River Tarrant
Encyclopedia
The River Tarrant is a 12 km long tributary of the River Stour
in Dorset
. The valley lies to the east of Blandford Forum and runs through Cranborne Chase
, an area of chalk
downland
. The eight Tarrant Valley villages all bear the name of the river. Listed in order from the river's source they are:
There were three other Tarrant Communities;
Churches also existed once at Tarrant Launceston (the site is on Higher Dairy Farm), and Tarrant Rawston (which still exists but in private ownership). In the Middle Ages there was a Church at Tarrant Stubhampton. The Church at Tarrant Crawford is looked after by the Redundant Churches Commission, and the Parish is united with Tarrant Keyneston.
A Roman road
followed the valley and there are many tumuli
on the hills on both sides of the river, evidence of long occupation.
River Stour, Dorset
The River Stour is a 60.5 mile long river which flows through Wiltshire and Dorset in southern England, and drains into the English Channel. It is sometimes called the Dorset Stour to distinguish it from rivers of the same name...
in 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...
. The valley lies to the east of Blandford Forum and runs through Cranborne Chase
Cranborne Chase
Cranborne Chase is a Chalk plateau in central southern England, straddling the counties Dorset, Hampshire and Wiltshire. The plateau is part of the English Chalk Formation and is adjacent to Salisbury Plain and the West Wiltshire Downs in the north, the Dorset Downs to the south west and the...
, an area of chalk
Chalk
Chalk is a soft, white, porous sedimentary rock, a form of limestone composed of the mineral calcite. Calcite is calcium carbonate or CaCO3. It forms under reasonably deep marine conditions from the gradual accumulation of minute calcite plates shed from micro-organisms called coccolithophores....
downland
Downland
A downland is an area of open chalk hills. This term is especially used to describe the chalk countryside in southern England. Areas of downland are often referred to as Downs....
. The eight Tarrant Valley villages all bear the name of the river. Listed in order from the river's source they are:
- Tarrant GunvilleTarrant GunvilleTarrant Gunville is a village in north Dorset, England, situated at the head of the Tarrant Valley on Cranborne Chase five miles north east of Blandford Forum. The village has a population of 236 . The large parish church is dedicated to St...
: the source of the river is in the grounds of Gunville House, now demolished - Tarrant HintonTarrant HintonTarrant Hinton is a village in North Dorset, England, situated in the Tarrant Valley five miles north-east of Blandford Forum. The village has a population of 195 ....
: a village at a crossroads, with a parish church - Tarrant LauncestonTarrant LauncestonTarrant Launceston is a village in north Dorset, England, situated in the Tarrant Valley five miles north east of Blandford Forum. The village has a population of 414 .-External links:*...
: a hamletHamlet (place)A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
with a 3-arched 17th century bridge. - Tarrant MonktonTarrant MonktonTarrant Monkton is a village in north Dorset, England, situated in the Tarrant Valley five miles east of Blandford Forum. Within the parish boundary, sited 1.5 miles over hills to the west, lies Blandford Camp army base. The parish as a whole, including the army base, had a population of 2,370 as...
: a village with a parish church - Tarrant RawstonTarrant RawstonTarrant Rawston is a hamlet in Dorset, England. It has a small church built of flint and stone. Surrounding the village are many pre-historic barrows. The hamlet is named after the River Tarrant which flows through the parish.-Reference:...
: a very small settlement - Tarrant RushtonTarrant RushtonTarrant Rushton is a village in north Dorset, England, situated in the Tarrant Valley five miles east of Blandford Forum. The village has a population of 105 ....
: a village with a parish church. Near here was a World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
RAFRoyal Air ForceThe Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
airfield. - Tarrant Keyneston: this is the largest village of the eight; has a parish church
- Tarrant CrawfordTarrant CrawfordTarrant Crawford is a small village at the end of the Tarrant Valley in Dorset, England. It is mainly a farm with a few houses. OS maps show it at the position of Tarrant Abbey, an even smaller village with only three houses. Although still part of the farm, it is referred to by the locals as a...
, the final settlement, lies at the confluence of the rivers Tarrant and Stour. Here there is the church of St Mary the VirginSt Mary the Virgin, Tarrant CrawfordThe Church of St Mary the Virgin in Tarrant Crawford, Dorset, England, was built in the 12th century. It has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade I listed building, and is now a redundant church in the care of the Churches Conservation Trust...
and Tarrant Abbey farm, where once stood a nunnery. There is also a vineyard here.
There were three other Tarrant Communities;
- Tarrant Stubhampton north of Tarrant Gunville and part of that Parish: This is now known as Stubhampton.
- Tarrant Antioch which may have been an earlier name for Tarrant Rawston, or may have been a distinct community just north of Tarrant Rawston. Tarrant Antioch was served by St Mary Tarrant Crawford, where there was a devotion to St Margaret of Antioch.
- Tarrant Preston: This was a hamlet and still exists marked by Preston Farm.
Churches also existed once at Tarrant Launceston (the site is on Higher Dairy Farm), and Tarrant Rawston (which still exists but in private ownership). In the Middle Ages there was a Church at Tarrant Stubhampton. The Church at Tarrant Crawford is looked after by the Redundant Churches Commission, and the Parish is united with Tarrant Keyneston.
A Roman road
Roman road
The Roman roads were a vital part of the development of the Roman state, from about 500 BC through the expansion during the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. Roman roads enabled the Romans to move armies and trade goods and to communicate. The Roman road system spanned more than 400,000 km...
followed the valley and there are many tumuli
Tumulus
A tumulus is a mound of earth and stones raised over a grave or graves. Tumuli are also known as barrows, burial mounds, Hügelgrab or kurgans, and can be found throughout much of the world. A tumulus composed largely or entirely of stones is usually referred to as a cairn...
on the hills on both sides of the river, evidence of long occupation.