| Stalbridge | |
|---|---|
 St Mary's Church | |
  Stalbridge Location withinDorset | |
 Interactive map of Stalbridge | |
| Population | 2,668 (2021) |
| OS grid reference | ST735177 |
| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Sturminster Newton |
| Postcode district | DT10 |
| Dialling code | 01963 |
| Police | Dorset |
| Fire | Dorset and Wiltshire |
| Ambulance | South Western |
| UK Parliament | |
| Website | Stalbridge Council |
| 50°57′34″N2°22′42″W / 50.9594°N 2.3784°W /50.9594; -2.3784 | |
Stalbridge (/ˈstɔːlbrɪdʒ/)[1] is a town andcivil parish inDorset,England, situated in theBlackmore Vale, near the border withSomerset. In the2021 census the civil parish—which includes the hamlets ofStalbridge Weston, andThornhill—had 1,224 households and a population of 2,668.[2] The nearest towns areSturminster Newton, four miles (six kilometres) southeast,Sherborne, 6 mi (10 km) west, andShaftesbury, 7 mi (11 km) northeast. Stalbridge is situated on theA357 on a lowlimestone ridge, one mile (1.5 kilometres) west of theRiver Stour. It officially became a town in April 1992.[3]
Though relatively small, Stalbridge has its own independent supermarket, dispensing pharmacy, dentist and optician, as well as many other services, reflecting itscatchment area of surrounding farms and hamlets. It is also home to the local free newspaper, theBlackmore Vale Magazine.
The name Stalbridge derives from theOld Englishstapolbrycg meaning 'post bridge'.[4]
There was a settlement near Stalbridge inRoman times. The town has a 15th-centurychurch with a 19th-century tower, dedicated toSaint Mary and restored to designs byT. H. Wyatt,[5] in 1878, which overlooks the town from a hill. The town has had market rights since the time ofKing George I, though it has not held a regular market for many years. In the town centre stands a 10-metre (30 ft) tallmarket cross, said to be the finest in the country.[6]
Stalbridge was home to scientistRobert Boyle (see below), and writerDouglas Adams, who wrote much ofThe Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy in the town.[7] From 2026 onwards, Stalbridge is celebrating the life, work and global impact of Douglas Adams, by holding an annual DON’T PANIC Festival in the town on the 23rd to the 25th of May, the 25th being Towel Day, the international day of celebration of Douglas Adams and his work.[8] The town also boasts that it is home to the oldest living maletwins in the world.
Artist SirJames Thornhill lived just south of the town, in Thornhill Park, which he bought in 1725. The house is believed to have been originally owned by Sir Walter Raleigh in the 16th century.[citation needed] In 1727, Sir James Thornhill erected anobelisk in the park to honour the accession ofKing George II.[6]
From September 1863 Stalbridge was served byStalbridge railway station on theSomerset and Dorset Joint Railway, with trains toBath andBournemouth. DuringWorld War II aMinistry of Food depot was situated here. The last train ran on 7 March 1966, and most of the tracks, station and goods yard have been replaced, though tracks still cross the road.[9]
In 1618Mervyn Tuchet, 2nd Earl of Castlehaven, who had inherited Stalbridge Park from his father, decided to build amansion house on his Stalbridge estate. He enclosed an area used ascommon land to the northwest of the church, moving tenant farmers out, and built aJacobean style mansion, the fifth largest house inDorset.
In 1631 the earl's eldest sonJames brought a case against him for "unnatural practices", and he was subsequentlyexecuted.
James sold the house toRichard Boyle, 1st Earl of Cork. After his father's death, the scientistRobert Boyle becameLord of the Manor, and the house was his residence between 1644 and 1652. It was here that he conducted many of his experiments.[5]
At some point during the house's history a 2-metre-high (6 ft 7 in) stone wall was built around the boundary of Stalbridge Park. There is some argument as to when and why the wall was built. It may have been commissioned by Castlehaven as a status symbol, work for Frenchprisoners of war during theNapoleonic Wars, or as work for local labourers in times of high unemployment.
By 1822 the house was in poor repair and the owner,Henry Paget, 1st Marquess of Anglesey, had it demolished.[10] By 1827 all that remained was the raised area where it had stood. The stone was sold off and much of it is in use elsewhere in the town, including the large farm house which now stands in the park.
There are many popular local myths and ghost stories about the demise of the house, mostly involving a fire destroying the house.
Stalbridge Park features inThomas Hardy's Wessex as "Stapleford Park".[10]
Stalbridge is part of theNorth Dorset parliamentary constituency.[11]
Stalbridge is part of theStalbridge and Marnhullelectoral ward, which elects 1 member toDorset Council.[12]
Historically, Stalbridge was inSturminster Rural District from 1894 to 1974, andNorth Dorset district from 1974 to 2019.[13]
| Census | Population | Households |
|---|---|---|
| 2001[14] | 2,579 | |
| 2011[15] | 2,698 | 1,160 |
| 2021[2] | 2,668 | 1,224 |
Stalbridge lies in theBlackmore Vale. As an area of hills, this means that the town lies largely on a gradient. Thehigh street through the town centre follows the contour of the landscape, before climbing up Church Hill past the parish church of St. Mary, heading towards the Somerset border andHenstridge. To the east of the high street, Station Road heads down the hill, heading towards the Stalbridge trading estates, passing the modern housing estates built in the 1970s.[16] To the West, the town climbs Barrow Hill, with older housing, some estates dating to the 1950s, and the 1990s Pond Walk.There are two parks in Stalbridge, the larger of which is situated on Barrow hill, and hosts a football field and a cricket pitch, as well as two tennis courts. This park also has anoutdoor playset.[17] The smaller park functions largely as anoutdoor playset, with two slides, a small football pitch and other toys.[18]
There are several footpaths and bridleways in Stalbridge. A trailway follows the route of the disusedSomerset and Dorset Joint Railway.[19] It passes through the Stalbridge Nature Reserve, and has a hard pack surface suitable for cycles, includinghybrid bicycles, or even enduranceroad bicycles.[20]
Media related toStalbridge at Wikimedia Commons
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