Symondsbury
Encyclopedia
Symondsbury is a village in south west Dorset
, England
, 1.5 miles (2.4 km) west of Bridport
and 16 miles (25.7 km) west of Dorchester. The village is located just to the north of the A35 trunk road, which runs between Southampton
and Honiton
. The village has a pub (the Ilchester Arms), a pottery and a primary school. The village is the head of Symondsbury Parish which extends from Eype
and West Cliff (West Bay) in the south, to the Marshwood Vale
in the north. The village is set in the Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
(AONB).
of 1,020 , 12.3% of dwellings are second home
s.
More recently the main business has been milk, beef, sheep, pigs and arable production and, since the decline of agriculture in the late 20th Century, the village has hosted two colleges, many small workshops and several large self-catering holiday lets. The village still has several orchards, two cider presses, one apple juice business, an orchard conservation company, artists, potters, an outdoor toddler group and a primary school. Many of the inhabitants still work in the village on the two business parks and other converted agricultural buildings.
The small River Simene passes through the parish. A tributary stream also wanders through the village itself, coming from a spring that is believed still to have healing properties. In the medieval age, people from miles around came to bathe their eyes, that were then allegedly healed. There is an old road from the sea through the village, that used to take pilgrims to the shrine of St Wite at Whitchurch Canonicorum
.
The main landmark in the village is the distinctive Colmer's Hill, a near-conical sandstone eminence topped by pine trees. It is highly visible from the main street in Bridport, and its significance extends back to around the 11th Century. The hill takes its name from the "Colmer Tenement". The family were tenants of the Dukes of Somerset and Earls of Ilchester in the 17th and 18th Centuries and the Rev. John Colmer was the rector from 1805-06. During World War I Caledonian Pine trees were planted on the summit by Major W P Colfox MC and the hill now forms an iconic subject for artists and photographers.
In 2004/5 The Symondsbury Apple Project undertook research into Dorset's Orchard and cider history discovering that in Symondsbury parish there were over 100 acres of orchard in 1839. Further information about the project including downloads can be found on their website(below).
, through which the congregation could see the priest at the altar. The stained glass in a memorial window in the church was designed around 1884 by William Lethaby, who later became Professor of Ornament & Design at the Royal College of Art
.
Like many so-called Manor houses, this one has not formed the administrative centre of the manorial landholding. It was not until the 20th Century that the then owners, the Colfox family had collected together much of the previously manorial land that the house acquired this title. In 1975 the house was separated from the land and sold to Peter Hitchin. Originally a medieval farmhouse, it was heavily remodelled by Crickmay in the late 19th Century for the Symonds Udall family to whom Thomas Hardy
and William Barnes
were regular visitors.
Shutes Farmhouse, originally a medieval hall house, was built from trees felled in 1449. Symondsbury was held by the Abbey of Cerne until dissolution, whence it passed to the Dukes of Somerset and this was the administrative centre of their manorial landholding. In 1672 the Duchess of Somerset, in order to clear the debts of the late Duke, sold much of Symondsbury in nearly two dozen lots to various tenants, but retained Shutes Farmhouse (the Colmer tenement) as the centre of the residual manorial holding which along with the Lordship were sold shortly afterwards to the Earl of Ilchester whose heir still holds the title, but no land.
Oakhayes, reputed to be the largest (and one of the most beautiful) rectories in England, was built in two phases at the beginning and end of the 18th Century. It was such a rich living that the rector at the time even boasted his own pack of hounds and the kennels can still be seen. An engraving of the house dated 1799 was published in Hutchins History of Dorset.
At busy times (for example during a village event, or the school run) parking in the village can be difficult.
Symondsbury has several footpaths into the surrounding area. The lane to Broadoak is peaceful and provides a good cycle route to the Marshwood Vale, although it is hilly.
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...
, 1.5 miles (2.4 km) west 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 16 miles (25.7 km) west of Dorchester. The village is located just to the north of the A35 trunk road, which runs between Southampton
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
and Honiton
Honiton
Honiton is a town and civil parish in East Devon, situated close to the River Otter, north east of Exeter in the county of Devon. The town's name is pronounced in two ways, and , each pronunciation having its adherents...
. The village has a pub (the Ilchester Arms), a pottery and a primary school. The village is the head of Symondsbury Parish which extends from Eype
Eype
Eype is a small village in south west Dorset, England. The village is situated on the Jurassic Coast, several miles west of Bridport.Eype means "steep place" and many of its buildings can be traced back to the late eighteenth or early nineteenth centuries, but little is known in detail until the...
and West Cliff (West Bay) in the south, to the Marshwood Vale
Marshwood Vale
The Marshwood Vale is a low-lying, bowl-shaped valley of Lower Lias clay, in the western tip of the county of Dorset in south-west England. It lies to the north of the A35 trunk road between the towns of Bridport and Lyme Regis, and to the south of the two highest hills in Dorset, Lewesdon Hill ...
in the north. The village is set in the Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is an area of countryside considered to have significant landscape value in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, that has been specially designated by the Countryside Agency on behalf of the United Kingdom government; the Countryside Council for Wales on...
(AONB).
Population
The parish as a whole has a populationPopulation
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 1,020 , 12.3% of dwellings are second home
Second home
Second home may refer to:* Vacation property* Pied-à-terre* Second Home , an album by Marié Digby...
s.
