
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 in a steep valley on the edge of the Dorset Downs
Dorset Downs
The Dorset Downs are an area of Chalk downland in the centre of the county Dorset in south west England. The downs are the most western part of a larger Chalk Formation which also includes Cranborne Chase, Salisbury Plain, Hampshire Downs, Chiltern Hills, North Downs and South Downs.The Dorset...
, five miles (8 km) north east of the market town
Market town
Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
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...
. The village contains many cottages and 2 inns: The Three Horseshoes near the church and The Marquis of Lorne Inn on the other side of the valley in a small hamlet
Hamlet
The Tragical History of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, or more simply Hamlet, is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1599 and 1601...
called Nettlecombe
Nettlecombe
Nettlecombe is a farming hamlet on the Isle of Wight. It is the site of a deserted medieval village and there is evidence of earthworks close to the present hamlet.There are several fishing lakes in Nettlecombe....
. The small Mangerton River runs through the valley.
Powerstock 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 415 . It was originally known as 'Poorstock' but this was changed to 'Powerstock' when the Bridport Railway was built in 1857, possibly to avoid connotations of 'poor (rolling) stock' Powerstock railway station
Powerstock railway station
Powerstock was a railway station on the Bridport Railway in the west of the English county of Dorset. The station served the villages of Powerstock, and Nettlecombe, which was nearer the railway. Opened with the branch on 12 November 1857, it was called Poorstock until 1860. Consisting of a single...
(and the entire Bridport branch line) closed on 5 May 1975.
Panorama of Powerstock, December 2010
Poorstock Forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
was one of the 80 royal forest
Royal forest
A royal forest is an area of land with different meanings in England, Wales and Scotland; the term forest does not mean forest as it is understood today, as an area of densely wooded land...
s created by the Normans
Normans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
in the 11th, 12th and early 13th centuries. A 'forest' originally meant land where certain rights (usually hunting
Hunting
Hunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife, for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...
) were reserved for a monarch
Monarch
A monarch is the person who heads a monarchy. This is a form of government in which a state or polity is ruled or controlled by an individual who typically inherits the throne by birth and occasionally rules for life or until abdication...
or the aristocracy
Aristocracy
Aristocracy , is a form of government in which a few elite citizens rule. The term derives from the Greek aristokratia, meaning "rule of the best". In origin in Ancient Greece, it was conceived of as rule by the best qualified citizens, and contrasted with monarchy...
(see medieval hunting
Medieval hunting
Throughout Western Europe in the Middle Ages, men hunted wild animals. While game was at times an important source of food, it was rarely the principal source of nutrition. Hunting was engaged by all classes, but by the High Middle Ages, the necessity of hunting was transformed into a stylized...
).
The nearby Eggardon Hill
Eggardon Hill
Eggardon Hill is located on chalk uplands approximately four miles to the east of Bridport, in the English county of Dorset. It stands 250 metres above sea level, and provides panoramic views to the south, north and west...
(height 252 metres) lies about 1.5 miles south-east of the village. On the summit is a 14 hectare Iron Age hill fort, from which can be viewed a wide panorama of the west Dorset countryside. Just over a mile to the east of the village lies the nature reserve
Nature reserve
A nature reserve is a protected area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research...
of Powerstock Common
Common land
Common land is land owned collectively or by one person, but over which other people have certain traditional rights, such as to allow their livestock to graze upon it, to collect firewood, or to cut turf for fuel...
.
Powerstock was used as the filming location for the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
productions of Agatha Christie
Agatha Christie
Dame Agatha Christie DBE was a British crime writer of novels, short stories, and plays. She also wrote romances under the name Mary Westmacott, but she is best remembered for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections , and her successful West End plays.According to...
's "A Murder is Announced" and the 2010 "Spring Watch" series.