Sturminster Marshall
| Sturminster Marshall | |
|---|---|
| Village and civil parish | |
 St Mary's Church | |
  Sturminster Marshall Location within Dorset | |
| Population | 1,969 (2011) |
| OS grid reference | SY946998 |
| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | WIMBORNE |
| Postcode district | BH21 |
| Dialling code | 01258 |
| Police | Dorset |
| Fire | Dorset and Wiltshire |
| Ambulance | South Western |
| UK Parliament | |
Sturminster Marshall is a village and civil parish in the east of Dorset in England, situated on the River Stour between Blandford Forum and Poole. The parish had a population of 1,895 at the 2001 census,[1] increasing to 1,969 at the 2011 Census and includes the village of Almer (50°47′N 2°07′W / 50.78°N 2.12°W) west of Sturminster Marshall, near Winterborne Zelston and the hamlet of Henbury to the south-east of the village. The village is twinned with the French commune of Sainte-Mère-Église in Normandy. The appropriate electoral ward is called 'Stour'. From Sturminster Marshall the ward goes east to Pamphill, with a total population of 2,582.[2]
King Alfred the Great, in his will of 899, a copy of which can be seen at the British Library, left the village to his youngest son Æthelweard (c.880-922).
Sturminster Marshall has a 13th-century church, St Mary's. Its predecessor contributed to the village's name; 'Sturminster' meaning "church on the River Stour". The second part of the name came from William Marshall.[3] Until 1857, St. Hubert's Church in Corfe Mullen acted as a chapel of ease to Sturminster Marshall.[4] St. Mary's pre-Reformation chalice, dating to 1536, has survived although the stem has been replaced.[5] It is on loan to Dorset Museum in Dorchester, Dorset.[6]
Village amenities
[edit]Sturminster Marshall has a playing field with a children's playground in one corner. Nearby is the Memorial Hall which offers a meeting-space for many village societies. There is also an old school hall which is also used as a meeting-space.
There are many walks around the village including the Stour Valley Way, which follows the Stour right from the source to the sea.
The village has two pubs: the Red Lion within the village and the Golden Fox on the outskirts.
The village has a cricket club with a side in Dorset division 3. There is also a football club with a senior side and several junior teams.
Landmarks
[edit]Church of St Mary the Virgin
[edit]The earliest parts of the Church of England parish church date from the 12th century, with 13th, 14th and 15th century additions. The three-stage west tower was rebuilt in 1805 and the whole building was heavily restored in 1859.[7] The monuments and brasses inside the church are mainly 19th century, but there is a 17th-century funeral helm and a 14th-century coffin slab with a Latin inscription: Quisquis ades qui morte cades, sta, perlege, plora. Sum quod eris, fueram quod es. Pro me precor, ora.[a][8] It is a Grade II* listed building.[7]
White Mill Bridge
[edit]Crossing the River Stour to the east of the village is a 16th-century stone bridge of eight arches. The later parapet overhangs the bridge sides on corbels. An early 19th-century iron plaque threatens anyone damaging the bridge with penal transportation. It is a Grade I listed building.[9]
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Interior of St Mary's Church, looking east -
14th-century coffin lid in the south porch of the church -
The 16th-century White Mill Bridge crossing the River Stour -
Old iron warning sign on the bridge parapet
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Notes
[edit]- ^ Perhaps translated as: "Anyone present, who will fall to death, stand, read, weep. I am what you will be, I had been what you are. Pray for me, I pray."
References
[edit]- ^ "2001 Census: Key Statistics: Parish Headcounts: Area: Sturminster Marshall CP (Parish)". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 23 June 2008.
- ^ "Stour Ward 2011". Retrieved 1 March 2015.
- ^ Welcome to the Bridge Benefice at bridgebeneficedorset.org. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
- ^ St Huberts History at parishofcorfemullen.com. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
- ^ An Inventory of the Historical Monuments in Dorset, Volume 2, South east. Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England. 1970. pp. 283–290.
- ^ The Sturminster Marshall chalice (Museum label). Dorset Museum first floor: Dorset Museum. 2023.
- ^ a b Historic England. "Church of St Mary the Virgin (1154649)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
- ^ Newman, John; Pevsner, Nikolaus (2018). Dorset. Yale University Press. p. 406. ISBN 978-0300224788.
- ^ Historic England. "White Mill Bridge (1120035)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
External links
[edit]
Media related to Sturminster Marshall at Wikimedia Commons
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