Askerswell

Askerswell (/ˈæskərzwəl/) is a small village and civil parish in the county of Dorset in southwest England. It is sited on the small River Asker. It lies 11 miles (18 km) west of the county town Dorchester. The parish has an area of 1,724 acres (2.69 sq mi; 698 ha)[2] and in the northeast includes the western slopes of Eggardon Hill, including part of the Iron Age hill fort close to its summit.[3][4] In the 2011 census the civil parish had a population of 154.

Askerswell
Askerswell village from the south
Askerswell is located in Dorset
Askerswell
Askerswell
Location within Dorset
Area2.7 sq mi (7.0 km2)
Population154 [1]
• Density57/sq mi (22/km2)
OS grid referenceSY529927
• London140 miles (225 km)
Civil parish
  • Askerswell
Unitary authority
Shire county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townDORCHESTER
Postcode districtDT2
Dialling code01308
PoliceDorset
FireDorset and Wiltshire
AmbulanceSouth Western
UK Parliament
Websitehttp://www.askerswell.co.uk/
Parish church of St Michael

Toponymy

The name Askerswell is derived from Osgar's Well or its Viking equivalent Asger's Well, though local tradition is that Askers' Well is Dorset dialect for newts' well and refers to the name of the stream flowing through the village ("Askers" or the River Asker).[5]

History

In 1086 in the Domesday Book Askerswell was recorded as Oscherwille;[6] it had 30 households, was in Eggardon Hundred and the lord and tenant-in-chief was Tavistock Abbey.[7]

Askerswell parish church has an early 15th-century west tower, but the rest of the building was rebuilt by Talbot Bury in 1858.[5][8]

There are twenty structures in the parish that are listed by English Heritage for their historic or architectural interest. There are no structures listed as Grade I (the highest rating), but the parish church and South Eggardon Farmhouse are Grade II*.[9]

Governance

In the United Kingdom national parliament Askerswell is in the West Dorset parliamentary constituency, which is currently represented by Oliver Letwin of the Conservative Party. In local government, Askerswell is governed by Dorset Council at the highest tier. At the parish level—the lowest tier—Askerswell does not have a parish council; instead it has a parish meeting.[10]

In national parliament and district council elections, Dorset is divided into several electoral wards, with Askerswell being within Netherbury electoral ward.[11][12][13] In county council elections, Askerswell is in the Bride Valley electoral division, one of 42 divisions that elect councillors to Dorset County Council.[14]

Geography

Askerswell civil parish extends from the A35 trunk road on Askerswell Down in the south to the Iron Age hillfort on Eggardon Hill in the northeast and Knowle Hill in the northwest. Its altitude is between about 50 metres (160 ft) where the River Asker leaves the parish in the west up to about 250 metres (820 ft) on Eggardon Hill. The surrounding parishes are Loders to the west, Shipton Gorge to the southwest, Chilcombe to the south, Litton Cheney to the southeast and east, West Compton to the northeast and Powerstock to the north.[15] All of Askerswell parish is within the Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.[16]

Eggardon Hill, showing the embankments of the Iron Age hillfort

The local travel links are located 5 miles (8.0 km) from the village to Maiden Newton railway station and 33 miles (53 km) to Exeter International Airport. The main road running through the village is Hembury Road.

Demography

In the 2011 census Askerswell civil parish had 86 dwellings,[17] 71 households and a population of 154.[1] The average age of residents was 51.7, compared to 39.3 for England as a whole. 27.9% of residents were age 65 or over, compared to 16.4% for England as a whole.[18]

Amenities

Askerswell village has a village hall, located by the road to Spyway.[19] There is also a village pub, first licensed in 1845 - The Spyway Inn.[20]

References
  1. "Area: Askerswell (Parish). Key Figures for 2011 Census: Key Statistics". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Archived from the original on 2 June 2014. Retrieved 12 June 2013.
  2. "Askerswell". Dorset OPC Project. Retrieved 3 April 2015.
  3. West Dorset. West Dorset District Council. 1982. p. 2.
  4. Ordnance Survey 1:25000 Pathfinder Series, Sheet SY 49/59 Bridport, 1977
  5. Hannay, Clive; Legg, Rodney (December 2007). "Askerswell village". Dorset Life magazine. Retrieved 3 April 2015.
  6. "Dorset A-G". The Domesday Book Online. domesdaybook.co.uk. Retrieved 17 February 2015.
  7. "Place: Askerswell". Open Domesday. domesdaymap.co.uk. Archived from the original on 18 February 2015. Retrieved 17 February 2015.
  8. "'Askerswell', in An Inventory of the Historical Monuments in Dorset, Volume 1, West (London, 1952), pp. 12–15". British History Online. University of London. Retrieved 2 April 2015.
  9. "Listed Buildings in Askerswell, Dorset, England". britishlistedbuildings.co.uk. Retrieved 3 April 2015.
  10. "Askersewll Parish Meeting". dorsetforyou.com. Dorset County Council. 8 December 2014. Retrieved 4 April 2015.
  11. "The West Dorset (Electoral Changes) Order 2015". legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 30 September 2015.
  12. "Dorset West: Seat, Ward and Prediction Details". electoralcalculus.co.uk. Archived from the original on 1 October 2015. Retrieved 30 September 2015.
  13. "Interactive map of District councillors". dorsetforyou.com. Dorset County Council. Retrieved 30 September 2015.
  14. "Electoral division profiles 2013". dorsetforyou.com. Dorset County Council. Retrieved 4 April 2015.
  15. Ordnance Survey (1977), 1:25,000 Pathfinder Series, Sheet SY 49/59 (Bridport)
  16. "Dorset Explorer". Natural England. Archived from the original on 6 October 2015. Retrieved 4 April 2015.
  17. "Area: Askerswell (Parish). Dwellings, Household Spaces and Accommodation Type, 2011 (KS401EW)". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Archived from the original on 18 February 2015. Retrieved 17 February 2015.
  18. "Area: Askerswell (Parish). Age Structure, 2011 (KS102EW)". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Archived from the original on 8 April 2015. Retrieved 4 April 2015.
  19. "Askerswell Village Hall". Dorset Halls Network. Dorset Village Halls Association. 2 February 2010. Retrieved 4 April 2015.
  20. https://thespywayinn.com. Retrieved 8 August 2018. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
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