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Charminster |
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Charminster |
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Charminster is a parish and scattered village two miles north west from the centre of Dorchester and on the opposite side of the river Cerne. A Roman mosaic pavement has been unearthed in the village. The 12th century church of St Mary has massive Norman arches dividing the aisles from the nave and a 15th century bell tower. There are monuments to the Devenish and Trenchard families. The registers date from 1561. The river Cerne flows under the church. Wolfeton house at Charminster was the home of the Trenchards from 1480 until the late 18th century. It is associated with many tales of supernatural activities. |
| Within the parish was also the
County Lunatic Asylum which had an extensive range of buildings and
could accommodate up to 720 inmates. Dorset County School is also
situated in the parish as well as a National School built in 1874. The
soil is gravel and much of the land is rich pasture, ideal for dairy
stock. The area is 4095 acres and the population in 1891 was 1450
persons which included 121 officers and 483 inmates of the asylum.
Photographs © Carol Few |
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| Census | On line so far:- 1841 Census & 1861 Census available 1871 Census including 567 people in the Dorset Lunatic Asylum |
| Parish Registers | These are being
transcribed the following are on-line so far:- Baptisms 1700 - 1716 so far! Marriages 1561-1812 available Burials |
| Postal Directories | |
| Photographs | Photographs of the church and village |
| Maps | The 1891 ordnance survey maps of the parish can be seen at the old-maps site, just enter 'Charminster' under place search. |
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For modern
location maps visit:- For a 1920's map of the area click on the thumbnail opposite |
