Cattistock is a village and civil parish in west Dorset, England, sited in the upper reaches of the Frome Valley, 8 miles (13 km) northwest of the county town Dorchester. The Dorset poet William Barnes called it "elbow-streeted Cattstock",[2] a comment on the less-than-linear village street. In the 2011 census the parish had a population of 509.[1]
| Cattistock | |
|---|---|
 Church and The Square, Cattistock | |
  Cattistock Location within Dorset | |
| Population | 509 [1] |
| OS grid reference | SY592996 |
| Unitary authority | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Dorchester |
| Postcode district | DT2 |
| Dialling code | 01300 |
| Police | Dorset |
| Fire | Dorset and Wiltshire |
| Ambulance | South Western |
| UK Parliament | |
Parish church
editA church was built here in the 12th century by the monks of Milton Abbey, though this structure has not survived.[3] The current church, dedicated to St Peter and St Paul,[3] was rebuilt in the 19th century by architects Sir George Gilbert Scott and his son George Gilbert Scott Junior. The Perpendicular-styled tower was the work of the latter, and has led to the church being dubbed the 'Cathedral of the Frome Valley'; he was also responsible for the porch, north aisle and vestry.[4] A carillon of 35 bells was installed in the new tower a few years after its construction. This was the first carillon to be introduced to England and attracted hundreds of visitors to the valley, though the bells were destroyed by a fire in the tower on 15 September 1940.[2][5] The fire also destroyed the very large clock, which previously almost spanned the width of the tower.[2] In 1972 the Pevsner guide to Dorset architecture said that "for the mid- to late-nineteenth century, this is the masterpiece amongst Dorset churches".[2] The church is a Grade I Listed Building.[6]
Chantmarle
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Nearly 1.75 miles (2.82 km) north of the village is Chantmarle, a house dating from the 15th century, with additions in the 16th, 17th and 19th centuries.[7] It received its name – which means "song of the blackbird" in Norman French – from the Chauntmerles family, who lived on the site in the early 13th century.[8] In 1910 Inigo Thomas designed new end wings and a terraced garden with ponds.[2][9] In the late 20th century Chantmarle was used as a centre for police training.[2] It then became a Christian retreat and wedding reception venue, but is now once more a private home.[8]
Cattistock Hunt
editThe Cattistock Hunt is a foxhound pack established by a parson at Cattistock Lodge in the mid 18th century. It was given the name 'The True Blue'.[2]
The Hunt has been affiliated with all UK naval vessels named HMS Cattistock, including the latest to bear the name, HMS Cattistock (M31).
The village also has a close relationship with those named ships too and has hosted the ships' crews on many occasions.
An ensign and emblem shield of HMS Cattistock - a blue cornflower, the symbol of the Hunt's colours and a wildflower local to the area - is displayed in the village church.
Food festival
editCattistock hosts a Dorset knob throwing event and the Frome Valley Food Festival every year on the first Sunday in May.[10]
References
edit- ^ a b "Area: Cattistock (Parish). Key Figures for 2011 Census: Key Statistics". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
- ^ a b c d e f g Roland Gant (1980). Dorset Villages. Robert Hale Ltd. pp. 100–1. ISBN 0-7091-8135-3.
- ^ a b "Cattistock / St Peter and St Paul". The Dorset Historic Churches Trust. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
- ^ Betjeman, John, ed. (1968) Collins Pocket Guide to English Parish Churches; the South. London: Collins; p. 172
- ^ Ralph Wightman (1983). Portrait of Dorset (4 ed.). Robert Hale Ltd. p. 95. ISBN 0-7090-0844-9.
- ^ "PARISH CHURCH OF SAINT PETER AND SAINT PAUL, Cattistock - 1118659 | Historic England". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
- ^ "Cattistock, An Inventory of the Historical Monuments in Dorset, Volume 1: West (1952), pp. 71-74". British History Online. University of London & History of Parliament Trust. 2013. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
- ^ a b Claire Price (20 December 2006). "Chantmarle Manor". BBC. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
- ^ Newman, John; Pevsner, Nikolaus (1972). Dorset. The Buildings of England. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books. p. 139. ISBN 0-14-071044-2.
- ^ "Records set in biscuit throw show". BBC News. 5 May 2009. Retrieved 26 January 2010.
External links
edit
- “Official” village website www.cattistockvillage.co.uk
- "Unofficial" village website www.cattistock.info
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