Contents | 1. Overview | 2. Intro to Marnhull | 3. Actions & Strategy | 4. Residents Views | 5. Data | Summary

The first settlements in the area around 2000BC were in the north east at Ashley Plantation, but Marnhull only established its individual identity when it became a separate parish from Sturminster Newton around 1150 AD.

The village and parish of Marnhull is comprised of a number of hamlets scattered over an area of 3751 acres, contained within a boundary of approximately 23 miles, it is considered to be one of the largest villages in the South West. Situated in North Dorset, nestling in the heart of the Blackmore Vale, it lies between Shaftesbury, 6 miles to the east and Sturminster Newton, 3miles to the south. Visitors to Marnhull enjoy wonderful panoramic views, which include the hills of Hodd, Hambledon and Duncliffe woods. Marnhull is a village that has slowly evolved into a place where 80 % of the resident’s responding to the questionnaire want to live and do not want to see significantly change. In the year1821 the population was 1274 this grew to 1415 in the year 1891, and, according to the 2001 census it stood at 1951 with a total number of dwellings standing at 915. The numbers of Parish Plan respondents to the questionnaire were 1298 (plus youth to be added) from 581 dwellings.

Marnhull incorporates hamlets: Pleck, Walton Elm, Moorside, Pilwell, Ham, Nash, Hains, Gannetts and is surrounded by 8 parishes: Fifehead Magdalen, Stour Provost, Todber, Margaret Marsh, West Orchard, Manston, Hinton St Mary and Stalbridge. The river Stour joined by two smaller rivers the Cale and Lyddon flows round the north and west sides of Marnhull forming part of the Parish boundary with crossings provided by two stone bridges one at Redbridge and the other at Kings Mill on a site dating back to 1350.

The village of Marnhull, or Marlott as it was called in Thomas Hardy’s “Tess of the D’Urbervilles “, is steeped in history. Catherine Parr, Henry VIII’s last wife owned Nash Court, which is only one of the many listed buildings in the village. St Gregory’s Church of England church, a Grade 1 listed building, is a focal point for many miles around and it is where roads leading from Gillingham, Dorchester and Sturminster Newton all converge. The church is the oldest and largest building in the village and, since parts of it date back to the 10th century, it is unique as a record of Marnhull history.

The other main churches in Marnhull are the Roman Catholic Church of Our Lady first used in 1832, and the Methodist Church opened in 1899. The village in addition to a very successful pre school known as the Jungle Hut has two primary schools; St Mary’s Catholic and St Gregory’s C of E Primary School with a total intake in excess of 300 pupils. Also in Marnhull is Ivers College a privately owned residential facility for young adults with learning disabilities.

At one time it is reputed that Marnhull could boast 13 inns, alehouses and malt houses however by 1962 this had been reduced to 6 and now the village has two: The Crown which dates back to 1753, referred to by Thomas Hardy as “ The Pure Drop Inn”, and the Blackmore Vale Inn, Hardy’s “Rollivers ”of which some parts date back 4 centuries.

The original sports pavilion was opened in 1951 for the Festival of Britain and the Village Hall was added in the 1970s. Substantial redevelopment of the sports pavilion was undertaken and completed in 2005 at a cost in excess of £60,000. The hall is under trustee management with the Parish Council having direct management of the recreation field and nearby cemetery. The recreation grounds provide facilities for football, cricket, tennis and a skate park that was opened in 2003 at a cost of £28,000, while there is also a dedicated children’s playground. There is no obvious centre to the village, but it is fortunate to have two general stores (one also a newsagents), a butchers and post office. In 2003 a much needed new surgery and pharmacy were opened with the previous pharmacy site becoming a second hairdressing salon. The village is home to a number of small businesses.

As early as 1895 there was a police station, with an officer in charge, but this has unfortunately disappeared. The stone quarry continues to provide quantities of Marnhull stone, which historically was used for a majority of the buildings in Marnhull.

Respondents to the questionnaire show that 20% moved to the village within the last 5 years and a further 30% between 6 to 15 years ago. This indicates that the village is no longer a farming / agricultural based community but a rather more complex mixture of cultures.

The parish of Marnhull falls within the parliamentary constituency of North Dorset and is part of the European constituency of Dorset and East Devon. It is in the Stour Vale ward of Dorset County Council and the Marnhull ward of North Dorset District Council. It is in the West Dorset Local Justice Area with a Crown Court at Dorchester and Magistrates Courts at Blandford, Sherborne, Weymouth and Bridport. St Gregory's is part of the diocese of Salisbury and the archdeaconry of Dorset; the Catholic Church is part of the Roman Catholic diocese of Plymouth.

Contents | 1. Overview | 2. Intro to Marnhull | 3. Actions & Strategy | 4. Residents Views | 5. Data | Summary