History and Economy
In historical times the main economy of the village was the production of flax and hemp for Bridport's rope and net manufacturing trade.More recently the main business has been milk, beef, sheep, pigs and arable production and, since the decline of agriculture in the late 20th Century, the village has hosted two colleges, many small workshops and several large self-catering holiday lets. The village still has several orchards, two cider presses, one apple juice business, an orchard conservation company, artists, potters, an outdoor toddler group and a primary school. Many of the inhabitants still work in the village on the two business parks and other converted agricultural buildings.
The small River Simene passes through the parish. A tributary stream also wanders through the village itself, coming from a spring that is believed still to have healing properties. In the medieval age, people from miles around came to bathe their eyes, that were then allegedly healed. There is an old road from the sea through the village, that used to take pilgrims to the shrine of St Wite at Whitchurch Canonicorum
Whitchurch Canonicorum
Whitchurch Canonicorum or Whitechurch Canonicorum is a village in south-west Dorset, England, situated in the Marshwood Vale five miles northwest of Bridport.The village has a population of 647 ; 10.1% of dwellings are second homes...
.
The main landmark in the village is the distinctive Colmer's Hill, a near-conical sandstone eminence topped by pine trees. It is highly visible from the main street in Bridport, and its significance extends back to around the 11th Century. The hill takes its name from the "Colmer Tenement". The family were tenants of the Dukes of Somerset and Earls of Ilchester in the 17th and 18th Centuries and the Rev. John Colmer was the rector from 1805-06. During World War I Caledonian Pine trees were planted on the summit by Major W P Colfox MC and the hill now forms an iconic subject for artists and photographers.
In 2004/5 The Symondsbury Apple Project undertook research into Dorset's Orchard and cider history discovering that in Symondsbury parish there were over 100 acres of orchard in 1839. Further information about the project including downloads can be found on their website(below).
Church
Symondsbury has one church - St John the Baptist. The church of St John the Baptist is in Early English style and cruciform shape, it has a nave, transepts, south porch and square tower with 6 small bells and a clock. The registers date from 1558. Records show that the first rector arrived in 1325. In the north and south transept there are spyholes, known as squintsQuints
Quints is a 2000 Disney Channel Original Movie starring Kimberly J. Brown as the older sister of a set of quintuplets.- Plot summary :...
, through which the congregation could see the priest at the altar. The stained glass in a memorial window in the church was designed around 1884 by William Lethaby, who later became Professor of Ornament & Design at the Royal College of Art
Royal College of Art
The Royal College of Art is an art school located in London, United Kingdom. It is the world’s only wholly postgraduate university of art and design, offering the degrees of Master of Arts , Master of Philosophy and Doctor of Philosophy...
.
Principal Houses
The principal houses in the village are Symondsbury Manor, Shutes Farmhouse and the Old Rectory (now known as Oakhayes.)Like many so-called Manor houses, this one has not formed the administrative centre of the manorial landholding. It was not until the 20th Century that the then owners, the Colfox family had collected together much of the previously manorial land that the house acquired this title. In 1975 the house was separated from the land and sold to Peter Hitchin. Originally a medieval farmhouse, it was heavily remodelled by Crickmay in the late 19th Century for the Symonds Udall family to whom Thomas Hardy
Thomas Hardy
Thomas Hardy, OM was an English novelist and poet. While his works typically belong to the Naturalism movement, several poems display elements of the previous Romantic and Enlightenment periods of literature, such as his fascination with the supernatural.While he regarded himself primarily as a...
and William Barnes
William Barnes
William Barnes was an English writer, poet, minister, and philologist. He wrote over 800 poems, some in Dorset dialect and much other work including a comprehensive English grammar quoting from more than 70 different languages.-Life:He was born at Rushay in the parish of Bagber, Dorset, the son of...
were regular visitors.
Shutes Farmhouse, originally a medieval hall house, was built from trees felled in 1449. Symondsbury was held by the Abbey of Cerne until dissolution, whence it passed to the Dukes of Somerset and this was the administrative centre of their manorial landholding. In 1672 the Duchess of Somerset, in order to clear the debts of the late Duke, sold much of Symondsbury in nearly two dozen lots to various tenants, but retained Shutes Farmhouse (the Colmer tenement) as the centre of the residual manorial holding which along with the Lordship were sold shortly afterwards to the Earl of Ilchester whose heir still holds the title, but no land.
Oakhayes, reputed to be the largest (and one of the most beautiful) rectories in England, was built in two phases at the beginning and end of the 18th Century. It was such a rich living that the rector at the time even boasted his own pack of hounds and the kennels can still be seen. An engraving of the house dated 1799 was published in Hutchins History of Dorset.
Transport
The village is about half a mile (800 metres) from the A35 Folkestone-Honiton trunk road. It has no bus service but the No. 31 Weymouth to Axminster bus and the X53 Poole to Exeter bus stop on West Road for Symondsbury at Sprakes Corner, half a mile (800 metres) away. The village is only about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) from the town of Bridport, so everyday shopping without a car is possible (there is no shop in the village).At busy times (for example during a village event, or the school run) parking in the village can be difficult.
Symondsbury has several footpaths into the surrounding area. The lane to Broadoak is peaceful and provides a good cycle route to the Marshwood Vale, although it is hilly.